Ohio River Recreational Boating Trip to Louisville
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
3 Boats
Travelers:
Joe & Linda Huffman | Tom & Diane Schmersal | David Keller & Debbie Stohl
August 1st – 3rd, 2025
Joe and Linda along with Tom and Diane traveled Thursday to stay the night at Belterra Casino Resort. It certainly avoids the early morning drive that Debbie and I took and 6:00 am. It’s only 2.5-hour drive for us but we like to leave extra time in case we need to stop for some reason. It timed up well as we all converged on Turtle Creek Marina located in Florence Indiana before 9:00am. The forecast was in the mid 80s with no rain for the next three days. Yay!
I was the first one to launch my boat and was kind enough to demonstrate how slippery the ramp was from mud. I fell gracefully on my rump and rolled right into the water laughing my butt off. I only scraped my elbow, so no big deal but I had to change out of my muddy shorts and shirt. I’m glad it was me rather than any of the other guys. What an exciting way to start our adventure! Fortunately, we launched the rest of the boats without incident. Joe had trouble starting his boat initially but a quick jump from a rechargeable battery pack got us underway. However, we were soon about to encounter our first obstacle on our trip.
Markland lock and dam was only two miles South of where we launched And I was aware when planning the trip that the small chamber was closed so only the big chamber was open. We had the misfortune of coming at a time when they had 3 barges coming up stream that had to go through before us. So, we enjoyed the gentle breeze and found a place where I could drop anchor and tie off the other two boats. Luckily, I had an extra pack of 1/3 pound burgers with just enough to feed everybody. So, I got out the grill. Since it wasn't very hot the wait wasn't that bad, and we had some nice conversations while dipping our toes in the 83° water.
Finally, the lock chamber gates groan open as the 3rd barge continues its journey upstream. That’s our signal to pull anchor and began moving closer to the lock entrance. The horn blew the signal for us to enter. Our passage through is a slow ballet: with the chamber gates wide open, we glide inside along with other pleasure crafts, we tie onto the floating bollards, and the lockmaster lowers us 35 feet with the precision of someone who’s done this a thousand times. Finally, we are free to proceed downstream.
Due to wind, this particular Section of the Ohio River is not quite as flat as the smooth glass like surfaces we are used to on most other rivers we travel on. However, it is still a very comfortable ride as the river carries us past decades of river history.
The shore of the Ohio is dotted with riverside towns that still lean on their boat ramps and marinas. Warsaw greets us with the faint scent of grilling meat from a riverside café. Carrollton appears like a postcard, where the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers meet and reminds us of past trips to Frankfort.
The final stretch toward Louisville carries a more urban pulse. The hills roll back, giving way to bridges, warehouses, and the hum of traffic. The river grows busier — tugboats shuffle barges like puzzle pieces, and boaters cruise to their party coves.
We pass under the graceful sweep of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, and Louisville’s skyline sharpens ahead. The city’s riverfront park is alive with local residents enjoying their various points of interest including the Big Four pedestrian bridge. A few more minutes of slow cruising brings us to our berth near the Belle of Louisville — the historic steam-powered sternwheeler that has plied these waters for over a century.
Here after traveling 74 miles, we enter River Park Marina just behind the northern end of Towhead Island where we will all dock the boats during our visit. Joe, Linda, Tom and Diane Uber to the Galt House Hotel that highlights scenic views over the river. We arrived later than expected due to the wait at the lock, so we opt to get dinner on our own. Debbie works her magic and finds us a fabulous restaurant, Nic and Normans. It was founded by an ownership group headlined by filmmaker Greg Nicotero and actor Norman Reedu Who are both known for The Walking Dead movies. The food was off-the-chain with decadent BBQ Ribs that melted in your mouth like meat candy and delightful crab cakes, rich gouda grits along with tantalizingly unique drinks. As Arnold would say, “we'll be back”. After an Uber back to the docks we settled down for some much-needed sleep.
We got a slow easy start on Saturday with Breakfast on the boat and prepared to Explore the area on the water. The others in the hotel met up with some out-of-town friends to enjoy lunch and the local scenery. All in all, it would be a relaxing day for all of us. After exploring Herrod’s creek we found the swimming Cove At the north side of Six Mile Island Where we spent several hours swimming with Maggie and meeting a few boaters in 82° water. The swim Cove was about 60 feet deep with a few areas shallower than that for dropping anchor. Many boats pulled up close to land and tied onto trees. Apparently, the Cove is owned by the barge company who stores barges in the Cove and sometimes has to make pleasure boaters move to get in and out of there. Fortunately, that did not happen while we were there. By the time we left there were probably 60 or more boats back there.
On Saturday evening we met up at Captain’s Quarters restaurant. Debbie and I arrived by water while the others Ubered over. Apparently, this is a super busy hot spot and was packed with people. Again, Debbie worked her magic and managed to find a table outside where some people were just leaving when there would have been a 2-hour wait for an inside table. They get so busy that their docks get full and they raft off. Some even get food and take it to your boat. The food and drinks are very good here. Plus, they have an amazing bread pudding dessert. The cool evening air made for another great experience with more exceptional food. What a nice way to end the day with our boating friends.
We awoke Sunday with renewed vigor as we set out for the journey home. On the way home we were able to use the “Find Ship” app to see how busy the lock was and got lucky with no wait time.
Loading the boats on the trailer went better than launching, (at least for me, LOL) I noticed they shoveled the ramp off this time so there was no mud on it. It was much appreciated.
To summarize, traveling to and from Louisville by boat feels different than by road. You enter the city the way traders, explorers, and steamboat captains once did — by following the Ohio’s broad, deliberate sweep. The journey from Turtle Creek Harbor and back is more than just a ride; it’s a moving panorama of river life, past and present, stitched together by bends in the water and the hum of an engine under a summer sky.
Written by David and Debbie
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