Montezuma Island Adventure

A round day-trip voyageur canoe paddle

Infographic with water-related icons indicating recommended water intake: 4-6 hours for sleep, 8 cups of easy low water, 8 glasses of moderate water, 2-4 miles for activity, suitable for all ages.

A tour of an archipelago of Mississippi River Islands with big beaches, swim holes, birds, turtles, and other wildlife.

This round trip paddle affords an incredible variety of giant sandbars, wetlands, gravel/fossil bars, deep willow forests, and miles of beaches to swim from or walk along. So — a little bit of everything!

Montezuma was created by the 1837 sinking of the steamboat by the same name. It is found above Kangaroo Point, about halfway in between Friars Point and Helena, AR.

Group of people sitting on the sand near the water on a sunny day, with some using phones or tablets and others talking, on a beach with trees in the background.

  • Meet: 9am
    Quapaw Canoe Company
    291 Sunflower Avenue
    Clarksdale, MS 38614

  • Meet: 9am
    Shuttle to river
    Start: 10am Montezuma Landing
    Lunch: Montezuma Island
    End: 3-5pm Montezuma Landing (could be later if you want to stay out longer)

    • waterbottles

    • snacks

    • lunch (if you want)

    • sun protection

    • bug protection

    • shoes that can get muddy and wet (or go barefoot)

    • cell phone

    • camera

    • bird book

    • binoculars

    • swim gear

    • towel

    Pack any electronics or valuables in dry bag, dry box, or zip lock bags

  • We’ll pack a 5-gal jug of water to refill your personal water bottles.

  • Dress appropriately for weather. Wear shoes that can get muddy and wet (or go barefoot).

  • Pack your own lunch, or we can prepare our Sandbar Smorgasbord for $25 per person.

    • Meats, Smoked Salmon & Cheeses

    • Bread and Condiments

    • Chips, Salsa & Hummus Dip

    • Fruits & Veggies (avocado, carrots, celery, lettuce, red cabbage, cucumber, grapes, apples, and oranges are standard).

    • Wide variety of seasonal food items or per request

    We stock enamel plates and silverware. Our Sandbar Smorgasboard has choices for all diets including vegan, vegetarian, and allergies. Let us know if you or your group have any specific preferences.

Incredible memories are waiting for you…

A sunset over a river with a colorful sky filled with orange and pink clouds, reflecting on the water and surrounding sandbars.

Meet at 9am at our base in downtown Clarksdale, Quapaw Canoe Company, 291 Sunflower Avenue. Follow us to river in your own vehicle - this is a ‘round-trip’ paddle so we’ll drop you back to your vehicle afterwards.

Pack your own lunch, snacks and water — or we can provide the Sandbar Smorgasbord ($25 per person).

Dress for weather and remember to bring sun protection.

No previous experience necessary, we all paddle together in our big canoes with guides to lead the way. But must be willing to paddle — sometimes hard paddling necessary.

Return to land (and your vehicle) between 4 and 5pm.

Pricing

From $110/person

Five gold stars arranged in a row.

You have really opened my eyes about the river. I think the fact that I ended up throwing Frisbee and flying kites down by the river with the kids this weekend is partially due to the fact that it looms larger in my mind, having canoed it.

Put me on the mailing list, and count on me to do this again!

Howard S. from Tennessee

Close-up of a person's hand writing in a notebook outdoors, wearing a blue fleece jacket.
Aerial view of a river with a large barge carrying cargo, surrounded by greenery and open land under a clear sky.
Group of people standing on the riverbank with paddles, ready for kayaking or canoeing, near a blue-green kayak, surrounded by trees and clear blue sky.
People in a canoe on a river near a sandy shore with green trees and a partly cloudy sky.
Multiple groups of people kayaking and rafting on a calm river under a clear sky, with some on the right side in a boat and others on the left side on canoes or kayaks, surrounded by trees in the distance.
A kettle placed on a campfire made of logs at a sandy beach with people in the background near tables and water.
Group of people standing on a sandy beach with a blue canoe and trash bags in front of them, posing for a photo after a cleanup event on a clear, sunny day.
Aerial view of a river with a forest on one side and a sandy area on the other, with a few small boats on the water at sunset.
A group of young people in a canoe holding paddles on a lake.
People stand on paddleboards and a canoe on a lake, with the sun shining and a partly cloudy sky overhead.
Two young girls smiling and covered in mud standing in shallow water at a river, with a forested shoreline and partly cloudy sky in the background.

Let’s go!

Interested in this trip or would like some more information? Fill out this short form and we’ll be in touch shortly…

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