River Hills Traveler Float Trip Guide 2013 by Traveler Publishing Co.

Ozarks Float Trippin’FREE GUIDE

MAPS • STORIES • PHOTOS FROM THESE MISSOURI STREAMS • Big • Big Piney • Black

• Current • Courtois & Huzzah • Eleven Point

• Elk • Gasconade • Jacks Fork • Meramec

Traveler River Hills

Eleven Point River photos by Nolan Brunnworth

• Niangua • North Fork • St.Francis

JUNE 1, 2013

PLUS Arkansas’ BUFFALO RIVER

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

2 Marsan Canoe & Kayak Tours

CEDAR HILL BB e Big Riv

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21 Fo

Washington State Park

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POTOSI

★

Big

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21 21

Bismarck (Desalvo) Lake

STE. GENEVIEVE

PARK HILLS

CALEDONIA

Council Bluff Lake

St. Francois State Park

St. Joe St. Park

F ARMINGTON 32 D E

Hawn St. Park

St. Francis River

Perry County Lake

PERRYVILLE

W OO

Ft. Davidson Historic Site

Big River floats can be lively

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Council Bluff Taum Sauk Lake Rec. Area N St. Park

Fredericktown City Lake

221

river often has the character of a large creek, sometimes blocked by debris, sometimes moving in clear, sprightly fashion. Smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass are common species, as are channel catfish. Check with the Missouri Health and Senior Services before eating sunfish, carp and suckers from the Big River. The lower Big, from Morse Mill to the Meramec, is much more heavily used than the upper section. It’s also flatter and deeper once the Mineral Fork joins the main stem, so expect to paddle unless you start early in the morning and have a vehicle at the takeout. Four old mill sites are Jefferson County park river accesses publicly available for a nominal fee per person or carload.

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The Country Store

I-55

Cherokee Landing

Palmer Lake

p sip sis Mis

110 DESOTO

BONNE TERRE

Location: St. Francois, Washington, Jefferson counties Floatable Length: 83.2 miles Difficulty: I Key Features: Upper Big River rises in Missouri’s Lead Belt and has a few water quality issues. Flows through St. Francois and Washington State Parks. Lower section in Jefferson County has many old mill sites, some have to be portaged. Recommended Outfitter: Cherokee Landing, cherokeelanding.com

★FESTUS

JUNE 2013

BIG

30 Big River Marine

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

I-55

LANDMARK — The iron Highway H bridge over the Big River is a familiar landmark for floaters. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photo.

stor River

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By Jo Schaper ARCADIA County, not too far upstream Trail offrom Tears AA State Park Don’t let the Big River foolVALLEY you. U.S. Forest Service’s Council Bluff Sauk helped to restore safe river recreation Plenty of Taum fun is found here, especially Recreation Area lake. The lake FREDERICKTOWN Lake 72 21-72-49 along the stream. 67 for those who prefer solitude, orArcadia bring furnishes paddling opportunities for LESTERVILLE The river forms a partial border Bollinger E Meatto current. their Bown friends. people unaccustomed It la ck Sporting Mill St. Pk. 34 The Crane Pond of The Big rises near Belgrade inGoods Iron t passesOlympic into the redMarket clay of the old CAPE St. Francois State Park at the first ArborLake S floatable stretch 6 miles upstream RT ZZ GIRARDEAU U Steak Southeast Lead District, from Bonne Terre. Park Hills, where Glenallen 34House near Subterranean 150 acre Lake This section is 8344 BERRY ROAD Flat River51 Lakethe parent joins Cherokee Pass K 600 Year Round Girardeau BONNE TERRE best floated early. Restaurant Ystream.PP “DO MISSOURI 63628 The 20 plus miles IT I Locals fish and float 573-358-2805 Black NT 49 St. Francois to HE the entire 145 windy River Rats DA Washington State miles, contained in just RK Rent Canoes - Jon Boats - Rafts - Kayaks - Float Tubes Park is largely !” 56 air miles from source 2-13 mile trips • Reservations required on weekdays • Group Rates limited to private RV Sites and Camping Trophy to confluence with the smallmouth Fishing Lake and Paddleboats • Guide Service Marsan Canoe & Kayak Tours Meramec River at Eureka. access, with only fishing one outfitter in the Efforts to clean up lead stretch. Open Every Day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tailings in the region have FLOAT MISSOURI’S BEAUTIFUL, UNCROWDED BIG RIVER This section of the Reservations: (636) 208-5026 or hfpd65156@sbcglobal.net

www.cherokeelanding.com

ARCADIA IRONTON & PILOT KNOB

BLACK

N 49

East Fork

Glover

LESTERVILLE t Wes

Crane Lake

Fork

Bearcat

★Getaway

CENTERVILLE

Black

72 V

ANNAPOLIS

Jeff’s Canoe Rental River

purposes. The collapse of that upper reservoir in late 2005 devastated Johnson Shut-Ins State Park (now rebuilt) and murkified the Black River for several years, but things are now back to normal. From my floating-fishing experience, I can attest that the Black is a good goggle-eye and smallmouth stream. I caught nothing of great size, but I stayed busy, getting hits that summer day on about every other cast. Upper stretches of the Black are home to several shut-in formations, the most famous of which is Johnson Shut-Ins, a stretch of many pools and jumbled boulders much enjoyed by generations of Missourians and outContinued on next page

rk Fo le

By Emery Styron My one float on the Black River makes me no expert, but I can tell you the Upper Black’s reputation for crystal clarity is no exaggeration of reality. The Black has the clearest water I’ve ever seen — or should I say “never seen.” It’s like looking through very clean glass. Three forks form the Black, rising from the Taum Sauk Mountain area, southeast of Ironton and coming together near Lesterville in Reynolds County. You may remember that the East Fork of the Black is home to Ameren UE’s lower Taum Sauk Reservoir, from which water is pumped to an upper reservoir atop Proffitt Mountain for gravity-fed power generation

Taum Sauk Lake

Taum Sauk Mt. Mo's highest point

Ozark Trail

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Black River’s famed clarity no exaggeration; fish bite too

Arcadia Sporting Goods

Location: Reynolds, Wayne, Butler counties Floatable Length: 88 miles Difficulty: I to II Centerville to Lesterville gradient of 10 Key Features: First 41 miles above Clearwater Lake are swift Ozark stream; below Clearwater more meandering river. River drains Taum Sauk area, forms Johnson’s and other Shut-ins; below the lake, USFS has several campground accesses. Recommended Merchants & Outfitters: Arcadia Sporting Goods, arcadiasportinggoodsinc.com, Bearcat Getaway, bearcatgetaway.com, Jeff’s Canoe Rental, jeffscanoerentals.com

★

Redford

★ Highway K Rec. Area camp, access

to Sam Baker State Park

143 21

K Gads Hill: Jesse James First Train Robbery

ELLINGTON Clearwater Lake

49 to Piedmont

Now Serving Hunt Bros. Pizza and Hand-Dipped Ice Cream

Over 1900 Guns in stOck

BUY • SELL • TRADE

Your Local Hunting, Fishing & Camping Headquarters One Quick Stop for all your Needs! GASOLINE • SNACK BAR • GIFTS OPEN 7 Days BEER • WINE • LIQUOR 573-546-7616 Jct. Hwy. 21 & 72 Arcadia MO

JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

Black worth float for fish, scenery

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

Continued from previous page Getaway below Lesterville. That’s a of-state tourists seeking a cooling dip. seven- to eight-mile float that will take The Black flows into Clearwater five and a half to six and a half hours Lake, which straddles the Reynoldsor longer, depending on river condiWayne County line. The Corps of tions and how much you play around Engineer-run Highway K Camp— which is of course, the whole point ground between Annapolis and Elling- of a float trip. ton is popular with floaters. The gravel Some outfitters also offer a five-mile bar just north of float. the Highway K General bridge is equally gradient for the popular with Black is 4.8 but swimmers and it runs as high as picnickers. 11 and 16 on the Our float that upper reaches. day was from You can also Brawley to Highfloat below way K, the last Clearwater Dam, takeout before the all the way to lake. Upstream, Poplar Bluff or where the forks on into Arkansas begin, you can for that matter. float in high waThings flatten ter from the Highout considerway 21 bridge ably once you above Centerville get to Bluff and 8.4 miles to the begin to enter junction with Missouri’s delta the Middle Fork, lands. which can also be Fishing aside, run only in high SHE KNOWS IT — Clear water, plentiful fish the Black is and great scenery on the Black River appeal worth floating water. About a mile downstream, to outdoors people of all ages. Nolan Brun- for the scennworth photo. the East Fork ery. The water joins incoming ranges from from Johnston Shut-Ins. In high water gin-clear to deep green, and flows past you could run the East Fork from granite bluffs and hilly forests of oak Taum Sauk Creek to here. and hickory. The river has an open Around Lesterville, there are numer- feel, with plenty of convenient gravel ous canoe outfitters who can service bars, enough current to keep you movyou. A popular float is from West Fork ing and very little trash. just above Lesterville to Smiley Face, If you haven’t floated the Black, put about a quarter-mile past Bearcat it on your list for this summer.

Jeff’s Canoe Rental

Fun on the Crystal Clear Black River Is Waiting for You!

www.jeffscanoerentals.com

• Canoes and Rafts • General Store • Near Camping and Lodging

Give Us a Call:

1-573-598-4555 Reserve Today! Located At Hwy K Bridge

jeffscanoerentals@gmail.com

i M

OZARKSC FLOAT TRIPPIN’PARK HILLS

By Jo Schaper The St. Francis River differs from all other Missouri float streams (save the upper forks of the Black) in that it runs almost entirely over igne-

ous rock, through shut-ins and down double digit gradients not for the inexperienced or faint of heart for the first 40 miles. Over 80% of whitewater paddling

Sam A. Baker State Park Great Family Floating Canoes, Rafts & Kayaks

CABINS OPEN!

