RED CREEK
Red Creek has it origins between Baxterville and Lumberton and flows Southeast until it empties into Black Creek in the middle of the Pascagoula State Wildlife Management Area. It becomes navigable by canoe west of Wiggins where there is a public boat ramp at the Highway 26 bridge and has several public landings between there and Red Creek Rd. near the southern border of George County.
There are public boat ramps or other landings at Stump Texas Rd., the Highway 26 bridge, the Highway 49 bridge at Perk Beach, City Bridge Rd, (possibly North Cable Bridge Rd. or (South) Cable Bridge Rd.), Highway 15 at Ramsay Springs, Parker Bridge Rd., Sandy Creek Rd., an unnamed road off of Broome School Rd., the bridge at Red Creek Rd. and the bridge at Hwy 57.
So far, we have paddled 4 legs of this river, from Stump Texas Rd. to Hwy 49 at Perk Beach, and a short section from the Hwy 57 bridge just north of Vestry Rd to the river's confluence with Black Creek in the Pascagoula River State Wildlife Management Area.
Click Below for NOAA Red Creek Water Level at Vestry, MS
SIX LANDINGS - FOUR TRIPS
HURRICANE CREEK ROAD
TO STUMP TEXAS ROAD
On August 21, 2021, we ventured down the upper reaches of Red Creek with 2 canoes, 2 adults and 2 teenagers. We considered taking kayaks, because we anticipated the water might be shallow, and there might be some porting to do, since we were so far upstream. But since we were short one kayaks, we went with the canoes. Big mistake. Although the creek was absolutely beautiful all along the way, the number of snags was unbelievable. We had to carry our canoes over more than 20 logs that had completely blocked the river, and we had to squeeze under probably that many more.
While the trip was only 6 miles long, it took us about 4.5 hours to get it done. It was by far the most crooked and wining river I have ever paddles. What looked like an easy 2 hour paddle turned into a massive workout. We were completely exhausted when we finally finished.
The primitive landing sites at the put in and take out were easy to get to and pretty well maintained. The put in at Hurricane Creek Road is a nice gravel drive along the side of the road that had surprisingly few potholes and no washouts. It loops around under the bridge, and the bank slopes gently to the waters edge for an easy launch. The take out at Stump Texas Road is a dirt trail with some rather large mud holes and loops around in a circle to a small trail down to the water's edge.
Waterfowl along this section of river were abundant. We spotted 6 wild ducks, 2 king fishers along the way. A Great Blue Heron surprised us when it launched from a nook about 10 feet in front of us for a spectacular view. The bottom line - beautiful trip, but much too exhausting to be able to appreciate. This may be the only write up you see on this one.
Stump Texas Road to Hwy. 26
I paddled this section of Red Creek solo on November 14, 2020. I made it a bit of an adventure by taking my bicycle and biking from the take out to the put in (approximately 9 miles). I put in at a natural landing where Stump Texas Road crosses the creek west of Bond, MS, and paddled to the public boat ramp at MS Hwy 26, a few miles west of Wiggins. The river was low, and I encountered numerous log jams. I had to port over or around four or five of them. I also had to duck under more than 10. Despite the log jams, the river was incredibly scenic and would make a great family trip in warmer weather. For most of the way, the river was slow and scenic. It retained the red tint it was named for, even this far upstream. This journey confirmed my theory of why this creek is red while most Mississippi rivers are black. The same tannins that makes the Black Creek black gives Red Creek its clear, dark tint. The difference is that Red Creek's bottom is covered with a deep layer of extremely white sand. Where the river bottom is shallow enough and is not covered with leaves or dark detritus, its red tint is visible. In the deeper sections or parts where leaves and mud have accumulated, it is black, like most other Mississippi streams.
For some reason, Red Creek has accumulated an enormous amount of sand on its journey to join Black Creek and then on down to the Pascagoula. Because of this, even these upper reaches of Red Creek are lined with numerous beautiful white sandbars. So, there are lots of good spots to stop and swim and picnic. In addition, this is a seldom used part of the river. I did not encounter a single soul along the way, although I did see a pickup parked where I took out at Hwy 26. Of course, it was November, a time when most folks have put away their canoes and kayaks for the winter. For me, its the perfect time to go!
On this trip, I also encountered a lot of wildlife. I spotted two deer at close range in the middle of a shallow place in the river drinking from the stream. I just missed photographing them, when I hit an unseen stob and spooked them. I also saw five wild ducks, a rather large King Fisher and about 20 turtles along the way.
Completely unexpected for this river, I also encountered several nice rapids. Although I was not in a mood to get fully submerged in the cold November water, these would be great places to stop and play. Take a look at the photos and videos below.
Hwy. 26 to Hwy. 49/ Perk Beach
I have floated this section of Red Creek twice, once with my brother -in-law, Andy Abrams, back in 2018 and again with Karma in 2020. It is a nice run with lots of large white sandbars and pretty cold water. We put in at a public boat ramp on Hwy 26 approximately 3.5 miles west of Hwy. 49 at Wiggins, MS and took out at Hwy 49 at Perk Beach. It took us about 3 hours in high water.
PERK BEACH TO CITY BRIDGE RD
This section of Red Creek is by far the most accessible and is a fun "beach trip" for the whole family. In the warm summer months the put in at the sand bar at Perk Beach can be crowded, The water in Red Creek is typically colder than surrounding rivers, but it is clear. The bottom of the river is sandy, making it a pleasant place to swim and play.
There are numerous long and beautiful sand bars full of white sand worthy of Florida beaches. In fact, in the numerous trips we have made to this section of Red Creek, it has been more like a beach trip than a river trip. It is our trip of choice for novices or people who are a little squeemish about murky water or muddy bottoms.
We have encountered a variety of wildlife in and around Red Creek. Turtles and fish are often visible, and Great Blue and White herons are abundant. But this section of Red Creek is also only one of two places we have seen the rare Swallow Tailed Kite. On one of our trips, we saw a pair of them circling high above. At the time, I did not know what the strange looking birds were and had to research them. I only wish I had taken pictures.
