Check out our latest videos on
Arkansas Educational
Television Network
Helena Outpost - Self Guided Adventures
107 Perry Street in downtown Helena, Arkansas.
Click for map
(662) 627-4070
Canoe & Kayak Rentals + Easy access to the Mississippi River
For Canoe & Kayak Rentals, Quapaw Helena is your access to the wonders of the Lower Mississippi River! Conveniently located in downtown Helena just over the levee from the Helena Harbor with 2 possible boat ramps to use. You can make a protected one mile paddle upstream to reach publicly-owned Buck Island, or you can use Helena as the jump-off point for more involved paddling. Keep reading for all the choices available in the Helena region to the do-it-yourself paddler!
Kayaking in the Helena Harbor
Interested in a Custom Guided Tour on the Lower Mississippi River?
Click here to visit Clarksdale - Quapaw Canoe Company
Click Here for Possible paddling scenarios involving Buck Island
Why Helena?
Helena is the only city that actually sits on the main channel of the Mississippi River in the 300 miles between Memphis & Vicksburg.
It�s a natural! A safe harbor with 2 boat ramps, easy access at all river levels in all weather conditions. With the Big River to the East, the National Forest to the North, the Arkansas Delta to the West, Helena has it all!
Hours: Seasonal or by Appointment. Call ahead (662) 627-4070 and make your reservations. We will open up at any hour of the day or day of the week to get you on the river or to pick you up and shuttle back to your vehicle!
Canoes & Kayaks available for rent. Life Jackets & paddles and all necessary safety equipment included. Prices vary with type of vessel, but typical setup is $35/day/person for canoes and $45/day for kayaks. Enter the river in the protected waters of the Helena Harbor and paddle one mile along the Arkansas shoreline to beautiful Buck Island.
Canoeing around Buck Island
Quapaw Helena is open 7 days a week and always available for special tours, youth groups, church groups, and any others who might not be able to arrive during normal business hours. Call ahead for arrangements.
Canoe & Kayak Rentals: Paddle out of the Helena Harbor one mile up to Buck Island. No channel crossing necessary. 1500 acres of sand, forests, inlets, harbors, shallows & back channels to explore.
Click Here for Map & Description of Buck Island
Bicycle Rentals: Pedal from our shop at 107 Perry Street and onto the levee. One mile North to St. Francis National Forest where hundreds of miles of gravel roads and dirt trails await your exploration. This is a dynamic thriving forest located at the southern terminus of Crowley's Ridge. Unique flora & fauna with representatives from both Delta & Loess Hill ecosystems.
Walking canoes & kayaks down the levee past the main stage of the Helena blues festival (October).
Shuttles: you can walk your canoe or kayak right down the top of the levee through downtown Helena to the harbor, or we can provide you a trailer shuttle.
For more information contact:
Zoë Sundra, (662) 627-4070 or John Ruskey (662) 902-7841, or email
john@island63.com or Zoë Sundra:
zoe@island63.com
The beautiful sandbars of Buck Island make for beautiful camping, picnicing & exploring for all ages!
Great Birding - Bald Eagle near Buck Island