Ozarks Float Trippin' 2017

Page 2A • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

After several bad experiences that night we finally found a motel and the next morning headed on our journey to Akers Ferry from the other direction.

Going from the other side of the river was worryfree and it was during the day, so that always makes it better! Upon arrival we got checked in and found our cabin at Akers Ferry.

We stayed in the "Sunset Cabin" that had a screened-in porch, kitchenette, bathroom, picnic table out front, and a BBQ grill. It was on the top of a hill with a breathtaking view of all the surrounding rolling hills.

We went fishing and adventuring along the shore of Akers Ferry and found several other really cool places to fish and explore.

We also found out that the water was WAY too cold for me to sit on a kayak for 4-5 hours with the wind blowing 30 mph. So we took a rain check on the floating part of the trip but we certainly enjoyed the fishing and hiking.

It was very peaceful, hardly anyone around and just perfect for taking it easy and enjoying what nature

has to offer.

My favorite thing about staying at Akers Ferry was being able to sit outside the cabin and just look at everything. Trees, animals, and just to smell the air was like no other.

If you don’t visit Akers Ferry for the exciting activities, go to renew your mind and spirit. It's a whole different world than what I’m used to.

We are really looking forward to going back to Akers Ferry to float the river and play in the water.

I do suggest, however, to find out exactly how to get there and go during the day to avoid all risks of becoming found in the river by floaters!

(Mattie Link is managing editor of the River Hills Traveler. She can be reached at mattie@sextonmediagroup.com or 800-874-8423, ext. 1.)

Renew your mind & spirit at Akers Ferry

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ave you ever tried going somewhere you’ve never been in the dead of night? Well, that's what I tried doing, and it did not end well.

My husband and I were on our way to Akers Ferry in Salem, Mo., to spend a few days fishing and kayaking.

We were following the way our maps app on on my phone was taking us and we had lost signal several times down a particular road... when we just lost signal completely, for good.

As if traveling at 11:30 at night in an unfamiliar area without signal wasn’t bad enough, it gets worse.

We almost hit a black cow Mattie Link (which at first looked like a bear) ———— that had gotten out of its fence, Adventures there were several Amish carwith Mattie riages that were also traveling that road and it was very hard to see them, and due to the storm that had happened prior to our journey, there was a huge tree limb in the middle of the road.

Finally, once we got to the end of the road, we saw a sign that had “Akers Ferry” written on it. Joey was paying attention to the sign and slowly creeping forward in the truck when I realized we were about to go head-first into the river!

So we slammed the truck into park and had to just sit and reflect on the fact that we almost died in the river.

RiverHillsTraveler.com

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

June 2017 • Page 3A

Canoe camping notes for any Ozarks river

By Mike Nance ay I mention some things about canoe camping? Many people have asked about doing it for their first time, so I thought I might say a few things.

I've canoe camped and backpacked many times. I volunteered as a Scoutmaster for 20 years, and taught many young guys how to best do these things.

So here's my basics for the beginner: Try to camp on sand, not gravel, if it is at all possible. Bring a cooler (tie it in,) and freeze a gallon or two of water in old milk jugs or something similar.

Use this water as it melts.

Bring a tent, sleeping gear, and selfinflating air mattresses in case you end up on gravel. Bring a backpack-type stove and the cook gear you will need.

Plan your menus and only bring what you need for cooking and eating them.

Bring something waterproof to keep all this stuff in. You can buy dry bags/river bags from an outdoor supplier, or you can put them into five gallon buckets with waterproof lids. Tie them into your canoe.

Bring a small folding stool or chair for each person on your trip. Bring soap, a trowel, and toilet paper — just in case.

Bring some rope and a stuff bag or duffel you can put your food in and suspend from a tree branch well out of the reach of mice, opossoms, raccoons, and maybe even bears.

Float camping is backpacking with a cooler and no weight restrictions.

Steaks, beer — it's all possible.

You don't have to eat hot dogs or canned soup, you can have gourmet meals if you plan for them. (That's what I do. Usually bring a small bag of insta-light charcoal and a folding grill, fresh potatoes and veggies, and the right spices for what's on the menu.)

You will likely mess up somewhere on your first float. Too much stuff — or not enough. Or you might get your clothes or sleeping gear wet and hate the trip. But then you'll know how to do it better the next time.

Don't give up because of an unpleasant first experience. Do not leave trash.

Even a cigarette butt. And don't pee in the river!

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Other suggestions I’ve been given: • And when you wake up at dawn on your first morning, and see the fog on the gurgling river as the first light of the sun warms the nearby hilltops, and get your wood fire burning, you'll be drawn to that cold water.

Then with the smell of river morning and wood smoke, bacon and coffee filling your senses, you wade into that spring-fed water.

Jump in if you are brave enough, or just splash it onto your face and body.

Then feel not only instantly awake, but oh, so very alive!

You will be addicted, and promise yourself to do it as often as possible ever after.

• Bring a good lighter or three, a 10×10 tarp and a poncho. Fire is your best friend (and worst enemy if you can't get one going). A leaky tent is more of a "when" than an "if."

• Paddling in the rain is not fun at all, thank you Katrina.

• We burn our toilet paper, and if you are a on a popular river you will see it everywhere. It does not biodegrade nearly as quick as you think. Caution: watch it burn and then make sure it is out. Obviously don't do this where there is fuel for a forest fire to get started.

• As for tying things in, it can be a blessing and a curse. If you tip your canoe or kayak, your stuff doesn't go on without you but now all of that has to be untied to right the boat and get the water out.

• Your cooler should have a latch.

There is a company that makes screwon lids for five and seven gallon buckets, they are called gamma seal, well worth the money. Oh, and never trust a dry bag, put your important stuff in trash compactor bags in the dry bags in case of seam leak or tear.

Most importantly have a map of the area and let someone know when to expect you home.

• Always sleep on your inflatable mattress and bring a spare one for the

Ozarks Float Trippin’ group. You'd be amazed how often the spare is used.

• I use a one gallon water jug as a dry bag for items like my ID, car keys, glasses, etc.

• Plastic peanut butter jars, etc., with the screw-on lids are great little dry boxes and fit nicely in most coolers. In the case of a turnover, they float. I keep my keys, ID, toilet paper, candy and such in these. Snack nut mixes come in plastic jars with lids and are square, these are great to reuse.

• Wet wipes. And a couple one gal ziplock bags. Many purposes.

• Common sense goes a long way on the rivers. Take a good rope and you will find multiple uses for it — a clothesline, tie the canoe up, tie the tent to a tree if windy.

• If you have not float camped before, check you gear first to make sure you know how to use it (camp stove for example). Make your first trip is a relatively short one, also, so you can learn what works for you.

Another idea is to talk to local outfitters for the most up to date river conditions. The gauges are great, but they do not tell the whole story. Always ask questions if in doubt and never be afraid to walk if an area looks iffy.

I love the southern Appalachians, Rocky Mountains, Lake Superior and the desert southwest, but I live here.

It's not just because it's close enough to get to in a day, it's because floating and camping these rivers is just about the most relaxing and enjoyable outdoor experience I have found anywhere.

Try it out yourself.

(Mike Nance lives in Collinsville, Ill.)

is an annual publication by

River Hills Traveler 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850

Phone & Fax: 800-874-8423 www.riverhillstraveler.com www.ozarksfloattrippin.com Email: jimmy@riverhillstraveler. com Owner & Publisher Jimmy Sexton Managing Editor Madeleine Link Circulation Manager Amanda Harvel Staff Writers Heath Wood, Wes Franklin, Mike Roux, Bill Oder, Joe Davis, Bob Brennecke, Michelle Turner, Dana Sturgeon, Bob Frakes, Bill Wakefield, Bill Cooper River Hills Traveler, established in 1973, is published monthly by Sexton Media Group at 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850 Subscription prices: $22 per year; 2 years, $40 (Subscription rates vary outside U.S.A. Please call.) Back issues available up to one year from publication, $5 plus tax and shipping & handling. * Mile-by-mile river descriptions provided courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Page 4A • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Camping is a great way to enjoy Lake of the Ozarks

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here are many ways to enjoy the "Best Recreational Lake" in the nation, but one of the most memorable is sleeping under the stars and enjoying the splendor of an Ozark moon while sitting around the warm glow of a campfire.

Camping and RVing are fantastic ways to experience the natural beauty of Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.

Over 20 campgrounds and RV parks dot the lake area and offer all the amenities campers and RVers appreciate, especially lake views and cool, shady comfort from the area's forests.

Whether a visitor's ideal camping trip consists of pitching a tent and unrolling a sleeping bag, pulling a pop-up camper or fully-equipped fifth wheel, or even "glamping" in a comfortable cabin complete with air conditioning and pre-made beds, there are options at the Lake to suit everyone's style.

And, regardless of where visitors set up camp, they will be close to a wide variety of family-friendly attractions and activities.

Here are just a few of the campgrounds that can be enjoyed around the lake area, all offering a unique experience: • Bear Bottom Resort, RV Park and Campgrounds, located in Sunrise Beach, recently expanded its lodging options to include 24 spacious RV sites to complement its primitive camping options.

There are mature shade trees, campfire pits and a picnic table at every site and visitors with an RV can choose from full hook-up sites to electric-only sites.

The entire park is within easy walking distance of the cool waters of the lake and available boat slips. All Bear Bottom guests can enjoy the resort pool and boat ramp, as well as the endless hiking possibilities of the walking trails spread across 58 acres of woodlands.

