Jourdan River Paddle-McLeod Park, Kiln Mississippi

This is a very pleasant out-and-back trip, about an hour from New Orleans, that's perfect for a casual group paddle or a nice workout paddle.

This route starts and finishes in McLeod Park, near Kiln, MS. But the Jourdan River empties into Bay St Louis, so you could certainly get creative with some point-to-point, shuttle-based trips also. But this post will only be about the Jourdan River from McLeod State Park, upriver for a few miles, and then back. On our trips, we go left/upstream from the launch, towards Bacon Bayou, and determine our turnaround point depending on how we feel. Bacon Bayou is a little more than 5 miles upriver, so these are usually 10 or 11 mile trips.

For more info about this area, here's a link to the Jourdan River Blueway site:

https://msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BLUEWAYS-template-Jourdan-River_rev2.pdf

And, a link to McLeod Park. Note the $4/car fee(as of May 2019).

https://hancockcounty.ms.gov/mcleod-park-campground/

Here's an 11 mile round trip route, as recorded by my Garmin:

The route I'll describe below is really pretty, with lots of sandy beaches/pullovers along the way. Though there may be some traffic at the beginning, this does turn into a very pretty, peaceful paddle through the woods. One of the nicest features of this paddle is all of the sandy pullovers you'll pass.

On Memorial Day Weekend 2019 (Sunday), a group of eight of us paddled this route. For our 10 A.M. start, the river was not yet very crowed. This was a very slow trip, and when we returned around 3 P.M., the boat traffic became pretty heavy within the last 2 or 3 miles as we returned to the park. In fact, in the last mile the traffic was very heavy. But in the last mile or so, there are so many large gatherings of people having beach parties along the way, with people playing in the river, that boat traffic was alert and polite. Just be ready for lots of crisscrossing wake action. 

On one trip on Labor Day weekend, the weather alternated between extremely hot and short rainstorms. Our plan was to just have a relaxing paddle and swim and "who cares if it rains" kind of day, and this is a perfect trip for that. In fact, on that trip our group took advantage of all the pullovers and swapped boats periodically so folks could try out different styles of kayaks (and a homemade pirogue, actually). That was one of the most relaxing 10 mile paddles I've done. We turned around at 5 miles on that trip, but the river remains navigable for canoes and kayaks for a ways further. 

The river becomes Catahoula Creek after Bacon Bayou, actually, and as you continue upstream you'll probably be fighting a pretty good current. Paddle until you get tired of fighting the current or simply need to return to the car. Bayou Bacon is actually a good reference point for a turn around spot (since it's really the ONLY reference point around), and you'll probably find some nice sandy beaches to pull over on around it. 

The picture below was our turnaround/lunch spot in our May 2019 trip. The current was quite strong, and the water was very shallow and cool (so we sat in it and forgot about the heat).

Around Bacon Bayou, you'll skim through some pretty shallow water, and definitely north of Bacon Bayou you should check skegs or rudders. My friend, David Leon, joined us on the Memorial Weekend trip on his paddle board and he had to remove the fin. Typically your speed has slowed noticeably by the time you get to this spot, and typically you get a nice push back, at least for the first mile or so, as you return.

The short, right hand detour right before our turn-around(above) is Bayou Bacon.

Since the Jourdan River flows to Bay St. Louis, it does have a tidal influence. Check the tide charts and consider any recent heavy rains, and you may be able to predict how much current you may have going out and returning. On one trip, we felt no current for the first 2 or 3 miles, but did feel it strengthen as we approached Bacon Bayou, and we definitely enjoyed a nice push for 2 or 3 miles as we returned. On the Labor Day 2016 trip, any current was really not a factor. However, on May 2019 trip, we paddled upstream with the incoming tide, and then against it on our return. The water was maybe 10 inches higher when we returned, and that "invisible" current definitely affected the smaller boats.

