A Water Trail on the Missouri River

On this site you will find a series of trip planning tools and resources designed to help you plan a paddling excursion on the lower Missouri River. The Missouri River offers a truly unique opportunity to paddle through history. Using a canoe or kayak, a paddler can choose to solo camp on a sandbar in an apparent wilderness setting or stay in a bed and breakfast and tour a historic river town.

Several state conservation areas, state parks, federal lands and city parks can be found adjacent to the river. Many of these offer access points and camping opportunities. Katy Trail State Park runs besides the river for over 150 miles, and is the longest rail-to-trail system in America. This hiking and biking trail has spawned a multitude of privately run campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, unique shops, restaurants and many other services along its course - all very close to the river's edge. There are also several commercial campgrounds, boat clubs, marinas and bait-shops located along the river, often providing an opportunity to obtain supplies or a place to camp for the night.

If you are an experienced big river paddler you may wish to review the information on river safety and then jump straight to our interactive mapping feature to plan your trip. Those new to the idea of paddling the Missouri River may wish to review sections on the river’s history, guidelines on reading navigation markers, river safety and general tips on paddling this amazing river. We believe you will find the river an untapped resource right in the heart of Missouri. The Missouri River is a dynamic river and every paddling trip is a new adventure.

	P. O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102 E-mail: bryan.hopkins@dnr.mo.gov