Bear Bottom also features comfortable cottages and a full-service restaurant and bar overlooking the lake. And, during the warmer months, guests can enjoy live music on the weekends, boat rentals and two of the largest open-flume body water slides in the state.

For more information, visit www.BearBottomResort.com.

• Cross Creek Campground and RV Park, located between Eldon and Lake Ozark, has twice been recognized as the mid-size park of the year by the Missouri Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

It's also one of the most unique campgrounds in Missouri featuring several

The Sycamore Tree House is one of five tree house cabins available at Cross Creek RV Park.

tree house cabins for rent, a secluded island for primitive camping, private eight-acre fishing lake, nine-hole miniature golf course, a swimming pool, camp store and playground for the kids.

In addition, other on-site activities include nature trails, hay rides, karaoke, sand volleyball and a Sunday morning worship service. For RVers, there are lakefront sites available and all sites offer full hook-ups and most feature 30and 50-amp options.

Cross Creek is situated on 70 pristine acres surrounded by hundreds of wooded acres, so it's a quiet and secluded escape offering a true back-to-nature camping experience.

For more information, visit www.CrossCreekRVPark.com.

• Majestic Oaks RV Park and Campground is set on 47 wooded acres just outside Lake Ozark. This park boasts some of the largest RV sites at the lake, with large deluxe "Buddy Sites" that are popular with those traveling together in two RVs. For those who do not have an RV but have always wanted to stay in one, Majestic Oaks has a large, luxurious Jay Flight camper that guests can rent. The Jay Flight is a popular option, so guests are encouraged to call ahead to check on availability.

Aside from the RV spots, there also are cozy cabins and multiple primitive sites situated in a secluded hardwood forest complete with picnic tables and fire rings.

The on-site amenities include a swimming pool, camp store, bath houses, playground, game room, volleyball and basketball courts, hiking trails and a pavilion perfect for groups and reunions.

Majestic Oaks also hosts special events throughout the year. For rates, services and more information, visit www.MajesticOaksCampground.com.

• Osage Beach RV Park, located in the heart of the lake area, has been named one of the top Good Sam RV

Tent camping is a popular way to experience the lake's natural beauty.

Campers at Ozark Trails have their choice between RV sites, tent camping sites, log cabins or apartments.

parks in the United States by Trailer Life magazine. This clean and quiet park offers a variety of RV camping sites: long pull-through sites with 50-amp service as well as shaded back-in sites with 50or 30-amp service. All sites are full-service with water, electric, sewer, cable TV and free WiFi. In addition to RV sites, Osage Beach RV Park also features five cabins for rent, a swimming pool, playground, pavilion with tables and games, and horseshoe and shuffleboard courts.

Throughout the summer season, the park also offers a non-denominational church service on Sundays for their guests. For complete details, visit www.OsageBeachRVPark.net.

• Ozark Trails RV Park and Campground is conveniently located in Linn Creek. Ozark Trails boasts a selection of spacious and shaded RV sites, primitive camping sites and a group tent camping area that is ideal for reunions and other large groups. For guests that don't own an RV or don't want to set up a tent, but still want an enjoyable campground ex-

perience, there are two new log cabins and three fully-furnished one-bedroom apartments available for rent.

All guests can enjoy the use of the picnic tables, fire rings, public swimming pool, game room, playground, horseshoes and hiking trails.

For more information on Ozark Trails, visit www.OzarkTrailsRVPark.com.

• Riviera Villas and RV Resort is the lake's newest and most luxurious option for RVers. The Riviera grounds are situated just off the main channel of the lake in a quiet, no-wake cove in Sunrise Beach. The park welcomes big rigs with sites up to 55 feet long by 30 feet wide.

The spacious sites have concrete pads, fire pits, picnic tables and all have full hook-ups with water, sewer and 20-, 30, and 50-amp service.

Amenities on-site include a zero-entry saltwater swimming pool, hot tub, fireplace, free WiFi, laundry, showers, sand volleyball, fishing docks, walking trails and more. For complete details on Riviera Villas and RV Resort, visit www.RivieraVillasRVResort.com.

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

June 2017 • Page 5A

Away from the river, Reifsnider offers hiking, fishing & shooting

By Dan Zarlenga great place to discover nature awaits explorers just 15 minutes from one of Missouri’s busiest interstate highways.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Reifsnider State Forest lies just east of Warrenton in Warren County and is a great place to visit whenever you want a break from kayaking, and it gives the kids something fun to do while on the camping trip.

At 1,388 acres, it is immersive enough to completely make one forget about the bustle of I-70 only 15 minutes north. The area is more than 95 percent forested through which two miles of the North Fork of Charrette Creek follows a meandering path.

The rolling topography has a touch of ruggedness. It offers St. Louisans a natural getaway barely an hour’s drive west of the city.

The land was donated to MDC in 1956 by the late Bertha Reifsnider in memory of family members Frank, Emma Elizabeth and Edna Reifsnider. The area had been used for fireclay mining during its days of private ownership.

Two remnant clay pits form manmade ponds, which today are stocked by MDC and offer visitors fishing opportunities.

Bank fishing is a bit limited, but these ponds give the chance for owners of fishing kayaks or small boats to set out

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on the water to pursue bass, sunfish and catfish. For an easy-going day of enjoying the outdoors, Reifsnider has picnic facilities perfect for family and friends to gather for lunch or dinner.

Visitors seeking more activity can hike the 1.3-mile Lizard Rock Trail which journeys along the intermittent creek and up through the ridge alongside.

The natural-surface trail is rated at moderate difficulty, and requires some climbing and a couple easy stream crossings.

To experience a less-structured trek, hikers can choose to follow one of several area access trails or go “off-trail” hiking anywhere on the area.

During the appropriate seasons, hunters can find deer, turkey, or squirrels. As Reifsnider’s current management focuses on improving its forest health and wildlife habitat, populations of these popular game and non-game species are plentiful.

For those who prefer shooting with cameras, Reifsnider offers an excellent venue for nature photography, wildlife and bird watching.

Reifsnider State Forest also has an unstaffed shooting range. Use of the range is free and available every day from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset, except for Monday mornings before noon when it is closed for routine maintenance. MDC encourages

Float Trips C bins Cab i Condos Motels Riverfront Camping

The entire family can have a lot of fun exploring and sightseeing at Reifsnider.

hunters to use the range to sight in hunting firearms and shooting enthusiasts to hone their marksmanship skills.

Reifsnider is open from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily and features a privy. The parking lots throughout are accessed exclusively via a gravel road.

Access to the majority of the area requires a shallow stream crossing just before the Lizard Rock Trailhead. Most times the water is shallow and easy to

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traverse. However, it may not be passible immediately after heavy rains.

If unsure, motorists are encouraged to stop and check the depth before attempting to cross, and turn around if necessary.

To reach Reifsnider State Forest, take Route M east from Warrenton two-anda-half miles, and then proceed south on Schuetzenground Road another three miles.

Drive-In Style M ies Movi Swim mming Pool Sand Volleyball

Page 6A • June 2017

Get a passport & visit Missouri state parks

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OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

YO YO OU U AD UR DVENTU V URE AWA WAITS! AITS!

issouri State Parks is celebrating 100 years in 2017. The park system offers prairies, battlefields, covered bridges, ancient Indian villages, forested hills and valleys with caves and springs, streams with trout, lakes with bass and the homes of honored artists, pioneers, soldiers and statesmen.

The park system was officially established on April 9, 1917. Since then, the system has grown to include 88 state parks and historic sites throughout the state.

With more than 150,000 acres available to the public, there are a wide variety of opportunities to hike, camp, fish, discover the past and explore nature.

Experience all Missouri State Parks has to offer by grabbing a Centennial Passport and heading out on an adventure. There are two ways to participate in the Centennial Passport: PRINTED PASSPORT Buy a passport book online at www.mostateparks. com/shop/passport.html or at a state park or historic site gift shop near you. To complete the passport, participants must obtain a stamp from all 88 state parks and historic sites by Oct. 31, 2017. The first 1,000 participants to complete the passport will receive a Missouri State Park Centennial backpack sponsored by Bass Pro Shops. All participants to complete the passport will be entered into a drawing for one of five Missouri State Parks vacation packages.

Completed passports must be presented to staff at any state park/historic site for verification by close of business on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017.

DIGITAL PASSPORT The digital passport is available free of charge by registering online. To complete the passport, participants must obtain and enter a code from all 88 state parks and historic sites by Oct. 31, 2017.

Digital passport participants will be entered into monthly drawings for Missouri State Park gift cards and merchandise. All participants to complete the passport will be entered into a drawing for a Missouri State Parks vacation package.

The digital passport allows you to register multiple users under the same account. Make sure to log each person’s visits separately to make sure every member gets their stamps and are eligible for prizes. Once you have a stamp from all 88 state parks and historic sites, your passport is complete. You will need to send an email to moparks@dnr.mo.gov stating that you have collected all of your stamps. You will then receive a verification e-mail.

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OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

June 2017 • Page 7A

15 tricks to make your tent the comfiest place on earth

By Donella Crigger amping is a blast – friends, family, yummy campfire food and fun camping games. The one thing I don’t love? Sleeping in a tent.

When bedtime comes, I can barely sleep because I’m so uncomfortable.

So, I’ve been looking for ways to make our camping trips a little more comfy, and I’ve definitely found some great ideas with these tent hacks.

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1. Can’t get used to the hard earth under your tent? Soften the floor with foam floor tiles. You won’t believe the difference it makes! This also works well for keeping mud and dirt out of your floor.