Normally, you can assume any current you feel within a mile or two north of McCleod Park, and between the park and the bay, is tidal flow. And certainly, you should expect to feel a more typical upstream current as you near Bayou Bacon, which is just past the 5 mile mark. Don't get too excited: There actually is no bacon there.

One of our many breaks on this very leisurely day.

As I indicate above, for the first mile or two the river is large enough for pontoon boats, jet-skis, and some pleasure boats. In warm weather, expect boat traffic, and folks pulled over onto the soft banks or the several sandy beaches having little water parties. On a busy day, you'll get a good variety of music to...um...enjoy. But, there are no ramps north of McLeod Park, so all traffic is coming from there, or downriver. So, as you paddle upstream, traffic really thins out. Also, as you paddle upstream, the river narrows and you start to enjoy the peace and quiet of the wilderness, You continue to pass sandy pull-overs along the way, so you will have plenty of lunch spots.

A friend of mine has a very nice description of this paddle on his blog, and it's worth a read:

http://neworleansoutdoorcompanion.blogspot.com/2012/10/jourdan-river-offers-kayakers-challenge.html

The road through the park will probably take you to a launch for larger boats. However, there is a more kayak-friendly launch spot off of the main road into the campground, a little trickier to find. In busy season, watch for kids as you drive through the campground to this smaller launch.

I've done this trip in December, and the park was practically empty. I've also done it on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and the park was very crowded, and the launch was very busy (especially on Memorial Day Weekend). But the launch is manageable--some of us used the dirt bank, and some of use used the concrete ramp during the gaps between the big boats.

The picture above is of my preferred launch. This is not the river: it's a small oxbow lake with an opening across and to our right that puts you on the actual river. I have more specific launch info at the end of this post.

Click here for the kayak-friendly launch

The link above should open in satellite view, and you'll note that the launch on a small oxbow that looks like the river. But it's not. Go away from the ramp and to your right, through a small opening, to get out to the river. Upstream is to your left.

I actually returned to McLeod Park in May 2020, when the nation was in the Covid-19 lock-down. McLeod Park was open only for the boat launch, with no camping. On this trip, the road to our smaller launch was blocked off, and we had to launch from the larger, more obvious launch. This was actually the only time I've launched from here, and since there is sometimes confusion about group meeting spots between these two launches, I thought I'd add a picture from Google Maps that I've added labels to. Most references in this post are about the smaller launch on the southeast corner of the oxbow, as opposed to the larger one on the western edge of the oxbow:

As I said, this is a great paddle that should be enjoyable for anyone. Expect some current--fighting you for a mile or two, then pushing you for a mile or two--but read the water, know your limits, and this trip should be fine for almost any boat or skill level. Turn around when tired, and pull over and relax when needed.

Kayak Around Deer Island - Biloxi,Mississippi

Deer Island, just off the coast of Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, offers a great beginner's exposure to kayaking in the Mississippi Sound and Biloxi Bay, provided conditions are right. First off, no paddling in the Mississippi Sound should be taken lightly. ALWAYS check the forecast. But, what makes Deer Island a good first island trip is that the water remains very shallow all around the island, and the island's northwestern tip is very, very near the main coast. In fact, from the beach at Ocean Springs, Deer Island looks like a sliver of land extending off of Biloxi Beach.  

Since most of the mainland coast here is beach, you can launch from any number of places, depending on how long you want your crossing out to the island to be. But because of the amount of boat traffic moving back and forth across Biloxi Bay, I'm only going to describe one option here--the "beginner friendly" option, which has a very short crossing. and uses the public boat launch at the end of Kuhn St. The total distance this paddle is just over 10 miles. 

General notes about Deer Island: 

As I mentioned, it's very near the mainland at one end, and the beach has a very gradual slope, especially on the south side,  so you can stay in very shallow water. Even if you did encounter trouble, you'd have very little trouble landing on the island to wait out a storm or to wait for help. But, that shallow water will turn very bouncy if the wind kicks up too much. And, you should expect no cover or shelter on the island, so a nasty afternoon thunderstorm could really spoil your day if you aren't prepared. Some parts of the island are wooded, and some parts are pretty bare. 

