Virgelle Ferry

Ring the buzzer and the Ferry Operator will come over the Missouri to pick you and your vehicle up. The ride is free, but operated at your own risk. The Virgelle Ferry has successfully transported over 30,000 vehicles with a 50 foot long steel frame and deck pulled by a power cable. The cable wraps once around the rear hub of a diesel engine, protected by a little house. The ferry is also attached to a bridle cable, which keeps it from being pulled down river. The Virgelle Ferry started in 1913 and today is a popular point of departure for canoeists floating this scenic stretch of river. It is near the northernmost point of the Missouri River. Just downstream is the site where steamboats once loaded coal that was dug from the nearby hills at Coal Banks landing. The Ferry is seasonal, operating from mid April to mid November, depending on the ice on the Missouri. Services in nearby Virgelle include historic accommodations at Virgelle Merc & Missouri River Canoe Company.