2. Fill your tent with a soft light all through the night by filling a jug with water and wrapping your head lamp around it. This’ll make the tent a not-soscary place for kids who are afraid of the dark.

3. Here’s another alternative for kids who are afraid of the dark: solar-powered twinkle lights! Just don’t hang them directly over kids’ beds, as you don’t want them to knock them down and get tangled up in their sleep. I’d put them on the opposite side of the tent room, actu-

Soften the floor with foam floor tiles.

A hanging sorter for various items.

ally.

4. Keep tent zippers from sticking by rubbing them with a wax candle.

5. Keep everyone’s outfits organized with this hanging sorter. What a genius

idea! You should also get a smaller one to hang up your outdoor kitchen items.

6. Are you always tripping over your tent lines because you don’t see them until you’re right there? Mark them off with pool noodles.

7. Have cold feet at night? Fill a water bottle with hot water and put it down in your sleeping bag to keep your tootsies toasty warm.

8. Keep your tent from becoming unbearably hot by using a reflective blanket to deflect sunlight.

9. Use this gear line organizer so that you never have to dig through piles of sleeping bags and pillows to find your phone again.

10. An air mattress on a fold-up frame

is loads comfier than trying to sleep on an air mattress on the ground. And bring comforters and blankets instead of sleeping bags… at least for the adults. If you’ve ever felt like you were baking in a double sleeping bag, you know what I mean.

11. If you’re going to be hiking and camping, an air mattress is totally out of the question, but those sleeping pads can be expensive!

12. Who wants dirt tracked inside the tent? Eww! Keep a shoe basket near the entrance to collect those dirty shoes and keep your tent floor spic and span.

13. You know how everything is just so dark when you go camping? Put some cheap solar lights outside the tent and on the way to the bathroom area to help you find your way around instead of fumbling in the dark.

14. Dealing with trash bags is frustrating, but a pop-up trash can using a hamper is a brilliant idea. (You may want to use rope to tie it to something to keep it from blowing away.) But even better, you should use this same trick inside the tent to hold dirty clothes during your stay.

15. Keep your tent flaps open with binder clips.

Here’s a list of easy foods to take on your next float trip

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loat trips are a favorite vacation destination for many that live in or near the beautiful state of Missouri.

While paddling down the clear cool rivers, many float-trippers build up an appetite and need to take a break to eat in order to refuel their bodies.

Those that are new to float trips are not sure exactly what kind of foods are float trip friendly. Here are some great suggestions and tips to keep paddlers from abandoning ship when the hunger pains start to hit.

Fruits and vegetables are great foods to take on the river. Apples, peaches, grapes, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes and bananas, for instance, are great choices because they do not need to be kept cold on hot summer days.

If the fruit or veggies happen to get wet there is no need to worry about having a soggy snack, since fruit and vegetables come in their own waterproof wrappers.

Fruits and veggies are also a “green” snack to take on the river. Vegetables and fruits are 100 percent biodegradable and if it ends up going overboard by ac-

cident, it will not hurt the surrounding wildlife or environment.

Not to mention that vegetables and fruits are a healthy alternative to candy or other types of junk food.

Eggs are a great float trip food, the hard-boiled variety that is. Eggs are a great source of protein in a compact size. Trying to take lunchmeat sandwiches on the river can be risky when it comes to a protein source, because of the chances they can get wet and become a soggy mess.

With hard-boiled eggs, one does not have to worry about water destroying the taste or texture of the egg. Hard-boiled eggs can be left in the shell or one can peel them before hand.

For those that would rather take prepackaged foods with them, there is a vast variety available at the local grocery store. Taking a stroll down the snack food isle can be a good way to determine what other types of foods would make good choices to take in a canoe or raft.

Snacks that are individual wrapped are a better choice then those that come in bulk, because of the chance of them getting wet. Granola bars, cereal treats, fruit

snacks, and individual packages of chips and nuts are popular choices especially when children will be going on the float trip, also.

Taking a float trip is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. When it comes to the food to

take on the river, it should be easy with no fuss involved.

After all, one is there to relax and should not have to worry about preparing an elaborate meal when those hunger pains strike on the river. (source: floatmissouri.com)

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

Page 8A • June 2017

A guide to the turquoise jewels of the Missouri Ozarks T

By Tom Uhlenbrock he new Echo Bluff State Park, billed as the gateway to the Missouri Ozarks, is the perfect base camp for a two-day treasure hunt in search of the turquoise springs hidden in the forested hills.

Located halfway between Salem and Eminence on Highway 19, the park’s entrance is the starting point for an easy drive to six of these sparkling gems.

The route over the rolling roadways is part of the adventure, especially in fall, when the Ozark forests glow in autumn colors. Winter also is special as the leafless trees allow a better look at the rugged landscape.

Here are six springs, starting with the closest to the park. Mileage and directions are one way from the park’s main entrance to each spring. All are worth the trip.

Day one: Round, Alley & Blue springs • Round Spring (2.4 miles) — Heading south on Highway 19, the entrance to the spring is on the left after crossing the Spring Valley bridge.

The sign reads “Round Spring Campground.” (Not the group campground.)

A short walk on a paved trail leads to a wood deck overlooking the spring that is

Blue Spring

“round as a silver dollar.”

The spring emerges from a sinkhole, then disappears under a natural tunnel, part of the cave system that hasn’t collapsed.

Round Spring pumps out a daily average of 26 million gallons of clear, cold water into the Current River. The National Park Service offers camping areas and a river access.

Round Spring Cave is open in the summer and offers lantern tours.

• Alley Spring (21 miles) — If you can visit only one spring, make this your destination. It’s gorgeous.

Heading south on Highway 19, turn right (west) on Highway 106 at Eminence. After crossing the Jacks Fork Please see SPRINGS, 9A

RiverHillsTraveler.com

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SPRINGS from 8A River, turn right at the Alley Spring and Mill sign.

The spring empties an average of 81 million gallons a day into the upper Jacks Fork. A short trail leads around the spring, along bluff walls decorated with hanging gardens of wildflowers and ferns.

The barn-red mill was built in 1894 and is now a museum operated by the park service. The three-story mill is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A one-room schoolhouse, furnished as if waiting for the students to return, is nearby. The visitor center, in a vintage general store, has interesting merchandise.

• Blue Spring (30 miles) — Head south on Highway 19 to Highway 106 at Eminence, then go left (east) for 15.3 miles to the sign pointing to the spring. A decent gravel road heads through a forest of mature oaks and pines to a parking area with a picnic table and restroom.

A half-mile walk on a trail along the Current River and the spring branch heads back to the bluest spring in all of Missouri. The Native American word for the beautiful color translated to “spring of the summer sky.”

A wood deck allows you to peer into the spring, which is the state’s deepest at 310 feet, with an average daily flow of 87 million gallons. The spring is said to be deep enough to hold the State of Liberty, with her torch still five feet under water.

You may be able to visit Round, Alley and Blue springs in one day and have enough time left for a stop at Rocky Falls, which is off Route H, seven miles west of the entrance to Blue Spring on Highway 106.

The 40-foot-tall falls is fun to climb, and it has a picnic area and great swimming hole.

Day two: Falling, Greer & Big springs • Falling Spring (37 miles) — Take Highway 19 south to Highway 60 at Winona, go right (west) on 60 a short distance to get back on 19 south. About 10 miles down the two-lane blacktop, a sign on the left marks the gravel road that leads 2.3 miles back to the spring.

The spring is part of a small park maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Next to the parking lot is a shaded picnic area and a log cabin that was built in 1851 but is surprisingly intact.

A footbridge crosses a pond covered with water lilies back to a small mill with a water wheel outside and gears inside. Falling Spring emerges out of a bluff and falls 13 feet into the pool next to the mill.

It is a peaceful setting, with the only sound coming from the splash of the waterfall.

• Greer Spring (45.7 miles) — Head south on Highway 106 through Winona, dogleg on 60 and get back

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

June 2017 • Page 9A

use. A short walk from the parking area leads to picnic tables that sit by the spring flow.

The water emerges from openings at the base of a bluff that has several small cave entrances. A trail runs for a short distance above the spring.

With an average flow of 286 million gallons, Big Spring is the largest single outlet spring in America and could fill a typical pro football stadium in a day. The water travels underground from as far as 50 miles away.

The aquamarine color of Missouri’s springs is caused by dissolved minerals in the water. Big Spring is said to carry a load of 173 tons of rock each day on its way to the Current River.

These six springs are the easiest to reach by driving.

Falling Spring has a mill and log cabin in a peaceful Welch and Pulltite springs also are near Echo Bluff park setting.

State Park but visiting them is more fun on a float trip down the upper Current River. on 19 south. After crossing the bridge at the Eleven That’s another adventure.

Point River, the sign for the trailhead is less than a mile away.

The roller-coaster ride from Winona to the Eleven Point River is one of the best drives in Missouri, rolling up the hills and down into the valleys through national forest. The mile-long walk from the trailhead to the spring goes through mature woods.

Greer Spring is the most spectacular of the spring settings. The woodland wildflowers in April and May make this Missouri’s version of the Garden of Eden.

From a small overlook, you descend a metal stairway to the spring. To the left, a cave opening gushes water that tumbles over moss-covered boulders. Follow the flow about 50 yards and you come to the main spring boil, which explodes with an average of 220 million gallons a day to double the Eleven Point River 1.25 miles downstream.