***Summer of 2023 update: 

After paddling around Deer Island a few more times since I first posted this, I do think it's worth qualifying "beginner friendly" as it relates to that shallow water that I refer to (This is the voice in the back of my head that makes me afraid that someone will read my post and take a family paddle to the island):

For many yards out from the visible beach on the south side of Deer Island, the water is 5' or less deep. Since the floor of the MS Sound is uneven, the depth varies, and because the coast is curved, your "straight" path will take you through the full range of 1'-5' deep water. 

Any incoming waves (from the south or west) will start to swell and break in different ways as they encounter that long, shallow, uneven, underwater coastline. AND, winds coming from the south or west (or in between, of course), will have decent fetch, so don't underestimate their impact. 5-10mph S, W, or SW winds can create enough energy to slosh you around. If you're in a small boat, it can slosh you around a lot, and you can end up soaked. This can be a lot of fun, if that's what you're ready for. 

Staying close to the beach is a give-and-take: you're in very shallow water where you can just put a foot down and get control if you need to; but the waves will be bouncier in that shallow water, and you'll be working harder in shallow water (I'll skip the science, but water shallower than the length of your boat will be slower, and certainly in 2 or 3 feet of water, you will feel slower - the water feels "thicker").

So, if this is a fun, beach paddle kind of trip for you, just accept getting wet, do your homework, and have fun. And please, don't assume  young children will be comfortable or capable out here on a windy day. Steering the boat gets harder in the wrong bounce, so you'll get more tired than you might expect.

 

If you're a reasonably experienced paddler, comfortable a little further from land (judge yourself wisely), you can go out several hundred feet, where the water will level out and the deeper water will be easier to paddle through. The bounce becomes more of a roll in the deeper water.

Final(I think) note about winds from the south-to-west: The crossing to the island, on the north side, will be sheltered from south and southwest winds. So do not assume a calm crossing means a calm paddle. You'll be able to tell as you approach or go through the opening in the breakwater - if you see a big change in the energy as you get to that opening, and you aren't sure about your skills or boat, or your companions' skills and boats, just go land on the north side and have an Island Day. Just keep an eye on the weather, and watch the traffic when you cross back.

 

So this takes be back to the original post before that update:

 

I won't try to define "normal" conditions, but let's say very calm days, or mild winds from the north and/or east (across land and the smaller Biloxi Bay), which is what I've experienced probably 6 of the 8 or so times I've done this trip. Those are the "Normal" conditions I look for when I plan this trip with my GF, who isn't as comfortable in bouncy water. In those normal conditions, you should expect typical "beach conditions", with waves washing ashore, across the beam of your kayak (from one side to the other), so without a skeg or rudder, you can expect to have to fight your kayak's urge to weathercock and take you away from shore. 

Our route:
When I do this trip, I'm actually hoping for a little wave action to get  a small taste of "the ocean", but the first two times I did it were even calmer than  the forecast and the water was very calm. Those were very relaxing paddling trips, with an interesting taste of open water, open sky, and what feels like a deserted island. So far, the biggest waves I've encountered on the Mississippi Sound (south) side of this trip have been 1'-3' "rolling" waves. Nothing serious--just enough to make you have to pay attention a little bit. But again, a summer thunderstorm can change this quickly.
(Note my 2023 update earlier - I have had a couple trips in 2023, in my surfski, that did make me work to manage the waves. Sure, a surfski is may be tippier than a sea kayak, but these conditions would probably have been even more challenging for 9'-12' boat)

Most of this post is based on one of those very calm days:

We used the public launch at the end of Kuhn St, right on the beach, and did a very easy crossing over to the island. We headed west, and at the end of the island, we followed the breakwater until we came to a gap that we could cut through and turn east.
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3920167,-88.8724673,65m/data=!3m1!1e3

We did this in a counter-clockwise loop. 

