Bogue Chitto River in Mississippi

Trip Overview

We left Saturday morning from Baton Rouge, LA, picked up lunch in McComb, MS and were on the river by 1:30pm. We parked our cars at the Canoe & Trail Outpost (www.canoeandtrailoutpost.com) in Tylertown, MS. The friendly folks at the Outpost provided us with a map, shuttle ride up-river, instructions on how NOT to litter, and demonstrations on how TO litter (one of our shuttle drivers threw a can out of his window on the drive. We were all too shocked to say anything!).

We were dropped off 11 miles up the Bogue Chitto which is Choctaw for "Big Creek." The river is full of dead trees and debris which can make some sections challenging. On this stretch, there is a wide range of current speeds from narrow swift moving shoots to broad slow moving water. The variability certainly keeps it interesting. And it is important, on this river, to remember that looks can be deceiving; 3 of us dumped our kayaks on a single snag!

We camped on a sandbar, built a fire, played games, made smores, etc. Wildlife we saw included turtles, fish, and plenty of birds: belted kingfishers, vultures, egrets and one bald eagle, to name a few. There are also houses along this stretch (with pets) so make sure you do NOT befriend a black lab, or she might just decide to follow you all the way down river. (Eventually, we had to bring the dog to one of the houses on the banks and call the owner to pick her up.)

Our second day of paddling went by much faster than expected and, though we stopped quite a few times, we reached the Outpost around 1pm. Overall, it was a great trip and highly recommended!

Accommodations:

Primitive camping on sand bars along the river. There are cabins and additional primitive campsites at Canoe and Trail Outpost.

Outfitting:

Wilderness Systems Tsunami 120, Necky, Dagger, and one Old Towne Canoe (rented).

Fees:

The shuttle fee is $5 and camping fee is $6.

Directions:

Directions from Baton Rouge, LA: Take I-12 to I-55N towards Hammond - Take Amite City exit Hwy 16 - Continue on Hwy 16 toward Franklinton - Hwy 16 runs in to LA 25 - Turn left on LA 25 toward Franklinton - In Franklinton, turn left at first traffic light (LA 25) - go to Washington Parish Fair Grounds - turn left (LA 25) - Continue on LA 25 toward Tylertown, MS - At LA/MS State Line, LA 25 changes to MS 27 - Go 2.1 miles past the State Line and turn left on Dillons Bridge Road - Go 1.1 miles down Dillons Bridge Road and Canoe and Trail Outpost is on the left.