The spring is the largest on U.S. national forest lands, and has a flow that could provide every American with a gallon of pure, crystalline water each day.

Sit for a spell and ponder the fact that this geologic marvel — a result of the Swiss cheese karst topography of springs, caves and sinkholes in the Ozarks — flows every hour of every day in a world where clean water is a cherished resource.

• Big Spring (about 50 miles) — Head south on Highway 19 to Winona, then left (east) on Highway 60 The Last Resort to Van Buren. A sign on the right points to the spring 59962 Hwy. 21 • Ellington, MO 63638 four miles away.

(573) 663-3623 • email: jmaxcy@mcmo.net We’ve saved the biggest for last.

Like Round and Alley springs, Big Spring was a forVacation rental features central access to all recreation areas including Big Spring, Current River, Blue Spring, mer state park that became part of the Ozark National Clearwater, Owls Bend, Wappapello, and Jacks Fork Scenic Riverways when that national park was created River. Fully furnished 3-bedroom house four miles in 1964 to preserve 134 miles of the Current and Jacks south of Ellington, Mo. Fork rivers.

Fully-equipped kitchen, linens, and towels supplied.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built Explore the Ozarks by day and relax in the comfort of a rustic lodge and cabins at the site and they are still in a cozy home by night!

Page 10A • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Brush up on river safety before floating or paddling

B

efore venturing onto the rivers and streams this summer, please take a moment to brush up on your river safety knowledge and skills.

The recent historic flooding caused rivers and streams in Missouri to rise to record levels, damaging and destroying roads, bridges, trails and structures.

Most of the 1.5-million-acre Mark Twain National Forest lies in southern and south-central Missouri where the greatest amounts of rain were recorded.

The amount and intensity of the rainfall event resulted in extensive damage to many National Forest recreation sites, facilities, roads, dams and trails, especially areas located near rivers and streams.

Although recovery work is leading to many recreation sites re-opening, the rivers may still have new hazards like strainers and under-water debris that weren’t there just a few weeks ago.

The flood left new logjams and other obstacles in the waterways. The Forest Service and cooperators are working to clear out some of these obstructions, but there are more out there.

Chris Woods, Mark Twain National Forest’s Potosi-Fredericktown recreation officer and current incident commander, wants to share safety advice that he has gained over many years of being on and near the water.

“We can't say enough about floater safety on our National Forest’s rivers and streams," said Woods. "Knowledge is extremely important, and we encourage you to familiarize yourself with these river safety tips before venturing out.”

Here are a few tips he offered:

• Wear your personal flotation device (PFD). If you don't wear it, it won't work — that’s the plain and simple truth.

• Be aware of current river conditions.

Rivers in the Ozarks can rise rapidly. If you're a novice — or even an experienced — paddler, please take a look at the river before deciding to get on it.

Several were severely impacted by the flooding. Many have new gravel bars, logjams and other obstacles that present potential safety hazards to floaters.

• Be weather aware. Rivers are moving, living entities influenced greatly by weather. It is a good idea to check the weather before launching, especially if you are overnighting on a river.

• High water guidelines. Launching in high water or flood stage is a personal decision of risk that you must carefully make, especially if you have other people in your party.

Whatever the conditions, be sure your paddling and swift-water rescue skills are up to the challenge and that you are properly geared.

• Floating with children. Remember, the law requires children under the age of 12 to wear a PFD when floating. Floating a river with kids is en-

tirely a personal decision.

No one can recommend to you whether you should or shouldn't take them along on a float, as only you know your paddling skill level and your ability to handle whatever river conditions you are presented with, including dealing with obstacles.

Children can also be unpredictable in their movements or behaviors, so you also have to factor this into the equation.

• Cell phones on rivers. This is still rugged, remote country where cell service is very limited, especially down in river corridors. Also, there are no pay phones.

• Overnight canoeing trips. Even if the

weather is predicted to be sunny and fair, it's just a wise rule of thumb to set your campsite up on high ground with an escape route at your back.

You never know when weather occurring upstream will affect the water downstream. Also, don't leave your boat and gear down by the river. Park them above your tent so that if the river comes up, your transportation doesn't float away.

Here's a handy "river-is-coming-up" tip: if you see a clear river beginning to cloud or debris such as leaves and limbs coming through, most likely the river is coming up and you should seek high ground immediately.

AROUND the WORLD with the River Hills Traveler

If you’re going on vacation in Missouri or anywhere in the world, we’d love to see photos from your journey and publish them in an upcoming issue of the River Hills Traveler.

You can send photos to us at jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com or post them on our Facebook page or TEXT them to us at (417) 451-3798.

And don’t forget to take a copy of the Traveler with you and pose in front of a landmark or somewhere of interest on your trip holding the magazine.

Questions? Give us a shout at (800) 874-8423, ext. 1

We look forward to hearing from you!

RiverHillsTraveler.com

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

Buy firewood where you plan to burn it Moving firewood can transfer invasive, tree-killing pests

F

or many Missourians, summer means float trips, camping, and spending lots of time outdoors.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people not to move firewood.

Don’t give tree-killing insects and diseases rides to favorite camping locations. Instead, buy firewood at or near the camping destination.

Invasive, tree-killing pests can hitchhike in firewood, moving much farther with campers in a single weekend than they could in years on their own.

“Once in a new location, these pests can start new infestations that destroy forests, decrease property values, and costs lots of money to manage,” said MDC Forest Entomologist Rob Lawrence. “The closest convenient source of firewood to your campsite or bonfire is also the safest source of firewood from a pest perspective.”

Pests that pose the biggest threats to Missouri include: emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, and thousand cankers disease of black walnut. Spring and summer are the most popular seasons for transporting these tree-killing pests.

“Most pests are actively emerging from wood during the warm months, and moving firewood — even for just a few

short days — can easily spread these invasive pests to new locations,” Lawrence said.

Insects and diseases can be very hard to detect in firewood since they are often concealed under bark. Even seasoned wood that has no obvious signs of bugs, holes, or sawdust can harbor insect eggs or fungal spores capable of starting a new infestation.

Missouri is currently under a statewide quarantine that restricts the movement of hardwood firewood out of the state as well as the importation of hardwood firewood from some states.

At this time, firewood is legal to move within the state, but officials strongly recommend not moving firewood more than 50 miles from where it was harvested to reduce the risk of spreading invasive pests.

Moving firewood less than 10 miles from its origin is best.

June 2017 • Page 11A

Page 12A • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

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OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

June 2017 • Page 1B

Page 2B • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Mile-by-mile descriptions of Missouri’s best rivers & creeks BEAVER CREEK This creek, long a favorite with fly fishermen, is nearly the size of the Niangua River, but has a less constant water supply. In recent years, Beaver Creek, which flows through the Mark Twain National Forest, has become popular with paddlers, due to its general attractiveness and its good gradient. Summer floats, unless you want to wade and fish, should start in the Bradleyville area or below.

• Difficulty: I and II. • Gradients: General- 8.4; Hwy. 76 to Rome - 9.3; to Brownbranch - 8.1; to Bradleyville - 7.6; to Long Creek Bridge - 9.3.

• County: Douglas, Taney.

Beaver Creek Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Hwy. 76 Bridge. Access.

• 1.0 Jackson Mill Spring and hollow on right. Old mill is gone, but mill race remains.

• 3.4 Low water bridge 3 miles southeast of Roy. Turn east off Hwy. 76 on Hwy. AJ. Construction features of this slab may damage a canoe or kayak. Inspect before running. It may be better to walk over.

• 4.2 Spring Creek enters on left.

• 7.7 Bridge and old mill dam, but no mill, at Rome. Portage right. No access.

Private.

• 10.2 Low-water bridge access. Hwy. 76 is 1.7 miles northwest. Next section has some excellent fishing pools.

• 14.7 Hwy. 76 Bridge at Brownbranch.

• 14.8 Caney Creek on left.

• 19.8 Ford. Private access.

• 21.9 Little Beaver Creek on right.

Possible high-water float. Lower 5 or 6 miles have gradient of 13.14.

• 22.6 Hwy. 76-125 Bridge at Bradleyville. Store and gas in village.

Access.

• 25.7 Country road along creek on right. Access.

• 27.1 Bridge on coutnry road 6 miles east of Taneyville. Access.

• 28.0 Road close on right.

• 31.7 Brushy Creek on left.

• 38.4 Long Creek on left. Low-water bridge and access on country road. Hwy. 160 is 2 miles southwest. Below this point, Beaver Creek is backed up by Bull Shoals Lake.

• 41.4 Hwy. 160 Bridge. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Kissee Mills Access. Public campground below bridge on right.

BIG RIVER The Big River, like its sister tributary of the Meramec, the Bourbeuse, is slow.

It differs mainly in that it flows through a more heavily populated area, yet there are many pleasant places along it.

Upper sections near the “lead belt” are subject to many of the effects of urban population and are not recommended even when there is enough water to float there.

Sections both above and below Washington State Park are more attractive, and the park makes an excellent base of operations for base camped floats.

Old mills and mill sites add interest.

The area is so close to St. Louis that it can be reached in little more than an hour’s driving from that city.

• Difficulty: I • Gradients: General - 2.4; Hwy. E to Hwy. 21 - 3.6; to Pine Ford Bridge - 2.2; to Byrnesville - 1.9; to Meramec River 1.5.

• Counties: St. Francois, Washington, Jefferson.

Big River - Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Put-in at mouth of Turkey Creek on county road running north from Bonne Terre, parallel to Missouri Illinois R.R. tracks.

