Thanksgiving paddle on Joachim Creek- Jefferson County, MO.: Creek should be named river!



Don't let the cold stop you from your outdoor lifestyle!

Joachim Creek in Jefferson County, MO (near Herculaneum) is one of the little rivers in Missouri I have always wanted to paddle.  I first discovered this creek driving down I-55 towards Cape Girardeau.  Every time I would look over, I wondered how I could get on these waters.  Good news is with technology and satellites, it is so much easier to find boat launches.

I-55 Bridge crossing Joachim Creek

I found a ramp right by the the Herculaneum lead smelter of Joachim Rd. in one of the city parks.  I really think the site was closed (the road had some barricades) but I had driven too far to go back.  I originally tried to put in at the Mermac near the Mississippi, but the ramp was so low, I would have had my kayak over 1000' just to get to the muddly launch point. So I decided to try Joachim Creek out (which, in my humble opinion, is way more like a river than a creek.  The plan was to launch off and take it to the Mississippi River.  However, there is a huge dam blocking the entire creek (I am thinking it was built to keep the ultra polluted water separate from the rest of the the creek) that looked impassable in regards to portage.   That being said, I went ahead and started to paddle west.  The creek gets cleaner and better looking the further you paddle west.  By the time you go under I-55 bridge, it really starts to shape up and become a neat looking small river, with some nice limestone rock formations and huge cottonwood and sycamore trees.  A really beautiful paddle!  I would love to see if I could make it to DeSoto MO from Herculaneum!
Looking forward to hitting this trip again in the spring or summer when we have more daylight to explore a little longer
Paddle ON!

Mike

kayaking Joachim Creek, Jefferson County, MO

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking near St. Louis, Missouri