City of Canton Mississippi River Park

Almost in the river!

The pads are are within 30 ft (10 m) of the Mississippi River, just below Lock and Dam 20. The barge tows pass within 40 ft (12 m) of the shoreline. This makes for a fascinating closeup view of the passing tows. The towboat engines do make a bit of noise but not enough that our sleep was disturbed even with the windows open. The trains running by less than 100 ft (30 m) behind the pads were much louder and did disturb our sleep, though fortunately it was typically multiple hours between trains.

We were there just as the river had receded enough for the park to open. We we pleased at the effort the city put into cleaning and clearing the park so soon after the water was low enough for access. Talking with some locals, it seems the park is usually pretty full during the summer season, but it was nearly empty while we were there. Maybe the fact the river water was still over one end of the access road had something to do with the lack of visitors.

The kids enjoyed the playground, everyone enjoyed watching the barge tows going by, and the price was very nice.

While I was there, I did not discover any WiFi.

In summary, we very much enjoyed our visit and if in the area again I will try to stay here again!