• 1.8 Hwy. E Bridge. Access difficult due to steep slope.

• 6.9 Three Hill Creek on left.

• 9.1 Coles Landing. Ford, reached from north side. Local swimming hole with good gravel bar. Access and campsite. Private.

• 10.6 Spring on right about 20 feet from river and 2 feet above river level.

• 12.0 MDC Jeremiah Blackwell Access on right. No camping.

• 12.2 Mill Creek on left.

• 12.8 Blackwell Bridge. No public access.

• 15.6 Missouri Pacific R.R. Bridge.

• 15.7 Vineland Road Bridge. No public access.

• 16.9 State Hwy. 21 Bridge. No access.

• 20.0 Campground at Washington State Park on left with good access at one place. Park is noted for its Indian petroglyphs, located about 0.5 mile up road to left of dining room facility near campground.

• 20.7 Bridge on Big River Heights Road northeast of state park boundary.

Private access.

• 21.8 Mineral Fork enters on left. This creek is considered, by reptile collectors, to be a good locality for cottonmouth continued on page 3B

RiverHillsTraveler.com

BIG RIVER continued from page 2B water moccasins. It is often floatable and has a general gradient of about 9.

• 23.3 Mammoth Bridge. MDC access on southwest side. No camping.

• 28.5 Old Hwy. H Bridge. No access.

• 28.7 MDC Merrill Horse Access. No camping. New Hwy. H Bridge. Fletcher 2 miles west.

• 30.7 Calico Creek on left.

• 34.0 Brown’s Ford Bridge. MDC access on left below bridge (under development).

• 38.6 Engleford Road. No public access.

• 43.4 Private access, camping.

• 45.0 Pine Ford (Hwy. Y) Bridge. No access.

• 50.7 Dry Creek on right.

• 52.3 MDC Morse Mill Access on right bank. No camping. Ball Memorial Park on left bank upstream of bridge.

• 52.4 Morse Mill Dam. Portage right.

Break in dam at left near foundation of old mill is dangerous but a concrete sluice just right of this may be used to slide canoes down when the water is low enough to stand on the dam.

• 52.5 Hwy. B Bridge.

• 54.0 Cabins on left.

• 55.0 Klondike Road Bridge.

• 55.7 Jones Creek on left.

• 62.4 Hwy. BB along river on right.

• 63.2 MDC Cedar Hill Access. No camping. Cedar Hill Bridge and mill dam. Portage left. This is also the best take-out in this area. Mill, on right, still operates but has not used water power since about 1960.

• 63.5 State Hwy. 30 Bridge.

• 68.9 Private Dam. Portage right.

• 69.0 Byrnesville Bridge.

• 73.0 Hwy. W Bridge. MDC House

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ Springs Access. No camping.

• 74.6 Byrnes Mill Dam. Private.

Portage right.

• 80.9 Hoene Spring (cottage development) on left.

• 82.8 Twin River Bridge. Private access on right.

• 83.2 Meramec River.

Mineral Fork (Big River tributary) • 0.0 Put-in at Hwy. F Bridge. Private land. Parking difficult.

• 3.0 Arnault Creek on right.

• 6.2 Sycamore Creek on left.

• 8.7 Site of old Hwy. 47 Bridge. Private access and camping.

• 10.2 Private slab bridge across creek.

• 13.8 Big River. Next take-out at Mammoth Bridge.

BIG SUGAR & ELK RIVER The Elk River and its scenic tributary, Big Sugar Creek, have become a favorite float with canoeists in the western part of the state.

Big Sugar provides good camping and fishing, and is an unusually clear stream.

In the Pineville and Noel areas, summer cottages are numerous, but the Elk below Noel again has a more isolated quality.

• Difficulty: Mostly II, seldom over.

• Gradients: General - 6.5; Big Sugar from Hwy. 90 to Powell - 8.9; to Cyclone - 6.5; to Pineville - 7.2; (Elk River) to Shadow Lake - 4.

• County: McDonald.

Big Sugar Creek Mile-by-Mile Description • 0.0 In high water, a put-in may be

made on Big Sugar at the Roller Bridge.

Hwy. 90 and KK. A county road parallels much of the creek from here to Powell.

• 5.5 Powell. Road is close to the creek and several bridges make this a good put-in area.

• 6.0 Bentonville Hollow (creek) and Hwy. E Bridge.

• 6.8 Low-water bridge on creek road.

Mikes Creek on right. Creek road (south bank) shortest route to Cyclone. A few poor places in the road.

• 7.8 Kings Valley (creek) on right.

• 12.3 End of Hwy. V at Little Cedar Hollow on right.

• 14.6 Cyclone low-water bridge.

Camping, swimming and good access.

Many floats start here. Best put-in for normal water. Creek road on north side from here to Pineville.

• 20.4 MDC Deep Ford Access (public).

• 20.9 Low-water bridge at “Crag O Lea.” Good access.

• 22.4 “Sugar Beach” (cottages).

• 23.9 Creek divides. Left channel flows into Little Sugar Creek and bypasses Pineville. Right channel is the old channel and shorter.

• 24.3 Little Sugar Creek joins to form Elk River. The lower part of Little Sugar has a gradient of 9 and is floatable in good normal water.

Elk River - Mile-by-Mile Description • 24.5 U.S. Hwy. 71 Bridge. Kozy Kamp. Private campground. River road on south side.

• 25.9 Road close on left.

• 27.4 Road on left bank at Riverside Inn. • 30.3 Indian Creek (on right) nearly doubles volume of river. Indian Creek is a good float stream and is described continued on page 4B

June 2017 • Page 3B

STREAM GRADIENTS & DIFFICULTY RATINGS

T

he 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.

International Scale of River Difficulty • Class I — Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves.

• Class II - Novice. Straightforward 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.

Page 4B • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

BIG SUGAR & ELK RIVER

LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

continued from page 3B separately. Water is fast and heavy just below here at high water. Use caution at bridge.

• 30.7 Kansas City Southern R.R. Bridge, closely followed by concrete low-water bridge.

• 31.2 Ginger Blue Resort on right.

• 31.7 “Shady Beach,” good private campground and take-out, on right.

• 32.0 MDC Mt. Shira Access on right.

• 35.0 Mouth of Butler Creek, at Noel, is adjacent to Hwys. 59 and 90. Take-out or continue down Shadow Lake.

• 35.4 Hwy. 59 Bridge over Shadow Lake.

• 35.8 Dam. Portage.

• 36.3 Road close on right. Fair put-in.

• 37.8 Henderson’s Campground. Private. Good put-in.

• 45.3 State Hwy. 43 Bridge. MDC Cowskin Access.

• 47.3 Oklahoma state line. Elk River becomes Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma.

This Elk River tributary is floatable in good, normal water.

• Difficulty: Mostly II, seldom over.

• Gradients: General - 9.

• County: McDonald.

INDIAN CREEK This creek is suitable mainly for spring floats but has one of the best general gradients in the Ozarks. However, the gradient is steady and there are really no unusual features in terms of falls or spectacular runs.

It is just a good, steady, fast run through relatively undisturbed countryside, in spite of its closeness to civilization.

• Difficulty: II and III, due to brush, logs and fast turns.

• Gradients: General - 8.7; Boulder City to Elkhorn Creek - 9.4; to Hwy 76 - 8.7; to Elk River - 7.8.

• Counties: Newton, McDonald.

Indian Creek Mile-by-Mile Description • 0.0 Hwy D Bridge access in spring or high water only.

• 0.5 Spring Branch on left.

• 3.5 Wolfenbarger Bridge on Spruce Drive off Raccoon Road.

• 7.4 Mill Dam at McNatt. Stream backed up for about half a mile above this. Portage over dam. Rift below dam is hard on canoes except in high water.

• 8.4 Elkorn Creek on right.

• 10.1 Old bridge 3.5 miles east of Goodman just off Hwy C. Private.

• 11.1 Bullskin Creek on right.

• 13.1 Mayfield Bridge.

• 18.8 Seller’s Ford low-water bridge.

Hwy 71 and Anderson are 0.5 miles west.

• 19.3 Indian Creek Campground at Hwy 71 Bridge.

• 19.8 Hwy 76 Bridge.

• 21.3 Town Hole Access on right, next to Post Office in Anderson. Must carry canoes/kayaks to river. Fair access.

• 21.6 Iron Canning Factory Bridge on county road south of Anderson.

• 24.5 Concrete slab at Bosky Dell Ford, not shown on maps. If there is water over the slab, approach with caution! It is slippery, and there is a 4 foot drop below it. Except in high water, portage right.

• 25.1 Lanagan City Park Access (Lanagan) on right.

• 25.5 Hwy EE Bridge.

• 27.0 Elk River. Next access at lowwater bridge 0.4 mile downstream or at Mt. Shira Access 1.3 miles beyond that, on right with gravel ramp.

Little Sugar Creek Mile-by-Mile Description • 0.0 Put in at Hwy. 90 Bridge northeast of Jane.

• 1.6 Griffin Ford low-water bridge, Hwy. 71 is 0.6 mile southwest.

• 6.9 Havenhurst Mill Dam and Hwy. K Bridge. Portage left. Falls below dam too shallow to run.

• 7.9 Elk River.

BLACK RIVER The three forks of the Black rise virtually within the shadow of the highest point in the state, Taum Sauk Mountain, and join near Lesterville to flow quickly toward the lowest section of the state.