Once you're on the southern, or Mississippi Sound, side of the island, you get a taste of open water paddling. On a day as calm as ours was, you don't get the feel of "big water", but you do get the experience of just you, the water, and the sky. To your south, probably beyond your eyesight, are  the barrier islands further out: Ship Island, which is disappearing and is now two separate islands, and Horn Island, which is more substantial and has some great camping spots.  At some point, you'll probably see a breakwater to your south, which at first I thought was one of the islands. 

It was her first time using the new rudder on that boat, and on this day she barely needed it.

The energy of the water can sometimes be interesting at the eastern tip of the island - Biloxi Bay and The Mississippi Sound have their own sets of dynamics, and if it's windy, these dynamics meet and mix here.

Rounding the eastern tip of Deer Island

An important note about the eastern tip of Deer Island: If you look at the picture below, you'll see the large trench that runs parallel to the southern beach of the island. At high tide, the opening to this trench, at the eastern tip of the island, is pretty large and it feels like you're rounding the edge of the island. I've seen it at a particularly large high tide, and this opening was quite large.I've been told you can paddle into this trench and that it eventually has a small channel that snakes out to the bay side of the island. I've also been told it's easy to bottom out on very shallow spots. So, this could be a fun place to explore, but check the tides so you don't get stuck if the tide is going back out. For this route, paddle past it. The first time or two that I paddled here, I didn't notice this trench. On other paddles, I've had to convince my companions that this really is not the end of the island. If the water is high enough, much of the sliver of beach in the photo below is covered, and the actual tip of the island can look deceptively far away. Here's a picture of this, but with lower water levels:

Then we returned on the bay side. Shortly after rounding the eastern tip and in Biloxi Bay, you'll come upon a small cove that looks pretty inviting for a break, but you'll just have to find a spot that isn't swarming with bugs or gulls. I have actually done trips in August where we were not bothered by the bugs at all. There are lots of options for lunch breaks, so we just pick a relatively bug free spot and relax a bit. In fact, since you can always expect some breeze out here, over the years(since I first posted this) we've realized that most of our trips here are in August. It's a break from the still air of a New Orleans summer, and you can go for a swim anytime you want to. 

It was on the bay side that we had a little excitement when this appeared next to us on our first trip:

Just a dolphin
Sometime in 2016, the City of Biloxi built this pier on the island:

We followed the northern shore of the island until we got close enough to the launch spot to make an easy crossing across the bay back to the mainland. 

Using the Biloxi casinos as our targets as we paddle back towards our launch/take out. 

As you're returning along the northern side of the island, going east to west, there's a marina that blocks your view of the Kuhn St launch. Look for the large white Biloxi Yacht Club and the metallic sides of the O'Keefe Museum, both of which are on other side of the beach highway, but are very visible landmarks for your crossing. You may not see the parking lot and your vehicle until you're most of the way back across.

Here's a nice article from my friend, Jack Curry, about camping on Deer Island:

http://neworleansoutdoorcompanion.blogspot.com/2013/02/deer-island-ms-wilderness-hiding-in.html

Old Fort Bayou Paddle - North From The Shed BBQ (Ocean Springs, MS)

It's probably safe to say that most paddlers around here know of Old Fort Bayou because of the annual Battle on the Bayou paddle race. This is a race based in the Gulf Hills area of Ocean Springs, and its route feels like a typical coastal bayou, with marsh grass on both sides, and a lot of exposure to the wind. And, it is very much affected by the tides. This is also what people see as they cross over Old Fort Bayou in the residential and commercial areas of Ocean Springs.

However, north of I-10 Old Fort Bayou starts to narrow, and then gets more and more wooded and sheltered. This post is about paddling this northern section of Old Fort Bayou and Fort Bayou Creek, starting and finishing at The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint. This route goes north from The Shed, and is an out-and-back.

Here's a link to The Shed:

The Shed Launch

The actual route, as recorded by my Garmin.

Yes, The Shed is a part of the plan: We get to eat really good BBQ within minutes of finishing our trip. And, they do have really good beer too, by the way. 

