Joe's Mississippi River Trip
Source to Sea by Kayak - 2018

On June 4, 2018, Joe departed from the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, beginning a solo source-to-sea journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Following one of North America’s great waterways from its modest beginnings to its vast southern delta, the route traced the changing character of the river through forests, farmland, bluffs, and bayou country.

Over the course of 64 days, the trip covered 2,340 miles and passed through or along ten U.S. states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Along the way, the journey navigated the heavily managed upper river system, including approximately 29 locks and dams before the Mississippi opened into its free-flowing lower reaches south of St. Louis.

What began as a narrow stream at Lake Itasca ended at the immense waters of the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. Reaching the sea marked the completion of a remarkable source-to-sea descent of the entire Mississippi River.

Daily Campsites & Stats

Total Days64
Total River Miles2,317
Total Hours Paddled565