Lodge Restaurant Hours

Wed- Fri 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sat 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sun 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

March 22 to Nov. 17

Park Store:

ATM •Propane •Souvenirs •Ice •Beer •Firewood •Camping & Fishing Supplies

Daily Canoe, Kayak & Raft Rental 573-856-4223 Store Hwy 143 • Patterson MO

573-856-4224 Restaurant Powder Mill camp, access

ELLINGTON

106

HH Blue Spring

ar k

Paint Rock

Log Yard camp, access Peck Ranch Wildlife Area

The Landing

tio

Stray Dog BBQ Twin Pines Conservation Education Center

Watercress Spring camp, access

Chilton Creek access

Miller Lake

VAN BUREN

★ ★103 ★ Skyline Drive

Cu Sce rrent nic

Big Spring (largest in the world) camp, access

wa ys

Big Spring RV Camp

Ozark National Scenic Riverways Headquarters

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o minence

ELLSINORE

Cataract Landing Piney Wood Lake

To Poplar Bluff

E Hickory Landing

Hawes Park camp, access 0 Bay Nothin'

Mark Twain National Forest

er Riv

Mark Twain National Forest

160

Deer Leap access

Rocky River Resort

To Poplar Bluff

142

★

I-55

★

Trail of Tears State Park

ARCADIA VALLEY

PIEDMONT

ranc River is

Arcadia E Sporting The Crane Pond ArborLake Goods

Black

Black River Rats

FREDERICKTOWN

21-72-49

Perry County Lake

Fredericktown City Lake

Taum Sauk Lake

PERRYVILLE

221

Hawn St. Park

St. Francis River

stor River

St. Park

Sam A. Baker State Park

Ft. Davidson Historic Site

Council Bluff Taum Sauk Lake Rec. Area N

LESTERVILLE

F ARMINGTON 32

Olympic Steak 34House Cherokee Pass Restaurant Y

72 Bollinger Meat Mill St. Pk. 34

Market RT ZZ Glenallen

U 51

CAPE GIRARDEAU

Lake Girardeau

in Missouri occurs between mile Creek Shut-ins, sometimes class III, markers 20.2 (Millstream Gardens but much gentler and shallower than Conservation Area) and 23.2, the its big brother upstream. As a friend, Hwy. D Silver Joe Light, told Mines campme: “Be advised, ground, home whichever route every spring to you select to navthe Missouri igate through the Whitewater rocks, it will be Association the wrong way, competition, run so be prepared to mostly by kayak get a little wet.” or decked canoe. If even that levEven that secel of excitement tion of river is is a bit much, a put to shame by 10-mile section a nearby 80-foot of the St. Francis over half-mile can be run with section of Little a self-shuttle to Rock Creek, acHead Ford, off cessible only by County Road foot from Hwy. 302, and takeE. out at the park. Paddling Another popular, MIRROR, MIRROR — The glass-smooth St. the upper St. short run is the Francis without Francis reflects the bankside foilage perpark to Hwy. 34 fectly in this shot taken along Missouri 143 bridge. A report a helmet and prior whitewa- south of Sam A. Baker State Park. Emery on that section is, ter experience Styron photo. “a nice paddle. elsewhere is duPretty, but not too bious, for most people, but a “bunny exciting, and it wasn’t too crowded on slope” experience can be had on one a Friday.” of the Saint’s tributaries, Big Creek. The state park is located about 12 In spring and early summer, a 10river miles above Greenville, where mile float from Des Arc to the confluthe Saint becomes Wappapello Lake. ence inside Sam A. Baker State Park The store can help with float arrangetakes the paddler through the Big ments.

DONIPHAN

142

Location: Shannon, Carter, Ripley counties. Floatable Length: Entire river is floatable; Lower section consists of southernmost 69 miles of the 138 miles total length. Difficulty: I, occasionally II; gradient of Lower Current is half to 1/3 of Upper Current Key Features: In strictly numeric terms, the Lower Current in Missouri begins near Cardereva Mountain/Log Yard access below Blue Spring. The river widens and straightens, a series of deep holes and riffles with a deeper, clearer channel as one goes south. Fishing includes smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye, catfish and in the fall, gigging of various suckers and rough fish. Ozark Riverways goes to the Ripley County line, save two miles at Van Buren. Below the park the river contains bays and sloughs and slow backwaters, and use is heavily motorized. Recommended Outfitters & Other Businesses: The Landing, eatsleepfloat.com; Rocky River Resort, rockyriverresort.com; Big Spring RV Camp, currentriver.com; Stray Dog BBQ, straydogbbq.net

Lower Current puts ‘float’ in floating

Irish Wilderness

LTON

St. Joe St. Park

LOWER CURRENT

Cardareva St. Forest

Bismarck (Desalvo) Lake

21 21 Council Bluff Lake

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

★ CALEDONIA

er Riv

St. Francis and BigCreek: calmer paddling at Patterson

JUNE 2013

STE. GENEVIEVE

r ive iR

ST. FRANCIS Location: St. Francois, Madison, Wayne counties. Upper Big Creek: Iron County Floatable Length: 78.6 miles above Lake Wappapello, continues below reservoir. Difficulty: I-III, upper section IV, to V in flood Key Features: The Upper St. Francis Tiemann ShutIns to Silver Mines contains floatable whitewater; smaller shut-ins continue until about the Little St. Francis enters. The next 40 miles is wide and shallow, difficulty I-II, and slows below Sam A. Baker State Park. Sunfish, smallmouth bass, walleye and goggle eye, look for St. Francis mussels. Big Creek Shut-ins can be run in spring and early summer. Recommended Outfitter: Sam A. Baker State Park concession, samabaker.com/

er Riv Big

The Country Store

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

St. Francois State Park

Palmer Lake

p sip sis Mis

BONNE TERRE

POTOSI 21

By Jo Schaper Everyone calls it “floating, ” but how often do you see anyone actually float? Canoeists, kayakers, paddlers of all sorts of craft busily ply the waters

they are on. Sometimes, it’s with good reason: on smaller stretches, constant obstacles, bends, riffles, chutes and pools, even other craft too close by give sufficient reason to push, pull, Continued on next page

JUNE 2013

Lower Current is deep, wide

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

Continued from previous page pole and paddle on the upper stretches of Ozark streams. Despite the careening journey of most inflatable rafts, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not quite floating either. Floating requires a sufficient depth of water and breadth of stream and length between craft that one is not constantly saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Excuse me,â&#x20AC;? to strangers. Floating in a tube means the water is deep enough you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doubling over your legs, or scraping your butt on the rocks. Floating in a canoe or kayak means paddle strokes are minimal, just enough to keep the craft headed forward, or from being hung. Floating means going with the current, not fighting it, with plenty of time to fish, or write, or think long thoughts about the scene you are passing through. Once the rush of water sloshing side to side is over, once the river has straightened out, and is deep and wide enough it knows where it is going, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to float. Where does the Lower Current start?

TIE-RAFTERS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; In the Lower Currentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timber heyday, local sawmills created great rafts of railroad ties and floated them downriver to the railhead in Doniphan. Re-enactments of those tie-floats have been held over the last several years. Jo Schaper photo.

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

TRADITION RUNS STRONG â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ozark traditions are nowhere more respected than in the Lower Current region. Cecil Murray, left, is a master craftsman who still builds johnboats in the long, narrow style favored by old-time rivermen. Jo Schaper photo.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter of opinion. Is it where the Jacks Fork comes in? How about Blue or Big Spring? Where the park ends? Does the Lower Current begin where jetboats and bass boats outnumber paddle craft? (There are two sorts of

Big Spring RV Camp Cabin & Tube Rental

aGreat Variety of Tubes & Tube Trips aRiverfront RV & Tent Camping aCabin Rentals 573-323-8328 www.currentriver.com Van Buren

motor-boaters: those who whip the depths, where you can drift and not hit river to constant foam, and those who a thing. Where the river is big, but the troll upstream to drift back down. The fish are bigger. latter are floaters.) Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where floating begins. Is it where the river is big enough you can snake a 200-foot tie raft around the bends, ^ .O DOGS WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS ""1 ^ into Van Buren, GranStray Dog BBQ and Pizza BBQ cooked with Ozark oak and hickory din, Doniphan, powered Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. to 8, 9 or 10 p.m. by nothing more than a $INE )N OR #ARRY /UT few men with poles? ""1 7HOLE "UTTS s 2IBS s "RISKET The excitement of Specialty Pulled Pork, BBQ Chicken & Chicken Fajita Pizzas! banging on aluminum Best Barbecue canoes at Akers isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t $ECK $INING s #ATERING s "ULK /RDERS FOR PICKUP Traveler Readers %VENT ROOM FOR s "IG 3CREEN 46 s &REE 7I&I floating. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the Choice Awards Current has grown huge (WY AND *CT 6AN "UREN -O AT THE #URRENT 2IVER "RIDGE and blue-green in the

Where there is always enough water! We like our northern neighbors. We really do. But come July (and even August) when the upper stretches get noisy with the scrape of metal and plastic on gravel, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still floating noiselessly down the river. Let us put you on the river. You always float back to camp. See our website for details.

CURRENT RIVERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESORT HEADQUARTERS

F L OAT I N G , L O D G I N G , & D I N I N G

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You never know what you might see on the river here.