The upper Black is exceptionally clear and has enough feeder springs to produce some good smallmouth bass fishing. Below Clearwater Lake, the river moves more slowly and is less clear but is still a good float-fishing stream.

Some of the most beautiful scenery in Missouri is to be found in the upper reaches of the Black. This includes several “shut-ins,” areas where the stream runs through jumbled rocks and potholes in gorge-like valleys. One such area open to the public is Johnson Shut-ins State Park on the East Fork.

Shut-in Creek, a tributary of the East Fork, has a section which drops 70 feet per mile, but these upper shut-ins of the Black are not boatable. Mill Creek (10.7) is the best starting point during normal or low-water levels. Good camping area at Clearwater Dam. • Difficulty: I, occasionally II. • Gradients: General - 4.8; Centerville to Lesterville - 10; to Hwy. K - 5.7; Clearwater Dam to Hendrickson - 3.9; to Poplar Bluff - 1.6.

• Counties: Reynolds, Wayne, Butler.

Black River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 State Hwy. 21 Bridge above Centerville on West Fork. A high-water run only.

• 1.5 Reeds Spring on right. Adds considerable amount of water.

• 8.4 Junction with Middle Fork. Middle Fork can be run only in spring or high-water. Gradient – 11.1.

• 9.6 Junction with East Fork. A highwater run only, and quite short. Put in at mouth of Taum Sauk Creek. Not runnable above Johnson Shut-ins. Gradient – 16.

• 10.3 Iron bridge. Better take-out or put-in at mouth of Mill Creek.

• 10.7 Mill Creek on left.

• 14.5 Coil Bluff on left.

• 16.0 Warner Bay Spring Branch on right.

• 17.8 Hyatts Creek on left.

• 19.0 Spring and cave in bluff on right side.

• 19.7 Cave Spring 0.2 mile left, against bluff.

• 25.0 Hwy. K Bridge. Last take-out above Clearwater Lake when lake is at full reservoir. Possible camp sites on both sides of the river with a small spring on the west side.

• 32.2 Hwy. CC. Access road.

• 37.6 Picnic area at Clearwater Dam. Take-out or portage left around dam.

• 46.2 McKenzie Creek on left.

• 47.5 Spring 0.1 mile west of river on right.

• 48.6 Leeper. State Hwy. 34 Bridge.

No access. No camping.

• 50.6 Hwy. 49 Bridge at town of Mill Spring. Camping.

• 56.4 Granite Bend. R.R. close on left.

• 59.4 Markham Spring Branch on right. USFS area fee camp and free access.

• 59.6 Browns Crossing. Hwy. A Bridge and take-out. Camping (fee).

• 62.4 R.R. bridge site.

• 63.1 Williamsville Bridge. Road connects with Wayne County. Hwy. A and Butler County JJ. • 66.9 Keener Springs Resort. Fee access, camping.

• 70.1 U.S. Hwy. 67 Bridge. Unimproved access.

• 79.1 MDC Hillard Access at Hwy. W. No camping. River flattens from here on.

• 81.3 R.R. bridge.

• 87.3 MDC Sportsmens Park Access on left. No camping.

• 88.3 U.S. Hwy. 60 Bridge in city of Poplar Bluff.

HUZZAH CREEK & COURTOIS CREEK These two clearwater gems, which join their waters to the Meramec River in Crawford County, are only about 100 miles from St. Louis.

Although they are too small to provide adequate floating water at all seasons, the angler will find them pleasant and profitable floating-wading streams.

In seasons of good water, the canoeist will find them quite sporty. Their valleys are relatively unspoiled and have real Ozarks atmosphere.

RiverHillsTraveler.com It would be wise to check water levels of these creeks at Hwy. 8 bridges before attempting floats upstream from the highway.

The names of the creeks are pronounced locally as Coort-a-way and Hoo-za.

Huzzah Creek Mile-By-Mile Description • Difficulty: Frequently II due to sharp turns, obstructions and narrow channels.

• Gradients: Hwy. V to town of Huzzah - 8.9; from town of Huzzah down 7.

• Counties: Crawford.

• 0.0 Dillard access. Only floatable in good water.

• 6.0 Hwy. V Bridge. Private campground and access.

• 8.3 Red Bluff on right. Access on left.

• 8.8 Low-water bridge access.

• 15.3 Shoal Creek on right.

• 16.3 Access at low-water bridge, off Hwy. Z. • 17.3 Spring branch on left.

• 17.5 Private access and campground just across low-water bridge.

• 23.0 Dry Creek on left just above Hwy. 8 Bridge. Dry Creek includes water from James Spring, which has a flow of more than a million gallons per day. Access at bridge. Private campground and access on right, before Hwy. 8 Bridge.

• 28.1 Junction with Courtois Creek.

• 28.4 Huzzah Conservation Area on right. Access on low-water bridge off Hwy. E. Private campground on left.

• 29.4 Meramec River. Access. Next access 2.5 miles downstream at Hwy. H low-water bridge near Onondaga Cave. continued on page 5B

RiverHillsTraveler.com continued from page 4B Courtois Creek Mile-By-Mile Description • Difficulty: Frequently II due to sharp turns, obstructions and narrow channels.

• Gradients: Brazil to Hwy. 8 - 9.2; from Hwy. 8 down - 7.2.

• Counties: Washington, Crawford.

• 0.0 Brazil low-water bridge on road between Hwy. Y and Palmer. Better putin below Hazel Creek.

• 2.4 Hazel Creek on right.

• 3.0 Hazel Creek Recreation Area and access in Mark Twain National Forest.

• 4.5 County Road Bridge. Private access.

• 6.7 Lost Creek on right.

• 6.9 Hwy. 8 Bridge. Access difficult at highway.

• 11.5 Low-water bridge. Private camping and parking.

• 12.9 Rocky rapids, which resembles an old mill race, provides good run against right bank. Watch for down trees!

• 15.4 Butts low-water bridge. Good access, campsite or lunch spot. Henpeck Hollow Creek on right. Private campground and access.

• 15.6 Private campground and access.

• 16.3 Low-water bridge on private road.

• 17.8 Take left channel. This is beginning of The Narrows, a narrow, fairly fast section of rhe creek. Watch for logs and down trees.

• 18.2 Cave on left. Good shelter though short.

• 18.4 End of Narrows.

• 19.4 Doss Branch on right.

• 20.4 Huzzah Conservation Area and access, on right, at end of campground.

• 21.2 Junction with Huzzah Creek.

Next take-out 0.3 mile downstream at

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ low-water bridge off Hwy. E.

CURRENT RIVER Most spring-fed of all the Ozark rivers, the Current may be floated at almost any time of the year, particularly below Welch Spring.

On hot summer weekends, the river is usually crowded. Weekdays floats are much more peaceful. Due to the increase in size of the river and the frequency of motor boats below Big Spring, most canoe and kayak trips are made on the sections above Big Spring.

• Difficulty: I, occasionally II. • Gradients: General - 4.4; Montauk to Akers - 8.7; to junction of Jacks Fork 5; to Big Spring - 3.8; to Doniphan - 3.2.

• Counties: Dent, Shannon, Carter, Ripley.

Current River I Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Baptist Camp Access on county road off Hwy. YY. • 3.3 Ashley Creek on right.

• 6.5 Parker Hollow on left, fed by Schafer Spring].2 miles upstream.

• 8.0 Cedargrove Access. Low-water bridge and campground.

• 8.9 Big Creek on right.

• 11.6 Medlock Spring on right.

• 12.4 Welch Landing Access.

• 12.7 Welch Spring, sixth largest in state, on left.

• 15.7 Akers Ferry Access on Hwy. K. Campground and store.

• 17.8 Lewis Hollow on right at ford.

• 20.9 Cave Spring on left. Water at back of cave is 120 feet deep and comes from Devil’s Well via nearby Wallace Well Cave. Devil’s Well, a sinkhole more than 200 feet deep and partly filled with water, is one mile north of Cave

Spring.

• 23.2 Rock House Cave on right. A meander of a cave, cut off by the deepening river valley, it is now more like a natural bridge than a cave and makes a good shelter.

• 25.2 Pulltite Access. Campground and store.

• 26.0 Pulltite Spring and branch on right. Just below on the same side of the river, are several other minor but interesting springs, one of which is the “Fire Hydrant Spring” gushing from a small cave in the bluff.

• 27.0 Boyds Creek on right.

• 30.2 Jerry J. Presley Conservation Education Center on left, formerly the Alton Club. No access or camping.

• 32.7 Sinkin Creek enters on left. By putting in at The Sinks, where the creek takes a short -cut through a hill via a cave, 6.5 miles of the creek can be floated in good water. Gradient is 10 teet per mile.

• 34.2 Round Spring access, campground, spring and cavern.

• 42.5 Big Creek enters on left.

• 44.7 Bee Bluff on left.

• 46.6 Jerktail Landing on right, on county road offHwy. 19. Access and campsite.

• 51.1 Ebb and Flow Spring, reached by walking 0.25 mile up creek on left.

• 51.5 Jacks Fork River enters on right.

Two Rivers Access (Ozark National Scenic Riverways).

• 52.3 Old ferry site, access and campground.

• 56.2 Blair Creek on left.

• 58.4 Hwy. 106 Bridge.

• 58.7 Powder Mill, an old ferry site, with access and campground.

• 60.0 Blue Spring, ninth largest in the state, has deepest blue color. Reached by a 0.25 mile walk up its branch on the left.

June 2017 • Page 5B • 63.8 Roberts Field access and campground. Rocky Creek enters on right.

