Recreation

• January through March are prime eagle watching periods along the upper Mississippi. See our feature, "Eagles the Comeback Birds," for an overview of annual activities and the  Community Eagle Watch Calendar .

Walleye, bass, and pan fish are biting on the Upper Mississippi! See our feature story, "Fishing and Eating is Great along America's Great River Road."

When Fish Fly and Eagles Swim joins our new piece on FLYING CARP... both deal with a surge in exotic new carp being introduced by fish farms into the Mississippi River.

Houseboating is a topic of great interest on greatriver.com. Join us as we cruise on the Upper Mississippi!  Houseboats offered by rental services are pretty similar. We have two stories that you will enjoy:  Summer cruise with an "accommodations" emphasis or October cruise with a "river" emphasis.

  Check out our all new WATERWAY  Reports. Looking for a river cruise? We're searching them out--and reporting the details for you. Current cruises include the steamboat Julia Belle Swain, China's Yangtze River, the BC coast in Canada, and the Flathead River at Glacier  Nat'l Park. We're rated in the top for for The Rhone River Delta, and the canal barges in Europe. We've even reported on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the City of Quebec!

• Fall is apple harvest time, from Lake Pepin to Calhoun County, Illinois, and one of the most interesting apple areas is Gays Mills, Wisconsin, just north and east of Prairie du Chien. Check out our new feature, Gays Mills and the Kickapoo River Watershed.

Planning a bike trip on the Elroy-Sparta National Bike Trail? Nearly 140 miles of state bike trails meander the varied terrain of Minnesota and Wisconsin's "Coulee Country."

 Native Indian artifacts, Early European settlement and a plethora of military forts combine to make the Mississippi River Valley rich in artifacts and collectibles. "One Man's Treasure" explores treasure hunting in the river valley.

January through March are prime eagle watching periods along the upper Mississippi. See our NEW feature, "Eagles the Comeback Birds," by Pat Middleton and the new Community Eagle Watch Calendar .

• "Trempealeau and the TRUE Garden of Eden" and Fountain City's "Rock in the House."
  
• Link to Mississippi River Parkway Commission MAPS of states along America's Great River Road. Then visit our Travel Directory for lodging, attractions, and recreational activities. Business listings are FREE!
  
• Travel Tips! from our Readers.

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Heritage

Check out our display of fine art historic Mississippi River maps dated from 1757 to 1887. 

Mormons on the Mississippi commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Mormon Trail. 
Follow a modern-day account of hiking the Mormon Trail from Utah to Nauvoo, Illinois.

• Wreck of the Sultana and Paddy's Hen and Chickens

• Mystery solved! The Trans-Mississippi Exposition. For more river sleuthing, check out "Help me find...." in the Stump section!

• INSIGHT Interview: Milford Lawrence, Riverboat Pilot

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Natural History    

Every Spring "flooding" is the "f" word along the river. This year is no different! Get updated reports for 2008, and a close up look at stats from the Great Flood of 1993.

When Fish Fly and Eagles Swim joins our new piece on FLYING CARP... both deal with a surge in exotic new carp being introduced by fish farms into the Mississippi River.

• "But Can I eat the Fish?" PCB Advisories for the Minnesota and Wisconsin shores.
  
• Glaciers Left Their Mark on the Mississippi and How the Mississippi River Valley was formed.
  
• Major tributaries of the Mississippi River and a chart of the Mississippi River Drainage Basin. Answers all those "how long" and "where's the source" kind of questions!

• Tundra Swans in the Flyway!

• River Pearls and Buttons

• Migrating Monarchs Along the Mississippi

• The Great Flood of 1993

• Sierra Club view on Navigational Study with Army Corps of Engineer responses.
  
• INSIGHT Interview: Fred Lesher, On Birding
  
• Marian Havlik: Clam Lady of American Rivers
  
• Of Mastodons and Armadillos