For those recreational travelers taking on the Mississippi River, there is one Vicksburg group whose mission it is to help in any way they can

Many hear the call of the running waters of the mighty Mississippi. Those who answer the call by traveling down the muddy waters on watercraft sometimes search for a little guidance and a helping hand.

A network of paddlers called River Angels live in various locations along the banks of the river and watch over the travelers on their journey. These men and women help provide food, shelter and advice to aid explorers on their 2,552-mile voyage.

While not all paddlers actually travel from source to sea and only partake in abbreviated journeys, all paddlers can use the assistance the River Angels provide. This group of people knows the lay of the land and the sway of the river as if it were their own childhood home. Each angel can provide detailed descriptions of what is to come down river and will supply travelers with information on possible camping sites or places to avoid.

Often times River Angels will alert other angels in the next town over when paddlers are headed their way, and they tell the paddlers who to look for at the next stop.

The pastime of river guidance has been around as long as people have taken their vessels to the water, but these days it looks a little bit different. The River Angels communicate heavily through social media, connecting with travelers through the Mississippi River Paddlers’ Facebook page.

In Vicksburg, three men head up most of the efforts. Layne Logue is at the forefront of the River Angel scene, while Tim McCarley and Matt Hendrix help when they can.

Logue, Vicksburg guide for the Quapaw Canoe Co., joined the guiding effort three years ago. His love of being on the river and his knowledge from being a native to Vicksburg made him able to help people. Not everyone makes a pit stop in Vicksburg and sometimes he just offers people information over the phone.

“I just wanted to treat others as I hoped to be treated,” Logue said. “So I started meeting with them and letting people know I was here and available.”

Along the river there are numerous members of the network with about 20 people posting regularly online. Rivergator.org is another point of connection for paddlers providing free guides, logs and resources. It serves as a river angel in and of itself.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with alligators. It’s like a navigator,” Logue said.

The network has connected people with each other, but it’s never really been recorded on paper. Essentially, travelers report their location on Facebook and the angels choose if or when they can help. There is no official record of names and locations of the angels. It’s hard to put a number on the amount of people in the network.

“The river is generous,” Logue said. “There’s all kind of helpful people out there.”

The local angels are all paddlers themselves and enjoy hiking, camping and being outdoors, which makes them able to understand what people will want or need during their journey.

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to start helping out,” Hendrix said.

Last year was the first year Hendrix started volunteering his time as a River Angel. His job makes it tougher for him to find time to host travelers, but occasionally he is able to offer help.

Sometimes they offer a place to stay in their own homes or offices, and Hendrix said his wife has cooked meals for travelers. Everyone stays for a different length of time with some visiting for a few hours and others staying days.

Since there is no supply shop or grocery store downtown, they’ll drive the visitors to a store to get the supplies they need to continue their journey like water, food, sunscreen or any other need that arises on the river.

“I started helping people by just pick them up and taking them to the grocery store,” Hendrix said.

McCarley said they’re not asking for anything but a ride to the store.

“When you’ve been out paddling for a while or hiking, whatever it may be, you want a good hot meal, you know, run them into town and get them something to eat,” Hendrix said.

Because they are so active outdoors, the angels understand what the people want and need when they come into town, which inspired them to help out.

“I’ve paddled about 2,000 miles in three years on the Mississippi River,” Logue said, which makes him understand the challenges paddlers face. “I give them a little confidence because I’ve done it and I know they can.”

Hendrix has had paddlers stay at his house and office, including a man who decided to paddle the river after his high school graduation, mainly to try to meet the Robertsons of the television show “Duck Dynasty.” Hendrix drove him to Monroe, La. to visit the family’s church, and he ended up with an invitation to lunch with Phil Robertson.

“Different paddlers want different things, but most everybody wants a bed to sleep in and a good warm meal,” Hendrix said.

Many paddlers start their journey in late May when ice up north starts to break up. Logue said most people take 60 to 90 days to complete the 2,552 miles. Around 100 people will make a journey on the river this year, Logue said.

“By the time you reach Vicksburg, you’re pretty tough if you’ve made it this far because the majority of the trip is out of the way,” McCarley said.

Some people wait to start their journey in September as to avoid the southern summer. Logue said it’s more dangerous for paddlers in the winter. Because of the cold temperatures in the north regions of the river, it’s not common to have paddlers going the full length of the river anytime other than summer.

McCarley has helped about two dozen people in the past year. Some of the people who make their way down the river are notable for their work like the man who designed the original mouse for the Apple computer, Jim Yurchenco. McCarley took him not only to get supplies but also to the Vicksburg National Military Park.

“It just seems to be a different kind of people. You never run into a problem with anybody,” McCarley said.

Logue also has taken visitors to the Vicksburg National Military Park and the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, plus sometimes they eat at 10 South.

“I try to give them a taste of Vicksburg through the history and everything else we have here to offer,” Logue said.

Vicksburg is what it is because of the river.

“It’s a big part of a lot of people’s life here. It’s a part of what I do for a living,” McCarley, who works at DIMCO, said.

Hendrix has learned from the paddlers that following your dreams is important for everyone.

“Most of these people that do this are doing what they love and doing it while they can do it,” Hendrix said. “It feels good to me to help out. It’s not just being a River Angel but being an ambassador of the city too.”

Many of the travelers are working on breaking world records for time, age or method of paddling.

“The most incredible one is Dale Sanders,” McCarley said.

The gray-bearded adventurer Dale Sanders, the oldest man at 80 to paddle the entire river from source to sea, is another paddler McCarley has housed. Sanders himself is a River Angel in Memphis who often cooks for his visitors and has them all sign a wall in his house. Hendrix said Sanders is one of the most well-known angels and he said Logue is becoming recognized himself.

McCarley first got involved with the angels several years ago when Dave Cornthwaite of England set the record for standup paddle boarding the entire Mississippi. He also helped Rod Wellington, the first person to paddle from the source of the Missouri River to the Gulf. McCarley had a funny experience accommodating Wellington’s vegan diet because he wasn’t completely sure where he could buy tofu.

“I’ve met some great people,” McCarley said. “You’re not going to meet anybody bad doing this stuff. They show up beat and they’re always very polite for what they get. I’ve never had anybody ask me for money…I’ve had them try to buy my whole family’s meals when we eat out.”

People come from around the world to paddle the mighty Mississippi.

“I love meeting these people. They all have stories, and they’re all over the country and the world,” Logue said, listing people from France, England, Israel and Canada that he has met. “I’ve developed friendships with them, and we still talk. It’s great meeting like-minded people.”

As for what brought them to Vicksburg, Logue thinks he knows the answer.

“Mark Twain, his name went everywhere, and I think people see the Mississippi River as an adventure,” Logue said. “I think that’s why they draw here.”

They all enjoy the friendships they’ve cultivated because of the river.

“It’s been fun. I’ve had a good time doing it,” McCarley said.