A river defined by falling water

The Mississinewa begins life modestly—within two miles of the Wabash's own source, both start as little more than farm drainages in Darke County, Ohio. But once it crosses into Indiana the river finds its character. It flows westward through channelized country, then swings northwest through Grant, Wabash and Miami counties, passing Jonesboro, Gas City and Marion on its way to the Wabash near Peru. Along the lower stretch the channel is shallow, comparatively clear and studded with narrows and riffles, giving the stream a lively, murmuring quality that the Miami name captures so well.↗↗↗

For paddlers, the river is recognized in Indiana's water-trail system as a scenic, fishable run that reaches down toward the Mississinewa Reservoir. Its winding curves, rippling rapids and craggy, wooded banks earned it a reputation as one of the most picturesque streams in the state, and the water is shallow and clear enough at ordinary levels to make it a pleasant, low-consequence float in good conditions.↗↗

Just above the mouth, a distinctive geological landmark gives the valley an extra point of interest: the "Seven Pillars of the Mississinewa," a cluster of limestone columns standing on the north side of the river about three miles southeast of Peru, the weathered remnants of an old cliff line.↗

Mississinewa Lake: where the river opens up

The most developed way to experience the lower Mississinewa is at Mississinewa Lake, the flood-control reservoir the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created in 1967 when it dammed the river near its mouth. One of three Upper Wabash reservoirs built to tame the region's floodwaters, the dam impounds a lake that swells from a 1,280-acre winter pool to roughly 3,180 acres and twenty miles of shoreline in summer, transforming the narrow river into broad, open water.↗↗

The 14,386-acre recreation property around the lake is geared toward spending a full day or a weekend outdoors. There is a swimming beach, four public boat-launch ramps and a marina, two fishing piers and a fish-cleaning station, plus picnicking shelters, playgrounds, ball courts and even a frisbee-golf course and a radio-controlled flying field. In summer the water draws boaters and waterskiers; when it ices over the lake becomes a spot for ice fishing.↗↗

Camping is a big part of the appeal: the lake offers a 400-plus-site campground and family cabins, and was the first Indiana state property to introduce seasonal camping, letting regulars keep a site for the whole season. The surrounding forests, prairies and farmland make it a haven for wildlife watchers and a recognized stop on Indiana's birding trail.↗

Trails named for the river's past

A cluster of marked loops at the Frances Slocum and Miami state recreation areas lets you see the lake and valley on foot. The paved Easy Access Trail (0.4 mile) keeps things gentle, while moderate routes branch through the woods and meadows: the 2.5-mile Blue Heron Trail in the Miami area climbs over varied terrain with scenic lookouts toward the lake and dam; the 2.5-mile Lost Sister Trail—its name a nod to the river's most famous resident—threads mature forest thick with spring wildflowers; the 1.5-mile Moswa Trail follows Troyer's Creek across open meadows; and the 1.0-mile Shepoconnah Trail wanders behind the campground through young forest and grassland where deer and nesting birds abound.↗↗

Echoes of the Miamis, Frances Slocum and 1812

The Mississinewa is as much a historical landscape as a natural one. Its high alternating cliffs and gravelly bends were, in Miami tradition, "the most beautiful river in Indiana"—the land the Miamis chose when they migrated west from the Big Miami near Piqua, Ohio. The region was the domain of the trader-chief Francis Godfroy, who established a trading post near the river's mouth in 1817, and of Frances Slocum, captured from a Pennsylvania family as a child in 1778 and raised by the Miamis. Known as the "White Rose of the Miamis," she refused a return to white society decades later and was buried here in 1847.↗↗↗

The river also bears on the War of 1812. In December 1812, Colonel John B. Campbell led some 600 mounted troops down from Ohio to destroy Miami villages along the Mississinewa; after torching the settlements, his camp was attacked at dawn on December 18 in the Battle of the Mississinewa, one of the first offensive actions ordered by General William Henry Harrison. That history still colors the valley, and the river has even entered American song and literature—Peru-born composer Cole Porter immortalized it in "By the Mississinewa" from his 1943 musical Something for the Boys, and the poet Jared Carter set an entire mythical county on its banks.↗↗

Visiting the Mississinewa

The reservoir and its developed recreation areas sit south of Wabash and Peru in Miami County, roughly 65 miles northeast of Indianapolis. From Peru, head south on State Road 21, east on IN 400, then north on Route 550 to reach the lake; the project office at 5613 E. Mississinewa Dam Road, Peru (765-473-5946) can confirm current conditions. A daily lake-level report is worth checking before a paddling or boating trip, since the water level swings widely between the winter and summer pools.↗↗↗

The swimming beach is seasonal, opening on Memorial Day weekend and closing after Labor Day, with restrooms, showers, close parking and a concession stand nearby. Trails and camping are available year-round, though hunting is active in many surrounding areas in season, so bright clothing is recommended off the marked paths. Because blue-green algae can appear in the lake, swimmers should avoid drinking the water and rinse off after a dip.↗↗