Woman Seeks To Paddleboard Length Of Mississippi

Many have made the journey down the Mississippi River in boats, and some have written about it. LouAnne Harris took a different path: she began paddle-boarding the entire length of the Mississippi River in August. She started at the river’s source and plans to paddle into November until she reaches the river’s end.

Harris is making the journey in part as a fundraiser for “Rivers for Change,” a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses adventure, conservation and education to inspire people to connect to the water. Harris was a recipient of the 2019 Source to Sea Grant, which funded her trip.

The experienced paddleboarder took off from Clinton, Iowa on September 17.

Once her full-length river journey is complete, she’ll be the first woman to have paddleboarded the Mississippi River.

Harris is keeping an online blog of her journey at www.facebook.com/louanne.harris.