573-996-7171

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Jacks Fork: scenic with wilderness feel

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann If you’re looking for a scenic river with a wilderness feel to it, the Jacks Fork is the river for you. Part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the Jacks Fork is a tributary of the Current River and is considered the most wild and scenic of all the Ozark streams. The upper sections, from the Prongs to Buck Hollow and from Buck Hollow to Bay Creek or Alley Spring,

IRRESISTIBLE — Few photographers can pass up a shot at Alley Spring with its picturesque red mill alongside the Jacks Fork. Emery Styron photo.

are usually only floatable in the spring when the water is up. But from Alley Spring on down to Two Rivers, the Jacks Fork is floatable year round;

PICK YOUR TIMES — Early spring is your best opportunity to float the upper reaches of the Jacks Fork. Low water levels make it inaccessible the rest of the year, unless there’s an unusally wet summer. Nolan Brunnworth photo.

this is because Alley Spring pours some 81 million gallons a day into the river, and many other smaller springs also add to the flow. An early spring float on the upper sections is a near-wilderness experience, and you’re likely to have the river to yourself on weekdays. During summer weekends, the section from Alley to Eminence can be fairly crowded, but usually less so than the Current River. The stretch from Eminence to Two Rivers is wider and less scenic than the upper parts, but it is still beautiful. The narrow upper section is lined with tall limestone bluffs, sometimes on both sides of the river, almost like a canyon, making it susceptible to flash flooding. The limited access for the upper 30 miles makes it the most primitive river in the region. Jam Up Cave, one of the state’s top

geological wonders, is on the upper Jacks Fork and accessible only by river. The entrance, an arch 80 feet high and 100 feet wide, is visible from the river. You can climb up the hill to the entrance, but please do not enter the cave, which is closed to help control the spread of White Nose Syndrome, a disease in bats. One of the state’s most photographed sites is the Red Mill at Alley Spring, which is open seasonally for tours. As with the Current, the Jacks Fork is spring fed, cold and clear. Part of the river is a trophy smallmouth bass area; sunfish and goggle-eye are also Continued on next page

Floatin’ Fun

Canoes, Kayaks Rafts & Tubes •Car Shuttles •Store •Snacks •T-Shirts •Caps •Ice •Camping Supplies

573-226-3404 1-866-889-8177 www.windyscanoe.com

Just South of Jacks Fork River Bridge in Eminence, MO

Come Stay With Us and Sit a Spell....

FLOAT THE BEAUTIFUL CURRENT & JACKS FORK RIVERS PUT IN OR TAKE OUT HERE! • Rent Canoes • Riverside Camping • Jacks Fork Store • Family Friendly • Full RV Hookups • Group Camps • Convenient Location

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1/4 mile east of Eminence on Highway 106 1-800-522-5736 573-858-3221

1-800-JACKSFORK

www.jacksforkcanoe.com

573-226-3893

Come and spend your vacation with us

•Cable TVs •Heating & A/C •Playground Equipment •Laundromat • Full RV Hookups •Motel rooms & suites •Small Cabins (sleep up to 4) Large Cabins (sleep up to 10) •Story’s Creek Manor 3-BR ranch sleeps up to 12

Visit Scenic, Friendly Eminence:

• Elk Capital of Missouri

Coffee in Season

windys@socket.net

• Canoe Capital of the World

www.shadylanecabins.com PO Box 94 • N Hwy 19 • Eminence, MO 65466

For Over

JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

~Riverside Motel & Cabins~

UPPER CURRENT

& Beulah’s Country Home

Private River Access Waterfront Cabins www.riversidemotelonline.com Horse Boarding Swimming Pool

Location: Dent, Shannon counties Floatable Length: 60 miles to Owls Bend; 138 miles in Missouri Difficulty: I to II. Dangerous in flash flood. Key Features: River starts at Montauk. Cedar Grove to Owls Bend most frequently used by floaters. Approximately 100 miles in Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Crowded on summer Saturdays. 58 springs, including state’s largest, are along the river. Recommended Outfitters and Area Businesses: Akers Ferry Canoe Rental, currentrivercanoe.com; Carr’s Canoe Rental, carrscanoerental.com; Circle B Campground, circlebcampground.com; Current River Canoe Rental, current-river.com; Harvey’s Alley Spring Canoe Rental, harveysalleyspring. com; Jacks Fork Canoe Rental, jacksforkcanoe.com; Jadwin Canoe Rental, jadwincanoe.com; Riverside Motel & Cabins, riversidemotelonline.com; Running River Canoe Rental, runningrivercanoe.com; Shady Lane Cabins & Motel, shadylanecabins.com; Windy’s Canoe Rental, windyscanoe.com

$5 off room • $10 off cabin with this ad Sun -Thurs one night only • not good with other specials

573-226-3291 MOTEL: 511 N. Main • Eminence MO 65466

Call us to reserve your style of Shannon County lodging NOW!

SALEM 32

Jadwin Canoe Rental

63 K

LICKING

119

YY Montauk Trout Park

★

tio

Current River Canoe Rental

Cedar Grove

BUNKER

Shannondale

137

Akers Ferry Canoe Rental & Jason’s Place

EE Cu

rre

Riverside Motel & Cabins Round Carr’s Spring Canoe Rental ★ Shady Lane N D KCabins & Motel Harvey’s SUMMERSVILLE D Alley Spring 106 Alley Spring Canoe Rental

Running River Canoe Rental

Continued from previous page abundant. You might see some of Shannon County’s famous wild horses as you float the Jacks Fork, and you will almost definitely see horses with riders; there are miles of horseback trails through the area and thousands of riders participate in monthly trail ride events.

Voted Traveler Readers Favorite Canoe Outfitter, 2011

1-888-963-5628

www.harveysalleyspring.com

Jerktail

Two

Jacks Fork Canoe Rental Powder Mill

Rive

★ V ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ EMINENCE

rs 106

Circle B 19 Campground FF

WINONA 60

Windy’s Canoe Rental

Rocky Falls

to Van Buren, Poplar Bluff

JACKS FORK

Located at Alley Spring National Park Campground

573-226-3386

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ys Y

Float the Jacks Fork & Current Rivers with...

Shane & Kim Van Steenis, owners

c ni ce l S er a n Riv Ozark k tio r a Fo N ks Jac

to Springfield

Riverways

Horses, wild and otherwise oft seen in Shannon County

137

ic en r Sc Rive

GEOLOGICAL WONDER — The massive opening to Jam Up Cave dwarfs a group of people who have hiked up to the entrance from the Jacks Fork. The cave mouth is 80 feet tall by 100 feet wide and is accessible only from the river. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photo.

•Canoes •Kayaks •Rafts •Groceries •Camping •Car Shuttles

Location: Texas, Shannon counties Floatable Length: 44.6 miles Difficulty: I & II, better in spring Key Features: High gradient stream, Scenic bluffs at the Prongs, best all-year upper access at Blue Spring. Best to run loaded lightly above Alley Spring; Red Mill at Alley, scenic view at Two Rivers where it joins the Current River. Recommended Outfitters and Area Businesses: Carr’s Canoe Rental, carscanoerental.com; Circle B Campground, circlebcampground.com; Current River Canoe Rental, current-river.com; Harvey’s Alley Spring Canoe Rental, harveysalleyspring.com; Jacks Fork Canoe Rental, jacksforkcanoe. com; Riverside Motel & Cabins, riversidemotelonline.com; Shady Lane Cabins & Motel, shadylanecabins.com; Windy’s Canoe Rental, windyscanoe.com

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Reasons abound to love Upper Current

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann The Upper Current River, from Montauk State Park to Two Rivers, where the Jacks Fork joins the Current, is probably the most-loved river in the state, and the summer weekend crowds prove it. For the best experience minus the crowds, try to go on weekdays; sometimes you’ll have the river almost to yourself. The reasons people love the Current are obvious once you float it – crystalclear water, springs and caves all along the way, scenic limestone bluffs, great trout fishing, an old-fashioned ferry, historic cabins and even the

ruins of an old stone hospital. Some 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, established in 1964 as the first national park to protect a river system. While floating the river, you can paddle into the cool interior of Cave Spring; get out of your boat and stretch your legs on a hike to Pulltite spring and cabin or to the ruins of Welch hospital at Welch Spring. Off the river but while you’re in the area, you can peer into Devil’s Well, a deep and vast sinkhole and underground

CELEBRATE — A canoeist raises his paddle in exultation after exiting Cave Spring on the Current River. Located between Akers and Pulltite on the river, water coming from the cave last saw sunlight 3/4 mile to the north at Devil’s Well. A public trail now connects the two karst sites. Nolan Brunnworth photo.,

ONE OF THE FEW — Paul Dale ferries a motorist across the Current River. The Akers Ferry is one of the last remaining in the Ozarks. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photo. YOUR FLOATING HEADQUARTERS FOR: • CANOES • KAYAKS • TUBES • RAFTS

lake; cross the river on Akers Ferry; fish for trout at Montauk; explore the partly open Current River State Park; take a walk around Round Spring; or travel some of the many hiking and horseback riding trails that crisscross the area. Because of all the year-round springs that feed the Current, the river can be floated anytime, especially below Welch Spring, which almost doubles the river’s flow. Also because of the springs, the water is about 60 degrees year round. The Current is an easy to medium river, with mostly

Hwy. 19 - 25 Miles south of Salem between Hwys. A and EE

At Round Spring Campground HCR 1, Box 137 Eminence, MO 65466-9711

1-800-226-6394

800-333-3956 www.carrscanoerental.com

PULLTITE SPRING ROUND SPRING

At Pulltite Campground HCR 62, Box 375 Salem, MO 65466-9711

877-858-3250 www.current-river.com

Class I or occasional Class II rapids, and is suitable for experienced and inexperienced paddlers. There are numerous outfitters that rent canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes and provide shuttles; plenty of private and public campgrounds; assorted lodging and dining choices; and so many options for outdoor recreation that you’ll be hard pressed to sample them all. For more information about both the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, visit www.nps.gov/ozar

Please visit our websites for current prices.

Why Drive Farther than You Have To?

HCR 62 Box 368 Salem Missouri 65560

Or 573-858-3371 Canoes • Rafts • Kayaks Floater Camping • RV Hookups Convenience Store www.runningrivercanoe.com Come Float The Upper Current River!

Call Toll Free to arrange your trip anywhere in the spring-fed Upper Current and Jacks Fork area.

Jadwin Canoe Rental From Salem take Hwy. 19 south 4 miles Right on Hwy. K for 9 miles - On Left We have it all... Canoes • Rafts • Tubes • Kayaks • Campground with electric hookups Beautiful Welch Spring • Camp Store We arrange floats from 8-94 miles. Ask us about your trip.

