Trip Basics

Trip Basics

Welcome to your Mississippi River adventure! Whether you’re joining us for a day trip, Community Canoe, an overnight trip, a multi-day expedition, or a specialty group outing like youth summer camps or Boy Scout trips, we’ve designed your journey to be as smooth, safe, and memorable as possible.

All trips begin at Quapaw Canoe Company (291 Sunflower Ave., Clarksdale, MS 38614). Here’s a basic rundown of what you can expect:

  1. Sign Up & Booking:
    Browse available dates on our trip calendar and reserve your spot. You can reserve a spot by requesting your trip through our sign-up form online, calling (662) 627-4070, or emailing us at quapawcanoecompany@gmail.com or quapawceili@gmail.com. Once you pick a date, we will send you pricing information and you can pay a deposit. This applies whether you’re booking a custom trip or signing up for one of our public offerings. 

  2. Meet at Basecamp:
    On the morning of the trip, everyone meets at Quapaw Canoe Company in downtown Clarksdale. We help you pack your gear into waterproof dry bags, load up our Voyageur canoes, go over safety basics, and make sure you’re ready for river life. 

  3. Shuttle to the River:
    From our downtown location, we shuttle your group (and gear) to the river put-in site. For most round-trip day trips, you will follow us in your vehicle to the landing. For overnights, we will shuttle everyone to the river for an additional fee (see Pricing page for more details). After loading the canoes into the water, we’ll push off and start the adventure downstream. 

  4. On the Water:
    Trips include paddling stretches balanced with plenty of time to explore islands, swim, beach-comb, bird watch, enjoy a Sandbar Smorgasbord lunch, or cook dinners and breakfasts over an open fire (for multi-day trips), and soak in the natural beauty of the Lower Mississippi River. 

  5. Take-Out & Return:
    At the end of your journey, we’ll take out and unload the canoes at a landing downstream (for overnights) or, for day trips, at the same landing we put in at. From there, we’ll bring you back to your vehicles and unpack at Quapaw Canoe Company.