The Falls of Rocky Creek, 3 miles southwest of this point, are a scenic attraction of the area.

Current River II • 58.7 Powder Mill, an old ferry site, with access and campground.

• 60.0 Blue Spring, ninth largest in the state, has deepest blue color. Reached by a 0.25 mile walk up its branch on the left.

• 63.8 Roberts Field access and campground. Rocky Creek enters on right.

The Falls of Rocky Creek, 3 miles southwest of this point, are a scenic attraction of the area.

• 66.1 Spring on left.

• 66.6 Carr Creek and Cardareva Mountain on left.

• 69.0 Log Yard on left. Access and campground.

• 69.8 Beal Landing on left. Access.

• 72.5 Paint Rock Bluff.

• 77.7 Waymeyer Access on right at mouth of Chilton Creek, on County Road M-151 off Hwy. M. • 81.5 Pine Valley Creek, also called Henpeck Creek, on left.

• 84.3 Watercress Spring Recreation Area. Forest Service and campground.

• 84.9 Van Buren Riverfront Park Access (Van Buren) and Hwy. 60 Bridge.

• 89.2 Big Spring. Access and campground. One of the largest springs in the world.

• 93.5 Clubhouse Landing. Access and campground, on County Road 60-221 offHwy. 60.

• 97.8 Hickory Landing. Access from Hwy. E at Hunter. Cave Spring-Jordan Spring Branch on left. Jordon Spring, 0.5 mile and Cave Spring, 1 mile up branch. continued on page 6B

Page 6B • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

CURRENT RIVER

11 POINT RIVER

continued from page 5B • 98.0 Catarac Landing on right. Access on County Road Z-217, off Hwy. Z and Hwy 103.

• 100.3 Panther Spring on right.

• 103.2 Bog Hollow. PhiHips Bay and Spring on right. Spring about 0.25 mile from river.

• 104.2 Gooseneck campground on right. Access on Farm Road 3142County Road CI0, off Hwy. C.

The Eleven Point is not blessed with gravel bars for camping as some rivers, but is fed by some of the loveliest wild springs in the state. Those of the upper river are relatively small, but Greer Spring, which is the second largest within the state, is surrounded by walking fern and other vegetation in its natural state.

The main outlet boils from its basin and plunges down the hillside to the Eleven Point River 1.25 miles away. The average flow is more than 300 cubic feet per second and the drop is 62 feet. However, a raft run down the spring several years ago resulted in a drowning. The spring is on private property and has been graciously left open to the public, but permission to float the spring will not be given.

Greer Spring nearly doubles the size of the river and makes the Eleven Point below Hwy. 19 quite floatable even in dry years. An 11-mile section of the river below Greer Spring is managed by MDC for rainbow trout. An area known as The Irish Wilderness, through which the river runs, is well named and indicates the character of this cool, fast river.

The Eleven Point is a National Scenic River. Additional maps and literature are available from the supervisor, Mark Twain National Forest.

Current River III • 104.2 Gooseneck campground on right. Access on Farm Road 3142 Country Road C10, offHwy. C. • 105.8 Forest Service campground on left. Bagamaw Bay on right. Limited access road.

• 107.7 Big Barren Creek on right.

Twin Springs 0.75 mile up creek.

• 110.5 Cedar Creek on left. Forest Service campsite in this area.

• 112.8 Buffalo Creek on right.

• 113.0 Compton Camp. Forest Service campsite, on right.

• 118.8 Deer Leap Recreation Area.

Forest Service access on left.

• 119.3 Float Camp Recreation Area.

Forest Service access on left.

• 120.3 Dun Roven unimproved access on right.

• 123.8 Hwy. 160 Bridge.

• 124.0 T.L. Wright Memorial Access (Doniphan) on right. Private campground nearby. Stores, meals, lodging in Doniphan.

• 129.8 Big Island.

• 135.0 Goose Lake, a lake-like pool of the river.

• 136.3 Missouri-Arkansas state line.

• 138.0 Current View. Private access.

• Difficulty: I and II. • Gradients: General - 5.4; Thomasville to Hwy. 19 - 6.5; to Riverton - 5.6; to Stubblefield Ferry - 4.3.

• County: Oregon.

Eleven Point River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Thomasville. Put-in at State Hwy.

99 Bridge. Section from here to State Hwy 19 not recommended in low-water.

• 0.5 Middle Fork enters and increases flow.

• 1.5 Mill Creek and Barren Fork add more water.

• 3.1 Posy Spring on left is a beautiful small spring issuing from a small cave in a woodland setting.

• 6.1 Blowing Spring on left.

• 6.5 Denny Hollow float camp on left.

Roaring Spring on right.

• 7.3 Graham Spring branch on right.

Spring 0.25 mile up branch.

• 9.3 Cane Bluff. Access and picnic area.

• 12.3 Spring Creek enters on left.

• 14.8 McCormack Hollow on left.

Lake, fishing, spring and picnic area about one mile up Hollow, administrated

by U.S. Forest Service.

• 16.0 Greer Spring Branch. See description above.

• 16.6 State Hwy. 19 Bridge. Campsites and put-in. Trail to Greer Spring 0.75 mile up hill.

• 19.5 Little Hurricane Creek on right.

• 20.0 Mary Decker Shoals. Rapids.

• 20.5 Hurricane Creek enters on left.

• 21.5 Turner’s Mill and spring. Location is also known as Surprise. Access on both sides of river. Camping on south side only.

• 22.0 Stinking Pond float camp on left.

• 26.5 Horseshoe Bend float camp on left.

• 27.0 Barn Hollow float camp on left.

Bliss Spring just downstream.

• 28.5 White Creek float camp on left.

• 31.0 Greenbriar float camp on left.

• 33.4 Boze Mill Spring on left. River valley begins to widen here. Camping.

No access.

• 33.7 River divides. Right channel usually best and provides a fast run over

RiverHillsTraveler.com a ledge.

• 35.7 Riverton and Hwy. 160 Bridge.

Access east side, picnic on west side beneath bridge only. No camping either side.

• 43.0 Thomasson Mill Spring BranchFrederick Creek on right.

• 44.0 Morgan Creek float camp and Blue Spring Branch. Spring is approximately the eighth largest in state.

• 44.3 State Hwy. 142 Bridge. Takeout. Limited camping.

• 48.0 MDC Myrtle Access at site of old Stubblefield Ferry on west side.

Limited camping.

• 49.0 Missouri-Arkansas state line.

GASCONADE RIVER The Gasconade, probably named for French settlers from the province of Gascony in southwestern France, is reputed to be one of the most crooked rivers in the world. Entirely within Missouri, the river winds nearly 300 miles from its source near Hartville to the Missouri River, which is an airline distance of about 120 miles.

In an area near Waynesville, you can float for 15 miles and be only two miles overland from your put-in. Although it has less gradient than some Ozark rivers, the Gasconade has some surprisingly fast sections, yet is still a good, safe family float stream.

Dru Pippin described the Gasconade well in The Rivers of Missouri when he said, “...steep bluffs, gorgeous cuts, hairpin turns, and lazy eddies; hardwoods, softwoods and dogwoods, hidden logs, protruding boulders that weathering has tumbled from adjacent cliffs, wildflowers and shrubs, birds and bees, fourlegged creatures quenching their thirst at my water’s edge, while listless white continued on page 7B

RiverHillsTraveler.com

GASCONADE RIVER continued from page 6B clouds float above as though convoying my trip.”

Sections above Competition are suitable only for spring or other high-water periods, unless you want to walk the riffles to fish the inviting pools.

• Difficulty: I, seldom II. • Gradients: General - 2.6; Hwy. 38 to Grimes MiIl - 6.2; Competition - 4.I; to Hwy. 32 - 3.2; to Hwy. 66 - 3.1; to Hwy. 7 - 2.7: to Hwy. 17 - 2.4; to Big Piney River - 2.6; to Indian Fold Bridge - 2.2; to Hwy. 89 - 1.8; to Hwy. 50 - 1.7; to Missouri River - 0.8.

• Counties: Wright, Laclede, Pulaski, Phelps, Maries, Osage, Gasconade.

Gasconade River Map I Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Hwy. 38 Bridge on the Woods Fork of the Gasconade. Just above this point, there is a mill pond dam on the Woods Fork.

• 0.7 Lick Fork of Gasconade on right.

Hwy. 38 Bridge 0.2 mile up this fork is also a possible put-in.

• 2.5 Camp Branch Access. Gravel ramp.

• 11.8 Low-water bridge on Hwy. E. Spring in bluff on left, just upstream from bridge.

• 12.3 Whetstone Creek on right.

• 12.9 Grimes Mill. Old milldam makes good rift in medium to high water. Some good, fast water between here and Manes.

• 14.3 Buzzard Bluff Access, off Hwy. E. Gravel ramp.

• 19.4 Hwy. H Bridge. 21.5 Wilbur Allen Access, off Hwy. 95 on Radford Drive. Gravel ramp.

• 24.7 Burney Ford.

• 27.1 Ford access on Kincheloe Drive.

• 27.7 Beaver Creek on right adds a considerable amount of water to river.

• 28.1 Spring branch on left.

• 29.9 Elk Creek on left.

• 31.4 Watch for log jams and for stumps in riffles between this point and Hwy. O Bridge.

• 32.4 Hwy. O Bridge. No access.

• 33.3 Forest Service Access off Hwy. Z. • 35.3 River divides. Left channel usually best, but check.