573-729-5229 phone 573-729-7340 fax 1-800-937-4837 Group Rates available weekdays, Sundays & offseason

www.jadwincanoe.com jadwincanoerental@earthlink.net 8754 Hwy. K • Jadwin, MO 65501

Last working ferry in the Ozark Scenic Riverways

Come Floateawinothr &Us! Gene, El gard Marcus Mag

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1-800-522-5736 1-800-333-5628 573-858-3228

Meet us on the banks of Jacks Fork and Current Rivers

Canoe Capital of the Ozarks!

We rent canoes year round.

Located Just South of Salem, MO www.currentrivercanoe.com

JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

Wild, scenic Eleven Point a classic Ozark stream

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann walk your boat around. Floats range A 44-mile stretch of the Eleven from half-day trips to overnighters. Point, from Thomasville to the The most popular day trip is from Highway 142 Greer to Whitten, bridge, is and overnight designated a from Greer to National Scenic Riverton. River. It was Canoes and one of the first kayaks abound on eight rivers the river, while included in the flat-bottomed National Wild jonboats are and Scenic River popular with System in 1968. fishermen (The Ozark seeking National Scenic smallmouth bass, Riverways, walleye and trout. established in Motor boats are 1964, laid the restricted to 25 groundwork for mph. During the Wild and the week, you Scenic Rivers will have the Act of 1968.) river mostly WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE — The Eleven Point was the first of eight streams to be A classic to yourself ANGLER’S DELIGHT — Smallmouth bass, designated a National Wild and Scenic River. The river forms the western boundary Ozarks stream, trout and walleye thrive in the Eleven for a remote, of the federally-protected Irish Wilderness. Nolan Brunnworth photo. the Eleven Point Point’s spring-fed waters. Steve Roth photo. wilderness-type There’s a Forest Service campground In the National Scenic River secis spring fed, experience. at Greer Crossing along Highway 19, tion of the Eleven Point, there no cold and clear. It The U.S. and private campgrounds in Alton, impoundments and the shoreline and flows past steep limestone bluffs and Forest Service maintains seven float Greer and watershed are mostly undeveloped. forested valleys, through rapids and camps along Riverton. About half the lands are private and deep pools. While little more than a the river, Be sure to the rest is Mark Twain National Fornarrow stream near Thomasville, the offering take time to est. The western boundary of the Irish river grows wider and deeper as it picnic table, hike from Wilderness, a 16,227-acre national meanders southward and springs add latrine and the trailhead wilderness area, is adjacent to the water to the flow. Greer Spring alone, fire ring. on Highway river. with its average daily flow of 222 Camping 19 to Greer Before your trip, download a copy million gallons, doubles the size of the is allowed Spring, of the “Eleven Point Scenic River river. on gravel the second Travel Guide” at http://www.fs.usda. Rated Class I and Class II, the bars and largest gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/ Eleven Point is a relatively easy river river banks, spring in stelprdb5200703.pdf or pick up a requiring intermediate experience. but not on WORTH THE HIKE — The trailhead to Greer Spring is The chutes at Mary Decker Shoal private land on Highway 19, eight miles north of Alton. The spring the state and copy of the free brochure at an area outfitter. and Halls Bay can approach a Class adjacent to doubles the size of the Eleven Point and is one of the one of the most scenic. III, so if the route looks hazardous, the river. Ozarks most scenic. Emery Greer Access

ELEVEN POINT

Greer Spring Branch

19 Turner Mill Access

CR 127

McDowell Access

Whitten Access

CR 137

AA Springs Access

Eleven Point Canoe Rental

★ ALTON

FF 160

Hufstedler’s Riverton Access

160

Discover Greer Spring in Oregon County And other videos by Traveler Staff. Click on the icons below!

bit.ly/19lmugK

★

Location: Oregon County. Floatable Length:49 miles in Missouri. Sixteen miles above Greer: inquire locally in dry years. Difficulty:I-II Key Features: The Eleven Point River traverses mostly remote and forested areas, much of it under U.S. Forest Service control. Fishing includes sunfish, smallmouth, largemouth bass, pike. Between Greer and Turners Mill, five and one half miles are under Blue Ribbon Trout Management. Primitive camps exist in the Forest above flood levels. Places to see: Irish Wilderness, Greer Spring, The Narrows, Turner’s Mill, Boze Mill Spring. The river is brisk and interesting to traverse, but does not rise to true whitewater. Recommended Outfitters: Eleven Point Canoe Rental, 11pointcanoe. com; Hufstedler’s, hufstedlers.com Like our page to get headlines and links to statewide outdoor news Search for River Hills Traveler from any Facebook page

Eleven Point River Canoe Rental

•CANOE - KAYAK - RAFT RENTALS • GUIDED FLY FISHING •COTTAGE RENTALS For relaxing river floating

Call: 417-778-6497 Jct. US 160 and Mo. 19 www.11pointcanoe.com Alton, MO

Authorized Concessioner of the U.S. Forest Service Eleven Point Scenic and Wild River

Call Mike or Wendy

(417) 778-6116

info@hufstedlers.com www.hufstedlers.com Wild Oregon County NEAR ALTON, MO

Float the Eleven Point Scenic River and enjoy great fishing plus rustic beauty at Turner’s Mill and Boze Mill Spring

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

NORTH FORK

Location: Douglas, Ozark counties Floatable Length: 49.5 miles Difficulty: I to III in high water due to high gradient, occasional rocky drops. Key Features: Swift, very clear, spring-fed wild trout and smallmouth stream. Wade and flyfishing common; remote in places, stream deepens below Double Spring. Unusual amount of river algae but good water quality. Runs into Lake Norfork at Tecumseh. Recommended Guide: The Troutdoorsman, thetroutdoorsman.com

JUNE 2013 181

14 Twin Bridges

181 181

DORA

Hammond Bridge

• Blue

181

Rainbow (Double) Spring

• •

The Falls

Cree

Fly-fishing and spin fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout and smallmouth bass. A variety of trip options available. Gear provided upon request.

Blue Ribbon Trout Area ends, Red Ribbon Trout Area starts Patrick Bridge at Patrick Bridge

thetroutdoorsman.com

By Emery Styron las County. The North Fork meanders If you want to be precise, call it Mis- south, roughly parellel to Missouri souri's North Fork of the White River, 181 and past Missouri 14 into Ozark but if you want to save some breath County, where it is fed by at least eight and sound like most folks, just say good springs and Bryant Creek before North Fork. flowing into Whatever Norfork you choose Lake south to call it, the of U.S. 160 North Fork and Tecumis as pristine seh. Norfork and lovely a Lake then float stream stretches as you’ll miles into find in the northern Ozarks. As Arkansas. the Missouri The North Department Fork’s upof Conserper reaches vation’s cross a huge MANY A RIFFLE — The North Fork is no lazy stream. website chunk of A challenge for floaters is to mind the current while puts it, “The enjoying the untrammeled scenery and wildlife that Mark Twain North Fork abounds along the river. Emery Styron photos. National of the White Forest stradcombines a relatively constant flow dling the Douglas-Howell County of clear water from large springs with line, preserving its wild character and some of the best whitewater in the protecting its water quality. Missouri Ozarks.” And trout fishing, A variety of outfitters populate the too. river between Missouri 14 and Nor The North Fork and its major tribufork Lake, offering floats from five tary, Bryant Creek, both rise in Dougto 23-miles, including multi-day and A NOTE ON STREAM GRADIENTS AND DIFFICULTY RATINGS The term gradient, as used in this publication, refers to the grade or slope of a stream expressed in feet per mile. For example, a river with a gradient of 11.8 drops on the average 11.8 feet per mile. Difficulty ratings used follow the Inernational Scale of River Difficulty Class I — Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Class II - Novice. Straighforward rapids with wide clear channels. Occasional maneuvering required Class III — Intermediate. Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and can swamp and open canoe. Class IV — Advanced. Intense and powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. The rapids may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. Class V — Expert. Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to added risk. Rapids may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Class VI — Extreme and exploratory. These rapids have rarely been attempted and exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictability, and danger.

Blair Bridge

Call Visit for pictures trip reports 417-252-1907 and details To Reserve a Trip

North Fork a pristine, spring fed mecca for wild trout anglers

Blue Ribbon Trout Area starts at Rainbow Spring

The Troutdoorsman

North Fork of the White River

Rusty Doughty The Troutdoorsman (center) Rusto22@hotmail.com

Spring

Kelly Ford

FISHING GUIDE

Over 25 Years Fishing the North Fork

North Fork Spring

•

Althea Spring

James Bridge Red Ribbon Trout Area ends at mouth of Bryant Creek

160

Tecumseh Bridge

SPRING FED JEWEL — Like most Ozark float streams, the North Fork gains flow from both surface runoff and underground springs. The springs keep the water cold enough to support a healthy trout population. MDC has designated Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon trout areas on the North Fork. combined Bryant Creek-North Fork The wild, undeveloped character of excursions. the land and the ever-changing beauty Trout fishng on the North Fork is of the rocks and water stick in my a major attraction. The area between mind. The North Fork has an average Rainbow Spring and Patrick Bridge gradient of 7.5 and is rated I and II for is designated a Blue Ribbon Trout difficulty. We found that the stream Area by the Missouri Department of moved at a comfortable clip with few Conservation. Blue Ribbon regulaslow stretches. Springs feeding the tions include an 18-inch minimum river were frequent and we even found limit on trout and a daily limit of one, one bubbling up in a gravel bar. with only flies and artificial bait al The area is quite remote, with West lowed. Gigging of non-game fish is Plains 15 to 20 miles east. Come not permitted here.. prepared to camp or stay in a riverside Patrick Bridge to Norfork Lake is cabin. a Red Ribbon Trout Area. Red Rib Bryant Creek, provides only slightly bon regs call for a 15-inch minimum fewer paddling miles than the North length and a daily limit of two trout. Fork’s nearly 50 miles, and is conGigging of non-game fish is allowed. sidered highly fishable. It has fewer A friend and I floated from Hamsprings than the North Fork and less mond Bridge to McKee Bridge a volume. It’s home to the last commercouple of years ago, not fishing, but cially operating watermill, Hodgson’s just enjoying the scenery, including Mill, visible from Hwy. 181, which The Falls, a challenging 3-4 foot drop was powered by the state’s 15th largover a rock shelf. est spring well into the 1960s.

