CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – If you’ve ever wanted to paddle the 13 river miles tying Trail of Tears State Park to Red Star Access on the Mississippi River, then join the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) on Aug. 24!
Registration is by phone and space is limited; please call (573) 290-5218 to sign up.
“Get ready to float by canoe or kayak, enjoy lunch on a sandbar, and learn from expert guides,” said MDC Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky. “This program is designed for confident paddlers who have a minimum of one year experience in paddling waterways such as the Current, Missouri, or Black Rivers.”
Participants are asked to bring lunch, snacks, sufficient water, sunscreen, and water shoes (no flip flops) and appropriate clothing for a summertime river float. Personal flotation devices (PFDs) or lifejackets are required.
“Generally, the river flows at five miles per hour,” she added. “A support boat will always be present, as an added safety precaution but navigating this river definitely calls for skill and strength.”
Prucinsky recommends gear to be light enough to be carried in your boat. Ages 16 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult within the same boat. Participants are required to attend a safety briefing covering navigation, river hazards, flows, and other important information Aug. 23. More information can be found online at https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/201836.
Program Registration
Check out details for all of MDC’s free August events online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf. Don’t forget to register your children and homeschool students for Little Acorns and Babes in the Woods story times. And be sure to visit this month’s artist exhibit!
Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will be visiting local libraries and farmers markets this summer – be sure to stop by!
If you’re having difficulty registering online, you may contact the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center at (573) 290-5218.
Stay Connected
Questions about events can be emailed to MDC Cape Girardeau Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky at Laci.Prucinsky@mdc.mo.gov.
The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting “MDC Nature” to 468311. An online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.
Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is located at 2289 County Park Dr. in Cape Girardeau, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. White Oak Trace Trails are open daily, from sunrise to 10 p.m.