It's really quite stark how much more wooded this route is than the southern part of the bayou, with beautiful blooming magnolias, wisteria, wild roses, amazing azaleas, and more(March and April are beautiful here) draping over the water's edge. Again, because the lower two-thirds of Old Fort Bayou is marsh grass and power boats, and home to one of the largest kayaking events in the area, I don't think many people realize how beautiful the northern end of the bayou/creek is. I don't think we've ever passed another paddler out here.

Just a slight current as we headed out

There are a lot of sandy landing spots along the way, some clearly private property, and some unmarked.

It narrows as you head north, and becomes much more sheltered. We may pass one or two fisherman within the first  mile or two. 

Our trips are usually just over 8 miles, and we basically turn around when the overhanging branches get a little too thick, and when our long sea kayaks become too long for the obstacles: logs, overhangs, curves, narrow spots...

This is a very pleasant paddle, which at times feels like an easy river, and at others like a very still bayou. Almost any decent 12'-17' kayak or good canoe would be appropriate for this trip.

Old Fort Bayou is affected by the tides, and I've definitely felt the current when I've paddled south of The Shed. On this northern stretch, however, the slight current, if any, disappears before too long. Really, the wind is as likely to be a factor as tidal flow. As the bayou turns and winds north, it becomes more and more still and coffee-colored. 

Since this is an out-and-back, this route is pretty simple to follow. There are some detours you could explore along the way, but really, there are only two real forks, or decisions to make regarding your route: Right around the first 1/2 mile, there's a pretty distinct fork, but the right-hand option is just a short cul de sac--perhaps a tenth of a mile. Then, between 3 and 3 1/2 miles,   there will be a left or right option, with the right option being a good bit narrower. On the maps, this right option is actually listed as Old Fort Bayou, and the left option is listed as Fort Bayou Creek.

There is usually distinctly orange or caramel color to the water on this little section to the right:

Same spot, but on the return trip (so it's on the left):

The right hand option at the fork

In the picture below, the water was a little low, and this little stretch of Old Fort Bayou to the right was beautiful, but shallow, and not really the right place for a 17' sea kayak. But, this would make an excellent lunch spot with lots of sand, shade, and clear, cool water:

The Fort Bayou Creek option to the left has always been clear for another mile or so before we turn around.

Continuing along Fort Bayou Creek, after the fork.

After the fork, Fort Bayou Creek gets even prettier, with more trees leaning across the water, much more shade, and (at least in spring) the smell of flowers and the sound of birds is constant. I believe sweet olive was the smell of the day on our March 2020 trip, and the surface of the water was lightly coated with tiny white flower petals: 

But, 4 miles seems to be about as far as we ever get before deciding to turn around:

We certainly could've gotten out and gone past the log in the above picture, but 8 miles was perfect for us on this day.

Launch info:

There is a public boat launch right behind The Shed, but just beyond the large parking area, to the north and west, is a nice dirt kayak/canoe launch. It's at the end of the long wooden dock that extends from the end of the restaurant, upstream a bit. I actually didn't know about this dirt launch until someone from The Shed came over and told us, right before we launched from the concrete launch. Here's a snip of a Google satellite view of this area:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.4483774,-88.7203801,137m/data=!3m1!1e3

***NOTE***In March of 2020, we came back to do this paddle for the first time in 2 or 3 years, and a small boathouse belonging to The Shed was moored to the end of their dock, partially blocking this dirt launch.  We were still able to launch and go around it, but it did make the launch spot less obvious. Update to this update: A few weeks later, this launch spot was overgrown, still blocked by the boat house, and inaccessible. We launched from the main, concrete launch alongside the restaurant. 2020, of course, was a year like no other, with the pandemic and shutdowns, and I'm hopeful this launch gets re-established in the future. I'll keep this post updated as I can. Meanwhile, the main concrete launch is still good.

 

That's about it. I'll finish by saying this really is a peaceful paddle that's very beautiful when spring flowers are blooming--March through May.  Enjoy the paddle, then the BBQ afterwards!