To U.S. 62 and U.S. 65 To Mountain Home

HARRISON

YELLVILLE 65

43 PONCA WILDERNESS AREA Kyle’s Landing

Ozark

Hasty

ff a Bu lo ttle

Mt. Hersey

Buffalo R

21 UPPER BUFFALO WILDERNESS AREA

Maumee North

ST. JOE Woolum

Riv

BOXLEY

Buffalo Point

PINDALL

JASPER er

Rush Landing

★

WESTERN GROVE

123

Erble

Buffalo Float Service

MARBLE FALLS

PONCA

LOWER BUFFALO WILDERNESS AREA

iv e r it e R

412

Maumee South

Tyler Bend

14 HARRIETT

GILBERT SILVER HILL

14 MORNING STAR

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann The Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the nation’s first National River, established by the National Park Service in 1972. It protects 135 miles of the 151-mile river that flows from the Boston Mountains to its confluence with the White River. With its towering limestone bluffs, the Buffalo is known for its breathtaking scenery. The Buffalo is divided into three sections for recreation purposes -- upper, middle and lower. Spring rains produce whitewater rapids in the challenging upper section. As the season progresses and the river level drops, the floating options move downstream. The Buffalo is mostly rainfall dependent, so it’s a good idea to check with local outfitters for current conditions in the section you want to float or fish. Weekdays are best for fishermen and floaters who want to avoid crowds. Park concessioners rent canoes, kayaks, rafts and jonboats and provide shuttle services. Several offer camping, cabins or other lodging. Two Arkansas state parks – Buffalo Point and Lost Valley – were transferred to

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ Wh

Buffalo was first National River in U.S,

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

JUNE 2013

MARSHALL To Russellville & I-40

To Clarksville & I-40

To Conway & I -40

the National Park Service and became part of the national park. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) cabins at Buffalo Point are in demand. The CCC district is on the National Register of Historic Places. Although floating and fishing are key attractions of the river park, there are plenty of other things to do. Hiking, camping, hunting, backpacking and horseback riding are also popular. The restored elk herd near Ponca is one of the Buffalo’s major tourist draws, especially during October and

QUIET ON THE BUFFALO — A serene stretch of the middle section of the Buffalo National River. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photo.

Buffalo Location: Newton, Searcy, Marion and Baxter counties in Arkansas Floatable Length:150 miles; 135 mile National River floatable during most seasons Difficulty: Usually I below Ponca. Possibly II or more high flow. White River upstream takeout is a challenge. Key Features: Buffalo River is unusual in that the entire river and much of the watershed has been protected since 1972. Upper reaches contain scenic high bluffs, green hills, and Hemmed In Hollow, a 220-ft high single drop waterfall. Lower reaches of the river are open, but water is equally challenging with a number of rock shelf drops. Hunting and fishing permitted under AR regs. Park contains free-ranging elk herd. Recommended Outfitter: Buffalo River Float Service, buffaloriverfloatservice.com November in Boxley Valley. Organized events include the Elk Festival in Jasper in June and the Color Fest in Ponca in October. For more info, visit www.nps.gov/buff . Park headquarters are in Harrison, Ark.

of ner

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ice

Serv

Nati

870-449-2042 1-877-350-6592 www.buffaloriverfloatservice.com Au buffaloriverfloatservice@gmail.com 11637 Ste. 1 Hwy. 14 South • Yellville, AR 72687 thor

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Co ized

Stay safe, legal to make river experience agreeable

By Julia Gabbert Summer float trips are a time-honored tradition here in the Ozarks — a chance to become one with nature or unleash your inner redneck, depending on your prerogative. But whichever style of canoeing, um, floats your boat, there are precautions you can take to make your river experience as agreeable as possible. In recent years the Missouri State Water Patrol and the National Park Service have begun cracking down on disorderly conduct on Missouri's streams and tributaries. And if the cops don't get you, the environment may. The state's rivers and forests are alive with all kinds of creatures — from poisonous snakes to menacing bacteria — that could ruin your trip. Here, then, are a few tips to ensure smooth sailing on your summer float. Keep It Legal Before packing your canoe full of booze and letting loose, Missouri State Water Patrol's Sgt. Jerry Cal-

COMMON GROUNDS — Rivers are public places, so if your actions wouldn’t be accepted in a store on the way to the river, they aren’t acceptable on the river, advises the Missouri Water Patrol’s Sgt. Jerry Callahan. The best way to make friends on the river is to be considerate of others seeking to enjoy it. Emery Styron photo.

lahan implores you to remember that rivers are public areas. If your actions wouldn't be accepted in the store on the way to the river, they aren't acceptable on the actual river, says Callahan. Unacceptable behavior includes drunkeness, underage drinking, drug use and nudity. Some Missouri rivers are stricter than others about intoxicants and rowdiness. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers, for example, are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways where the federal government has banned the use of beer bongs, kegs, Mardi Gras beads, Jell-O shots, dryice bombs, air horns and loud stereos. As the website for the federal waterway states in big, bold letters: "Public intoxication will not be tolerated." Glass bottles are illegal on all Missouri rivers, and beer bongs are prohibited on all state rivers except for Osage, Mississippi and Missouri Continued on Page 14

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

GOODMAN

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013 ee

Cr an k Indi

Elk

I-49 I-49 43

Location: McDonald County Floatable Length: 45 miles Big and Little Sugar Creeks come together to form the Elk River; they are partly floatable in their own names during normal years.

ANDERSON

LANAGAN

SARATOGA

★ ★NOEL

River Ranch Resort

Elk

★

L it

★

HAVENHURST

PINEVILLE

i v er

tle

Shady Beach

i ve

Sug arr C eek

Elk

Difficulty: mostly II Key Features: No major rapids or falls, clear spring fed water, scenic uplands, glades and bluffs, excellent smallmouth, largemouth and goggle-eye fishing. Recommended Outfitters: Big Elk Camp, bigelkcampcanoe.com; River Ranch Resort, riverranchresort.com; Shady Beach Campground, shadybeach.com; Two Sons Floats & Camping, twosonsfloatscamping.com

Big

I-49

Big Elk Camp

eek r Cr

90 JANE

Two Sons 90 Floats & Camping

Elk remains essential southwest Missouri float stream

By Emery Styron I scoured my contacts for someone to write a profile of the Elk River but came up empty-handed. Then I remembered that I had a lot of history with the Elk. Why not do it myself? After all, hadn’t I grown up going to Noel to swim at Wayside Park and Shady Beach? Hadn’t I agonized for a half-hour trying to get up the nerve to jump into the river from the Highway 59 bridge? Hadn’t I spent almost every summer weekend of my youth fishing and swimming on Big Sugar Creek, the Elk’s major tribuary? Above all, wasn’t it on the Elk where my new wife and I discovered that our marriage wouldn’t last if we tried to share a canoe? That was all years ago. Many things

have changed, but there’s something timeless about a river. The essentials remain. The essentials are that the Elk is formed at Pineville in far southwestern Missouri by the confluence of Big Sugar and Little Sugar Creeks and flows generally northwest toward the Oklahoma line, where it becomes the Cowskin arm of Grand Lake of the Cherokees. The Elk picks up additional water from Indian Creek and other smaller streams in its journey toward Indian Territory. The river is contained entirely by McDonald County, which despite rapid development in recent years, is still a rugged, scenic corner of the Continued on Page 19

www.twosonsfloats.com

THE ELK RIV E N I L ER P I Z

Friendliest Camp On The Elk River

• 3 Seat Canoes • Rafts & Kayaks • Tent Camping • RV Sites • Swim Beach

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI ATTRACTION — Elk River’s rugged scenery and cold, spring fed waters atttracts paddlers from northeast Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas Kansas City and the immediate area. Photo courtesy Two Sons Floats & Camping.

at Noel, MO

417-475-4774

play, float, camp, BREATHE. (On the Elk River just north of Arkansas)

• vacation rental homes • Camp cabins w/ A/C • Canoes, kayaks, rafts & tubes 1-800-745-6481 or 417-475-6483 Noel, MO 64854 www.shadybeach.com

From Tents to Luxury - Your Elk River Resort! • Float Trips • Cabins • Camping • Church Retreats

• Hungry Camper Cafe • Campsite Catering • Company Store • Mini Golf

Quality - Value - ADVENTURE!

Call 1-800-951-6121 or visit www.riverranchresort.com

JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

★

Location: Dallas, Laclede, Camden counties Floatable Length: Usually 66 miles, sometimes 79.5 miles Difficulty: I & II Key Features: Trout waters at Bennett Spring, usually placid paddle, mild gradient, decent fishing. Water clear to murky. Forms the Niangua Arm of Lake of the Ozarks. Recommended Outfitters: Adventures Float Trips & Campground, mo-adventures.org; Circle J Campground, circlejcampground.com; Maggard Canoe Rental, maggardcanoe.com; One-Eyed Willy’s, oneeyedwillys.com; Redbeard’s Ranch, redbeardsranch.com.

One-Eyed Willy’s ★ Road

★ Redbeard’s Ranch

Corkery

Niangua

Maggard Canoe Rental

Barclay Conservation Area

Coffin Cave Conservation Area

★Adventures Float Trips

ver

Ni ang

★

64 Circle J Campground

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

o rig

Niangua offers gentle floats bass, trout, varied attractions

ane ld L

Bennett Spring State Park

To MO 5, Lebanon & I-44

By Jo Schaper The middle Niangua River most resembles the Meramec in a number of characteristics: the clarity of the chertbottomed river, from clear to a deep murky green, the weekend party destination about an hour away from a major metropolitan CLARITY VARIES — The chert-bottomed Niangua’s area (Springfield) and the usually gentle nature waters run from clear to deep murky green. Emery Styron photo. of the float, allowing flank of the Springfield Plateau and for extended periods of smallmouth paddling is about as easy as it gets, fishing. the tradeoff for pleasant, but less I’ve only floated this middle area, just above and below Bennett Spring. dramatic scenery. Continued on next page The river winds across the eastern

GOOD PLACE FOR KIDS — The Niangua’s gentle gradient and ample fish populations makes it a good choice for youngsters to develop their paddling and angling skills. Families should keep in mind that the Niangua can get crowded and rowdy on weekends. For peaceful atmosphere on this and many other Ozark streams, float during the week. Emery Styron photo.

