Know Before You Go

While packing properly is essential, arming yourself with as much knowledge about what you’ll encounter along the way is the best pre-trip prep you can do. Here’s everything you need to know about the essential characteristics of the Mighty Mo’:

Sandbars are one of the biggest challenges. There aren’t any rapids, but because of strong currents and extreme weather changes throughout the year, sandbars shift and move constantly. Incidentally, this is also what makes paddling the Missouri River such an adventure – it’s never the same trip twice.
Sunken trees are another common obstacle. Uprooted trees along the banks often fall into the river and get stuck just below the surface.
Any eddy is a likely indication of an obstacle under water. Stay on the lookout for eddies and your trip will go much smoother.
The river usually flows somewhere between three and five miles per hour.
Two sections of the river (39 miles from the Randall Creek Recreation Area at Pickstown to Running Water, and 59 miles from Gavin’s Point Dam to Ponca State Park in Nebraska) are designated national recreation areas, the Missouri National Recreational River.
The shores of the Missouri River in South Dakota are lined with least terns and piping plovers, which are both endangered species. Protecting these birds and their nesting sites is the basis for many of the posted warning signs along the shores.
In South Dakota, four large reservoirs were created on the Missouri River from dams near Pierre, Fort Thompson, Pickstown and Yankton.

And there you have it, all the essentials you need to know before successfully paddling the Mighty Mo'. However, there’s certainly more research that can be done by anyone interested in conquering the Missouri River. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has published several invaluable resources, like this guide. You can also find great books about the excursion written by fellow canoeists and kayakers, like Canoeing the Missouri River.

Guide to Paddling the Missouri River