Big Muddy Adventures (BMA), known for its guided canoe trips of the Great Rivers in and around St. Louis, will open its first brick and mortar shop in the Central West End neighborhood this fall. The shop at 4662 Washington Boulevard is a former auto shop directly behind Bowood Farms, which has been a retail plant and flower shop since 2008. 

“For years, we’ve been wanting to have a physical location to be able to not only answer questions people have about trips but to support the growing outdoor recreation scene in St. Louis,” said BMA General Manager Roo Yawitz. “To be able to put down roots in the city alongside our friends at Bowood, sell some cool gear, and hang out with other river rats is the dream.”

The shop inventory will be heavily focused on water activities but also include apparel and camping gear. “We look forward to carrying products from some of our existing partners like Northwest River Supply and Sawyer Paddles, plus finding some smaller brands around the country that are not currently available in St. Louis,” said Alex Kuntzman, shop manager. In addition, the shop will include a lounge area with a library of books and maps and space for meetings and events outside. 

Notably, the shop, which will simply be called Big Muddy Adventures, will become the only US dealer for acclaimed Canadian boat builder Clipper Canoes in 2022. BMA uses Clipper voyageur-style canoes on many of its river trips. Requests about the store’s first canoe order in early 2022 are currently being accepted via email at boats@2muddy.com.