DireDixi

Serving floaters on the beautiful Niangua River for 38 years

FLoat trips & Campground LLC

Canoes • Kayaks • Rafts • Primitive Camping

417-588-RAFT (7238) www.mo-adventures.org Directions:

15 miles east of Hwy. 65 at Louisburg or 14 miles west of Lebanon, 3.5 miles west of the Niangua River at Bennett Spring State Park. 1667 State Hwy. 64, Lebanon, MO 65536

CANOES • RAFTS • KAYAKS

Fun FLoat Trips - Flexible FLoat Times

Take Hwy 64 west past Bennett Spring State Park, turn right on Corkery Rd., Lebanon, MO

Call 1-417-532-7616

Toll free Call 1-888-546-9788 Reservations Only

www.maggardcanoe.com

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Wild critters a threat, but then so are humans

Continued from Page 11 these prehistoric beasts. Black bears, meanwhile, waterways. can come calling for food left around your camp “Those devices are designed so that people can site. So, you know, be sure to put the lid on that jar consume alcohol quickly," Callahan says. "That of honey before setting out from shore. type of behavior is what tends to get people in The most dangerous creature on and near the trouble." water, though, is the cottonmouth (a.k.a. water Where To Go moccasin), an all-black, venomous snake that can When You Need To Go be potentially deadly. But it's nothing to worry too But it's not just partying that can get you busted. much about. There have been no snakebite onlyTrespassing also leads to arrests when floaters fatalities in Missouri in 30 years. Still, should you wander into private property — often in search of somehow manage to get bit, stay calm. Panicking a place to relieve themselves. Which leads to the makes your heart beat faster, which causes venom question: What to do when you have to pee? to spread more quickly. Keep the bite low and seek The two most viable options are the river and medical attention immediately, but don't try to the woods. Authorities suggest neither. suck out the poison. Not only is peeing directly into the river gross "All these animals — while potentially harmful for fellow swimmers, but human urine (especially to people — will never go out of their way to hurt from the ladies) sets hormone levels in the water people," says Dan Zarlenga of the Missouri Deon the fritz, affecting animals that live in the river ONE TO AVOID — The most dangerous non-human creature partment of Conservation, who adds that it's the year-round. We're talking hermaphrodite fish and on the water is the cottonmouth snake, also known as a smallest critters out there — like sandflies, thistles water moccasin, The cottonmouth’s venom can be deadly but and chiggers — that are the most dangerous and sterile salamanders. the snake is not likely to attack a human unless surprised or cause the most pain. And sometimes those micro Going in the woods would be the next logical provoked. Contrast that behavior with that of sandflies, ticks choice, but once you pass the high-water mark, scopic boogers are in the water. and chiggers. MDC photo. you're probably trespassing into private property. Lorin Crandall, the director of the Clean Water dangerous wildlife, especially south of St. Louis Instead, experienced floaters know to head to a Program at the Missouri Coalition for the Environ(Interstate 44 and farther south), where you can find ment, warns that pathogens, protozoa and bacteria, gravel bar when nature calls, and do their business snapping turtles, venomous snakes and even the behind a bush where you're not likely to incur a such as E. coli, can be found in Missouri streams occasional black bear. And no doubt, wherever you ticket for indecent exposure. and will "completely destroy you" if ingested. Cranare, you'll have to deal with the annoying — though dall suggests that floaters bring at least one-and-aStaying Alive Chances are the wildest animals you'll see on your mostly non-lethal — mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies half times more water than alcohol with them. And float trip are some sunburned college kids drunkenly and other parasitic pests. whatever you don't drink you can always return to Alligator snapping turtles are capable of takmaking their way downstream on an inflatable raft. the river. ing off a finger from their powerful bite. The best But Missouri does have its share of menacing and advice is not to dangle your digits in front of one of

If you can’t find something to do in Niangua area, you aren’t trying Continued from previous page The Niangua also draws from Kansas City; so if you are looking for solitude, choose the Niangua in spring or fall, or during the week. Between the floating and fishing, summer weekends can get pretty crazy. This river offers a wide variety of accommodations, from basic, bare bones tent camps to luxurious resorts set up for corporate retreats. Horses to hikes, party camps, family friendly venues, even hundreds of person

rendezvous can be accommodated somewhere on the river. Bennett Spring adds 100 million gallons of water and thousands of rainbow trout to the river daily just north of Lebanon. The state park visitor’s center hosts one of the best springs displays in the state. Though a large town in its own right, Lebanon caters to tourists, emphasizing its Route 66 and outlet mall heritage since before either were declared “cool.” The Niangua is well Fun Outdoors in the known for bass, and Heart of the Ozarks having the glassy • “Glamping” in Style! water to fly-fish for • Canoes, kayaks,rafts, & tubes trout. It’s large enough • Horseback Riding to run with jonboats, • Hayrides Family Friendly - Youth Groups manufactured nearby. If you cannot find Headed for Lebanon, Mo? enough to do on this Give us a call! river and nearby, you 417-533-7337 www.redbeardsranch.com simply aren’t looking.

MAJOR ATTRACTION — Bennett Spring, located inside the state park of the same name, adds 100 million gallons per day to the Niangua River’s flow and is a troutfishing and camping mecca for the Lebanon area. Emery Styron photo.

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JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER 133

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Location: Wright, Laclede, Pulaski, Phelps, Maries, Osage, Gasconade counties Floatable Length: 253.1 miles Difficulty: Mostly I, seldom II Key Features: Gasconade runs north from the Springfield Plateau to the Missouri River. Spring fed, mostly private access, pretty crooked in places, easy floating. Recommended Outfitter: Boiling Spring Campground, bscfloattrips.com/

e Riv

Gasconade

Boiling Spring Campground

G a sconade River

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

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Big Piney Location: Texas, Pulaski, Phelps counties Floatable Length: 85.7 or continue into Gasconade Difficulty: Mostly I, sometimes II after rains Key Features: Excellent bass fishery, shallow gravel paddle in spots. The Big Piney crosses Ft. Leonard Wood, so be aware of maneuvers. Goes through Mark Twain National Forest. Many springs. Town of Devils Elbow near the end of river is notable US 66 location. Recommended Outfitter: Boiling Spring Campground, bscfloattrips. com

Abundant springs keep Big Piney mostly floatable By Jo Schaper The Big Piney River is the only float stream in Missouri where one needs to clear access with Military Range Control or the Outdoor Adventure Center on Fort. Leonard Wood before floating through about 8 miles midstream, and for good reason. The fort is home to Army live fire and chemical weapons training; it is assuredly NOT a good idea to try to sneak through. The Piney, in Texas, Pulaski and Phelps counties, is separated into three sections: the upper section, above the Fort, the Fort section, and the lower, which flows into the Gasconade River a few miles below the town of Devil’s Elbow. It is possible to float through the fort; that does require special permission, and I’ve never done it. The upper section is mostly forested with a moderately fast drop of four feet per mile, consisting of chutes and pools, with a moderate flow so paddling upstream is not a problem. Abundant medium-sized springs keep the Piney floatable except in drought. It was “just right” for a night froggigging expedition some years ago. Boiling Spring Access far south in Texas County is a popular put-in for

SPRINGTIME COLOR — Bluebells bloom on one side of the Big Piney and redbuds on the other. in this shot taken near St. Robert. Emery Styron photo. the float to Hwy. 32. This Boiling Spring is not to be confused with Boiling Spring that rises from the floor of the Gasconade River near its junction with the Big Piney, east of Dixon, Mo. From mile 40 at Slabtown Access Continued on next page

GASCONADE’S BOILING SPRING —Boiling Spring rises from the river bottom at the base of a bluff on the eastern bank of the Gasconade River in Pulaski County. The spring averages 42 millions of output per day, making it the state’s 14th largest. Note the difference in water color at the spring boil from the rest of the river. Emery Styron photo.

Gasconade, state’s longest river exhibits many faces

By Jo Schaper At 253 miles, the Gasconade River (not including any tributaries) is the longest river entirely contained within the state. It rises near Hartville in Wright County, as a shallow, clear, springfed creek, suitable for kayak and canoe. North of Falcon, three major springs stablize water levels from Hwy. 32 meanders north, joins forces with its major tributary the Osage Fork (at 85 miles, not a short stream itself) near Hazelgreen and just shy of I-44. After crossing the highway, and picking up water from some major

springs and the Big Piney River, it becomes a midsize stream, with improved fishing productivity and greater numbers of powered boats. This middle section is most popular for recreation, combining easy river access with adequate water. From Vienna to the Missouri River, the Gasconade flows slow enough that motors are useful, and accesses are designed with powerboats in mind. The Gasconade is another Missouri stream noted for its entrenched meanders where the river, following the hilly topography, will make 270 Continued on next page

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RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Stream Teams battle tiresome problem

