Canoe or Kayak Mississippi River Tributaries 

Anyone worth their geographical salt, any Mississippian at least, knows that the western most river in the state is the one from which the state got its name: the Mississippi River. Just about anyone raised and educated within the borders of our vast nation also knows that the Mississippi is one monster of a river. In fact, some don't call it a river at all: they call it a "moving ocean." The water that goes into creating this monster doesn't all come from Minnesota and other bordering states. Mississippi has tributary rivers and streams that contribute to the cause as well. If you're going to canoe something in western Mississippi and maintain a good probability of returning, odds are it won't be the Mississippi River.

Chances are, the idea of paddling the Mississippi river is followed by words like "suicidal," "crazy," and "dangerous" in most paddlers' minds. Not surprisingly, those thoughts are reasonable. Paddling the Great River is often advised against; and with good reason. The river is immensely powerful, wide, and deep with dangerous currents, eddies, and whirlpools. On top of that, winds can be fierce on the Mississippi, creating white caps and wreaking havoc on a paddle boater's efforts to maintain control and keep his rig afloat. Still not enough danger for you? The Mississippi is also well traveled by massive tow boats, barges, tug boats, and other heavy commercial traffic whose wakes alone can engulf a canoe or kayak. That's to say nothing of the potential for collisions with these veritable buildings on water, the idea of which, doesn't look pretty in the mind's eye. However, there is at least one outfit that is safely leading paddling trips on the Mississippi: the Quapaw Canoe company. They're probably keeping very close to the shore! If the preceding writeup hasn't effectively deterred you from thinking of putting in on the Great River, just make sure you do your research and that your skills, equipment, and your companions are up to the task and say a prayer before you launch.

If you're not quite ready to update your will and buy extra life insurance, the mighty Mississippi has a number of tributaries that may suit your urge to paddle. Some, however, like the Homochitto still have dangers like shifting sands, sink holes and flooding so they  still should be approached with care. These tributaries include the Homochitto itself, Bayou Pierre, the Big Black River, the Yazoo and Sunflower rivers, as well as others.  These rivers, like the Mississippi all lie in the western region of the state of Mississippi.