By Jo Schaper of teams didn’t have the funds for I zoned out during the awards at the disposal fees,” he said. Meramec Watershed Stream Team The Department of Natural picnic. Then Mark Van Patten, MDC Resources started their DNR Stream Team biologist, took the reimbursement fund, to reimburse microphone. non-government civic and charitable “I’d like to announce there has groups for these out of pocket been a $1,000 donation to the fees, in the name of land and water revolving tire fund, from the Chuck conservation. But in order to get the and Sharon Tryon estate, donated by money back, the teams still had to their daughter, Holly,” he said. “And make application before the cleanup, we’ve decided to rename the fund in be approved, pay the tire disposal fees their honor, so from now on, it will upfront to private tire retailers, then be the Chuck and Sharon Tryon Tire get and submit the receipt. Reclamation Fund.” “In those early years, we had teams I woke up. Anything called the in a panic,” said Van Patten. “They revolving tire fund, also had all these tires, and known as the rotating no money to get rid of tire fund, had to have a them.” story behind it. It was Tryon, and Tire disposal tough members of the for Stream Teams Roubidoux Fly Fishers Rehabilitating who came to the streams is heavy, hot, rescue, establishing the dirty work. Once Revolving Tire Fund collected, trash needs around 1999, by setting to be dealt with Often up $1500 to front to municipalities or private the teams to pay the landfills will waive fees. BENEFACTORS — The late tipping fees for nonTyron, Fly Fishers to recyclables, and perhaps Chuck and Sharon Tryon. rescue a team might get a few Joel Vance photo. When the cleanup is dollars for metal collected, if in good complete, and DNR reimbursement shape. funds returned to the stream team, A stream team typically makes a they in turn reimburse the revolving reconnaissance run before the day of tire fund. the event in order to figure out what to Prior to the Tryon estate gift, the do with the trash afterward. fund had about $2,000 in dedicated And then there are tires. Not only funds. do you have to find a disposal place “Chuck was really into recycling. to take them, you also must pay a He helped set up the first recycling disposal fee (starting at $2 for rimless center in Rolla. And the very first passenger car tires). stream we cleaned up was the flyIf you are like Stream Team 211 fishing section of Roubidoux Creek from Arnold, and you haul in 561 through Waynesville, way back when. tires over one cleanup of the lower We had a tire problem even then.” Meramec, that’s some serious cash up Revolving Tire Fund now managed front from people who have already through MSTWC donated backbreaking labor to do a Another Holly, Holly Neill, good thing. Most don’t have it. executive director of the Missouri Tire woes started in 1990 Stream Team Watershed Coalition, Both Van Patten and Tryon were now helps stream teams with the members of Roubidoux Fly Fishers in paperwork to apply for both the 1989, when the group became Stream revolving tire fund money and Team No. 1. Missouri passed its scrap reimbursement from DNR. tire disposal law in 1990. “We’ve got $3,000 designated, but “Cox Brothers Firestone disposed the MSTWC can also vote to lend of all our tires fee-free back then, and operating funds if needed. We lent we greatly appreciated it. But once $6,000 to an extraordinary effort in St. stream teams took off we found out Louis, and we’ve gotten our money very quickly we had a problem. A lot back. That’s how it’s supposed to

work.

Teamwork makes it work For many years, managing the stream team program was only a government initiative, but teams have always consulted other teams. The Watershed Coalition has formalized

teams take on bigger projects than they could alone. “Under this system, we ask teams to report after their recon and count tires, so we know about what they will need. This is the same recon they have to do for the DNR paperwork,” Neill

BIG JOB ON BIG RIVER — One of the worst streams for tire dumping is Big River. How high can you stack tires on a canoe? Photo by Bernie Arnold

some of that: teams working on a particular river have formed watershed partnerships, and statewide, 16 stream team associations have formed the coalition, she said. “As a 501(c) 3, we’re the non-profit arm of the stream teams. We help teams deal with paperwork, and keep track of regulations and data. We help new teams get started, and established

said. “You have to do this before the actual cleanup. Afterwards doesn’t count, but we realize that teams might vary by a tire or two.” Neill can be reached by phone at 417.827.4864. More information about the revolving tire fund can be had at http://mstwc.org/act-now/ revolving-tire-fund/

Happy Campers Happy Floaters!

Home of Fort Leonard Wood

Big Piney flows through the fort Continued from previous page to the Ross take out before the Fort, is the MDC smallmouth special management area. Below the Fort, the few miles to Shanghai Spring are shallow and rocky, but once flow from that spring enters, paddling becomes easier for the next six miles to the Gasconade.

It’s along this stretch where I’ve seen trophy smallmouth the size of small torpedos, not upstream. Within two or three miles of the confluence with the Gasconade, more bass boats, fishermen and larger groups become noticeable; however the Piney never really becomes a “party river” as others are.

Gasconade majors in meanders

Continued from previous page degree turns (roughly east or west and back again) to snake around high hills and dramatic white dolomite hills and ridges. With a few more eons of time, and a few more floods, these meanders may become cutoffs or oxbow lakes, with the river taking a more direct path from point A to C. Right now, this topography makes for fine

floating and a good business model; if access roads cooperate, you can paddle ten miles in 5 miles road distance and avoid lengthy shuttles. The nouthern one-third of the Gasconade widens out, grows deep, and flows slowly through flat to rolling farmland. It is not generally considered a recreational destination, although it is used as such locally,

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JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ Old Cove Canoe & Kayak

Meramec

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Redhorse St. Access

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Cook Station

Mark Twain National Forest

Berryman Trail 8 To Potosi

Huzzah Y Valley Resort

Cherryville

185 To Potosi

★ ★

STEELVILLE

The 19 Rafting Company

Creek

★

Riverview Ranch

Pea Ridge St. Forest

Bass Huzzah Wildlife Area River Resort W

Access

Mera

Pheasant Acres

★ Onondaga St. Park

CUBA

Boys Town Tourist Info Center

To Rolla

Leasburg

Trophy trout, trophy smallmouth areas

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BOURBON

Ozark Outdoors

Little Indian Creek St. Forest

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Courtois

www.ozarkoutdoors.net

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann however, above Maramec Spring Partly because of its proximity to the high water is needed. The Woodson St. Louis area and partly because of K. Woods Wildlife Area Access near its natural beauty, the Meramec River the Highway 8 bridge is usually the is one of the state’s most popular highest practical access point. The floating river is rated and fishing mostly Class streams. I, with limited The sections Class II, and upstream are is suitable clean, clear for both and scenic; experienced the closer and novice you get to St. paddlers. Louis and the Maramec Mississippi Spring Park, River, the near St. wider and James, is muddier the maintained river becomes by The James and the more Foundation, developed the while the shoreline. spring branch Generally and trout speaking, the hatchery are prime floating managed by is from the Missouri Maramec Department of Spring to Conservation. Meramec The NECK-STRETCHER — Vilander Bluff, southeast of spring has State Park, Bourbon, Mo., towers 200 feet aboe the Meramec an average with a good and his home to 300-400 yearold red cedars and quality daily flow of rare lichens. Emery Styron photo. experience 90 million available all gallons. the way to St. Clair or Pacific, but Onondaga Cave State Park near you can paddle all the way to the Leasburg and Meramec State Park Mississippi, if desired. near Sullivan offer camping and A spring-fed Ozark stream, the other amenities, and there are many Meramec is floatable most of the year; Continued on next page

ST. CLAIR

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Meramec’s location, natural beauty make it one Missouri’s top streams

Traveler

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Location: Dent, Crawford, Phelps, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Louis counties Floatable Length: 193.5 miles Difficulty: Usually I, occasionally II Key Features: Upper Meramec and Maramec Spring is trout/smallmouth fishery with shallow, clear water; middle to lower Meramec is murky catfish water. Banks have numerous caves, some small springs. Gravel to mud bottom. Lots of public land access. Can be floated all the way to Mississippi River. Popular swimming river. Flows through historically significant mineral area. Lower portion urban, but still used. Recommended Outfitters: Bass’ River Resort, bassresort.com; Huzzah Valley Resort, huzzahvalley.com; Meramec State Park, meramecpark.com; Old Cove Canoe & Kayak, oldcovecanoe.com; Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort, ozarkoutdoors.net; Riverview Ranch, riverviewranch.org; The Rafting Co., theraftingco.com. Recommended Campground: Pheasant Acres, pheasantacresrv.com.

★

VV V C

49 Indian Trail St. Forest

Y Dillard Mill State Park Mill Tours

SALEM

Huzzah & Courtois Location: Crawford County Floatable Length: Courtois 21.2 miles; Huzzah 29.4 miles Difficulty: Shallow, but often II with high gradient Key Features: Courtois flows into Huzzah, which flows into Meramec. Clear, gravel bottomed, frequent obstructions, rarely deep. Can flash flood, crowded summer weekends, good for kayaks, sometimes challenging for tandem canoe. Recommended Outfitters: Bass’ River Resort, bassresort.com; Huzzah Valley Resort, huzzahvalley.com; Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort, ozarkoutdoors.net.

Courtois & Huzzah: Rivers or creeks? Can you say ‘code-away?’ Courtois a small Jacks Fork but closer to St. Louis By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann The spring-fed Courtois is more of a creek than a river, and some people dismiss it as too small. To us, that’s a big mistake. We like to think of the clear-water Courtois as a miniature

version of the Jacks Fork, with the same type of wild scenery and limestone bluffs, just on a smaller scale and closer to the St. Louis area. The creek is bordered by dense stands of trees and vegetation, giving it a sense of seclusion and remoteness. Continued on Page 19

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Meramec’s scenic beauty, proximity to St. Louis add to its draw Continued from previous page private campgrounds and resorts along this stretch of the river. Continuing east toward St. Louis, you’ll find Robertsville State Park, Route 66 State Park and Castlewood State Park, all with nearby access to the river. Summer weekends on the Meramec can be crowded and rowdy, especially near some of the larger private campgrounds, but weekdays

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offer serene nature experiences. Canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes are all appropriate for the Meramec, and motorboats are also permitted. If you like to fish, you’ll like the Meramec, with its abundance of fish and other aquatic species. Smallmouth bass, catfish and panfish are popular, plus trout fishing at Maramec Spring Park. URBAN FUN — Though less scenic than rural parts, St. Louis stretches of the Meramec get lots of use. Emery Styron photo.

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You play YOUR way here. Quiet. LOUD. Go for a hike on nearby Vilander Bluff, highest bluff on the upper Meramec. Float. Swim. Strum your guitar. Party hard on one of our music weekends. Bring 400 of your closest friends. Talk to us. We can make it happen.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO? From Riverview Ranch you are in easy driving distance of show caves, old iron furnaces, plenty of state park and conservation land, antiquing along I-44, local restaurants, Cuba-the Rt. 66 Mural City, the world’s largest rocking chair, and even St. Louis. Visit the city and sleep in the quiet under our stars.

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Group and private party camping by arrangement only. Old Cove does not have a convenience store, and supplies should be brought from home. The nearest food, drinks or gasoline are in St. Clair, about 8 miles away.

Canoes. Kayaks. Rafts. Tubes. Your own floating craft. At Riverview Ranch floats start upstream and come back to camp at your own speed. No “rushing” to make the takeout in time. Our takeout point isn’t going anywhere. Check with us for group and weekday rates.

We’ll beat any local advertised prices.

Visit www.riverviewranch.org or call 800-RIV-VIEW FOR MORE INFORMATION

JUNE 2013

RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

If you know French, speak nasally and say ‘coor-twa’ Continued from Page 17 it, it’s beautiful. . The setting is largely unspoiled, Huzzah: river or creek? with a true Ozarks character. Part of By Jo Schaper the creek flows alongside the Huzzah The floatable length of Huzzah Conservation Area. Because it is a small stream, floating Creek may be a mere 30 miles, but with a drop of between seven to nine early in the year when there is higher feet per mile, the floater water is desirable. March needs to stay awake and and April alert for what may lie often provide the around the next bend. opportunity to float Except during flood, stretches that are not the duration of which deep enough during the is normally measured hotter, drier months of late summer. Canoes and TWIN STREAMS — The in hours, neither the kayaks are the preferred pristine upper reaches Huzzah nor its near twin, means. When the water is of the Courtois (above) the Courtois, are deep enough for any but the up, the river can be Class are best explored in most shallow draft craft, II, with narrow channels March and April. The and sharp turns; generally Huzzah (below) moves and that excludes most it is Class I. along briskly due to a motorized jet boats, except A popular float puts steep gradient but has in the lowest reaches. The Huzzah originates in on the Courtois, joins only a few deep holes, with the Huzzah, and then making it fairly safe. Jo in southern Crawford County, near the hamlet flows into the Meramec, Schaper photos. of Dillard, but the first providing a three-river trip reliable all weather put-in in one day. is at Hwy. V Bridge, in The creek abounds with Davisville. The Huzzah is fish, turtles and waterfowl. unusual in that although it Anglers will enjoy floating is rated class II difficulty or wading as they seek water for gradient, speed smallmouth bass, goggleand obstructions, very few eye, sunfish and bluegill. places are so deep that Primitive camping is they are not wadeable, and available along the creek, therefore moderately safe. and there are public and This creek at the Forest private campgrounds Service’s Red Bluff Campground was nearby. one of my first childhood camping The trickiest part is pronouncing locations where we were allowed Courtois correctly. For those who to roam at will with inner tubes and have studied French, it is coor-twa, air mattresses and until camping but to the locals, it is coort-a-way or was discontinued at the Huzzah code-a-way. However you pronounce

Pineville, Noel home to numerous outfitters serving Elk River floaters

Continued from Page 12 Ozarks noted for its steep hills, clear streams, craggy bluffs and the traditional character of its residents. The smallmouth, largemouth and goggle-eye fishing remains superb, I’m told. Outfitters around Pineville offer four-, eight and 12 miles floats from upstream on the Big Sugar down to their locations, and eight-mile floats from Pineville to Mt. Shira public access near Noel. Noel outfitters offer five-and eight mile floats from upriver back to their locations.

The Elk has an average gradient of four feet per mile and is rated a Class I and II stream. The dam at Shadow Lake in Noel can be dangerous and should probably be portaged. I wouldn’t care to repeat some of the foolish things I did in my youth — jumping off the Elk River Bridge, for example (you can’t do it anymore; there’s a chain-link fence on the new bridge), but I would like to try another float trip with my sweetheart down the Elk. I’ve learned a thing or two about getting along since 1978. I don’t argue anymore. I just do what she tells me.

Conservation Area, one of our favorite a stream is a creek or a river is getaways as young adults. merely the name on the map. The Sometimes the most fun is the Huzzah is to me a “bluegill” of cheapest: throw a tent, sleeping bag, streams: small, scrappy and with packed cooler and chairs into the plenty of fight, which doesn’t need car and go. It’s this sort of outdoor the word “river” to dignify its adventure that the Huzzah inspires. existence. Above Scotia Bridge, and during July and August, a tandem canoe is too much boat for this stream, as we’ve Family Friendly - Shady Sites discovered floating Open Year Round with brothers who Latitude: 37° 57’ 29.7” N Longitude: 91° 36’ 29.9” W have singleton canoes. Near Trout Fishing - Music Shows Restaurants Show Caves I long to wrestle the 20279 Highway 8 Bow Hunting in Season. More. Huzzah in a kayak, St James, MO 65559 someday. pheasantacresrv.com Technically, whether 573-265- 5419

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RIVER HILLS TRAVELER

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

JUNE 2013

Great River Rumble a paddle, not a float trip By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann This is called the Float Trip Guide, so technically the Great River Rumble doesn’t fit. It’s a paddle, not a float, you see. But if you’re looking for a great time on the water, with plenty of paddling and lots of camaraderie, check out the Great River Rumble. Last summer, the Rumble traveled 146 miles down the Missouri River from Jefferson City, across the Mississippi, to a take-out point near the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center in Hartford, Ill. This year, the Rumble will be July 27 to Aug. 3, traveling

111 miles from Grantsburg, Wisc., on the St. Croix River to Red Wing, Minn., on the Mississippi River. The Great River Rumble is an annual week-long paddling and camping trip on a river within the Mississippi River basin. Now in its eighteenth year, the Rumble is organized by Midwest River Expeditions, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. The great thing about the Rumble is that all you have to do is show up with your personal gear – almost everything else is carefully planned

HEADING FOR CAMP — Paddlers pass scenic bluffs as they approach the take-out at Klondike Park near Augusta, Mo., on the Missouri River. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photos.

for you. Campsites, showers, baggage opposite situation occurred in 2012, shuttles, entertainment, and safety when the river was at record lows boats are all part of the reasonably because of the drought. In spite of priced package. You’ll need your own temperatures topping 100 degrees kayak or canoe or you can rent one for each day, our merry band paddled on. the voyage. Overnight You can plan stops your own included meals or join Jefferson the group for City, catered meal Bonnots options. Mill, Best of all, Chamois, the veteran Hermann, Rumblers Washington, are friendly Klondike and Park near welcoming, Augusta, St. so you’ll fit Charles and in whether Hartford, Ill. you’re a solo BREAK TIME — Bryan Westmoreland of St. Charles The takes full advantage of a rest stop during the 2012 traveler, a 149 paddlers Great River Rumble. couple or came from a family, 15 states, young or old (minimum age is 14, plus one young man from France. On accompanied by an adult). It helps the first day, 109 vessels hit the water, to be reasonably fit and with some while on the last day, the number was paddling experience. You’ll be down to 76. Not everyone paddled paddling from 10 to 20 miles a day on every day, and some people just this year’s route. signed up for one or two days. For details about cost or to register, The final day’s crossing of the visit www.riverrumble.org or write Mighty Mississippi was a super finale: Great River Rumble, P.O. Box 3408, three-to four-foot swells and high Dubuque, Iowa 52004-3408. Or call winds rocked our canoes and kayaks Rex Klein at 708-747-1969; Klein is as we paddled across, but not one boat president of the organization. capsized. All aches and pains were A Big Muddy Adventure forgotten by that night’s banquet, as Originally scheduled for the summer we passed out “awards” and began of 2011, the Great River Rumble on making plans for this year’s Rumble. the Missouri River was cancelled The Big Muddy Rumble was this that year because of flooding. The writer’s first, but it won’t be my last.

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rav.com> River Hills Traveler" <estyron@rhtof Missouri outdoor headlines and happenings From: "Emery Styron, your free weekly e-newsletter Subject: [Test] TravTalk, 9:31:15 AM CDT Date: May 10, 2013 >> <estyron@rhtrav.com> To: << Test First Name mailchimp.com> f0a-5140917784@inbound. Reply-To: <us2-5f61a59

TravTalk No. 6: New Traveler morel recipes & more!

Poll, Missouri ghost stories,

Volume 1, No. 6, May

more elk coming,

10, 2013

ter of Missouri outdoors

Your weekly e-newslet

View this email in your

browser

headlines & happenin

bowling as fishing, shooting, chess, New Traveler Poll: Bassactivities? What do you think? sanctioned high school

High that the Missouri State Last week we told you has sanctioned bass School Activities Association high bowling and chess as fishing, target shooting, next year. school activities starting

we just taking up more Vote in Traveler's poll.

connection with the Will this improve our kids' students involved? Are outdoors? Will it get more non-academic activities?

education resources with

Missouri places ghost stories aboutTerry's book Missouri Shadows:Haven, MO, policeman Dan Jo Schaper reviews New througout Missouri. detailing ghost sightings

To subscribe call 800-874-8423 or visit riverhillstraveler.com

his knowledge of the l training in forensics, Terry brings his professiona a fair amount of interviewing skills, plus rules of evidence, his haunted Missouri to a number of allegedly “ghostbusting” equipment to Jackson counties. to Hornet, and Jefferson locations, from Hannibal Do you have a Missouri

ghost story you'd like

to share? We'd like to

hear about it.

ion habitat council at Peck

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundat

Ranch

Department volunteers and Missouri On Monday, May 6 RMEF red carpet — members rolled out the of Conservation team final installment of arrival mid-May of the burlap that is — for the 35 elk from Kentucky.

River Hills Traveler A handful of yummy morel

recipes

sources as varied mushroom recipes from Jo Schaper shares morel Bourdain. Martha Stewart and Anthony as Pat Todd, Cy Littlebee, of mushrooms would bring her a batch She's wishing someone already fried up.

Serving the Ozarks since 1973

Located at 780 N. Commercial (Old Route 66) in St. Clair, MO • 40 miles southwest of St. Louis on I-44 Office hours 10-5 Thursdays & Fridays • Phone calls answered 9-6 Monday thru Saturday • Major credit cards accepted

Phone 800-874-8423 • www.riverhillstraveler.com