• 37.7 Dougan Bridge on Hwy. AD. • 42.8 Forest Service access. South of Falcon on county road.

• 45.0 Hwy. 32 Bridge. Gravens Resort on left.

• 46.7 Lodge and spring on left. Fast riffle just below.

• 48.3 Spring on right.

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ • 48.9 Spring at base of bluff on right.

Begin long pool.

• 51.6 Anna Adams Access. Slab ford low-water bridge. Between Hwys. 32 and 17. Good canoe/kayak access.

• 65.2 Unimproved ford, crossable in low water. May be used as put-in if approached from east via Hwy. AB. • 71.1 Bridge. Road connects Hwys. K and AB. Private resort on right.

• 74.6 Junction with Osage Fork on left.

• 75.4 Old Hwy. 66 and 1-44 Bridge.

Hazelgreen Access.

• 78.8 Cliff Spring on left shown.

• 80.1 Spring up right bank.

• 84.6 Hwy. 133 Bridge. Access under bridge.

• 92.5 Hwy. 7 Bridge. Mitschele Access. Gravel river access.

• 95.6 Red Bluff on left.

• 96.6 Low-water bridge access on Rochester Road off Hwy. 7 at Ozark Springs. Caution - Portage. Do not run at any level.

Gasconade River Map II Mile-By-Mile Description • 92.5 Hwy. 7 Bridge. Mitschele Access. Gravel river access.

• 95.6 Red Bluff on left.

• 96.6 low-water bridge access on Rochester Road off Hwy. 7 at Ozark Springs. Caution - Portage. Do not try to run at any flow level.

• 100.9 Hwy. T Bridge. Poor access because of steep bank.

• 103.2 The Narrows. Only 0.2 mile across, but 6.5 miles around by river.

• 106.0 Schlicht Spring branch on left is site of former grist mill.

• 106.1 Schlicht Springs Access on Resort Road off Hwy. 133.

• 110.2 East side of The Narrows.

Small spring at base of bluff.

• 112.4 Rock slide on right. Beat left.

Narrow channel at normal flow.

• 112.8 Falling Spring, behind rock dam up short branch on right, has flow of 1-5 million gallons.

• 113.2 Creasy Spring (Bubbling Spring), on the right, has a flow of 1215 million gallons per day, but is flooded when the river is high.

• 113.8 Battlers Mill Spring branch on right. The spring is on the private property and has only about half the volume of Creasy Spring, but was used to operate a grist mill.

• 116.3 Roubidoux Creek on right.

Hwy. 17 Bridge. Undeveloped gravel bar access. Roubidoux Creek has been floated in its upper reaches, but much of its water goes underground so that sections above Roubidoux Spring are neatly dry except in times of run-off. The spring has a flow of from 3-47 million gallons. The three miles of creek below it are floatable only during the spring.

• 118.5 Bridge piling in middle of channel.

• 123.1 Harrison Spring 0.3 mile up branch on left. Private.

• 125.6 River divides. Main channel is on left.

• 126.4 Bell Creek on left. Left branch of creek is a spring branch from Wheeler’s Mill.

• 126.9 Spring on left at base of bluff.

• 128.0 Clemens Creek on left.

• 129.5 Yellow Bluffs on left.

• 129.7 Private access.

• 129.9 Riddle Bridge Access on Hwy. Y. • 131.6 Jones Creek on left.

• 132.9 River divides at Portuguese Point, one of the most scenic areas on the Gasconade. Take left channel against bluffs. Bluffs along bend are approximately 250 feet high.

• 136.9 Mossy Spring 0.2 mile up branch on right. Private campground on left.

• 140.4 Hwy. 28 Bridge. Private access at cabins.

• 141.7 Big Piney River on left. Private access and camping on right bank of Big Piney.

• 143.7 Boiling Spring at edge of river is a second magnitude spring with a flow of 42 million gallons per day but is submerged when the river is high.

• 146.6 Emerald Lake outlet on left.

• 150.0 Hwy. 0 Bridge. Access on either side of river. Jerome 0.4 mile up road on left. Stores, cabins. Little Piney River enters on right, just below bridge.

• 150.2 St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. Bridge.

• 151.2 Jerome Access on left, off Hwy. O. • 153.5 Mill Creek on left.

• 154.2 Table Rock, large mushroomshaped rock in river. Old Whitehouse

June 2017 • Page 7B Ferry site. Access. End of County Road 8500.

• 155.6 Sugamee Hollow and cottages on right.

• 161.7 Thox Rock, square rock in river.

• 165.7 Private lodge on right. Spring down road.

• 166.2 End of Hwy. E. • 167.2 Bell Chute Access on Country Road 513, off Hwy. Y. • 170.3 Johnson Island. Right channel impassable.

• 170.5 Parker Spring on left.

• 172.8 Spring Creek on right.

• 173.0 Hwy. 63-28 Bridge.

• 174.5 Private access at resort on left.

Gasconade River Map III Mile-By-Mile Description • 174.5 Private access at resort on left.

• 179.5 Indian Ford. Private access.

Hwy. 42 Bridge.

• 187.6 Paydown Access on left. Paydown settlement 0.7 mile up Mill Creek on right. Paydown Spring 0.5 mile farther up the branch, once supplied power for two grist mills and the Bray Woolen Mill.

• 191.6 Fish Hollow. County road access on right.

• 194.0 Revis Rock; large rock in river.

• 195.4 Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific R.R. Bridge. Private access on County Road 636.

• 197.4 Daggetts Ford. County Road 634 off Hwy. 63 parallels river here. Private access.

• 198.3 Meyers Spring on left. 0.1 mile from river at northeast end of Cave Bluff. Private.

• 203.4 Hwy. 89 Bridge. Rollins Ferry Access on left. High land at west end of bridge was once encircled by a 9 mile continued on page 8B

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Page 8B • June 2017

GASCONADE RIVER continued from page 7B oxbow loop of the river.

• 209.0 Lovett Island Owens Creek on left.

• 210.8 Pointers Creek Access on left.

• 213.0 Miller Island and Deer Slough (behind island) on left.

• 214.0 Lower end of Deer Slough at Cedar Bluff.

• 215.7 Massie Island.

• 216.6 Third Creek and Cooper Hill Access on right off Hwy. D. Must carry boat 20 yards to river.

• 219.8 Mt. Sterling Bridge on Hwy. 50. Access under bridge. River slow below this point. Mud bank.

• 222.8 Contrary Creek on left.

Krueger Ford. Road on right to Hwys. K and 50.

• 231.1 Koelling Islands near right bank.

• 234.1 Feigler Ferry land. No access.

• 234.7 Church Bluff on left.

• 235.4 Helds Island Access on right off Hwy. K. Main channel right.

• 236.8 Lower end Helds Island.

• 237.1 Second Creek on right.

• 240.9 Turnpike Bluff on right.

• 244.8 Fredericksburg Ferry Access on right, on Old Ferry Road off Hwy. J. • 252.4 Gasconade Park Access on Oak Street in Gasconade. Last take-out before the Missouri River.

• 252.7 Missouri Pacific R.R. bridge.

• 253.1 Missouri River.

JACKS FORK This tributary of the Current River is one of the wildest and most scenic of the Missouri Ozark streams. Its deep valley is nearly a canyon, with no bottomland fields for the first 25 floatable miles.

It is therefore advisable to camp well above river level if there is any chance of sudden rain. Trips with loaded canoes above Alley Spring are recommended only in spring or after good summer rains.

The few miles immediately above Alley Spring are especially wide and shallow and may have to be walked in low water. Upper sections of the river provide fine fly fishing water.

• Difficulty: I and II. • Gradients: General - 7.3; Prongs to Hwy. 17 - 8.6; to Bunker Hill - 8; to Alley Spring - 7; to Current River - 6.3.

• Counties: Texas, Shannon.

Jacks Fork River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 MDC South Prong Access at Hwy. Y Bridge. Beautiful section, but not recommended during low-water.

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ • 6.8 State Hwy. 17 Bridge at “Buck Hollow.” Usual put-in for upper section of river. Park Service campground.

• 9.2 Salvation Army camp on left. Access, camp.

• 9.6 Blue Spring comes from cave on left nearly hidden from river by boulders. Narrow run just below spring may be difficult.

• 12.6 Jam Up Bluff and Cave. River entrance of cave is one of the most spectacular cave entrances in state. Cave may be explored in daylight back to lake which is plunge-basin for falls from upper part of cave. Upper section entered through a sinkhole in Lost Hollow which may be reached by climbing up the bluff.

• 15.9 Ebb and Flow Spring on left.

• 16.2 Rymers Access and campground on right.

• 17.1 Bunker Hill (Missouri State Teachers Association resort) on left. No access.

• 22.2 Leatherwood Creek on left.

• 25.2 Bay Creek on left. Access, camp.

• 31.0 Alley Spring, 10th largest spring in state. Old mill, camping, access.

• 32.3 Horse Hollow on left. The old Salem, Winona and Southern R.R. used to run up this hollow and continue up Sinking Branch after following the Jacks Fork from Mahan’s Creek.

• 35.3 Mahan’s Creek on right. Site of old R.R. river crossing just above mouth of creek.

• 37.3 Eminence. Stores, cafes, lodging. Take-out at Lions Ball Park on right side, one-quarter mile below Hwy. 19 Bridge.

• 41.9 Shawnee Creek on right. Access, camp.

• 42.3 Little Shawnee Creek on right.

• 44.6 Confluence with Current River.

Best take-out 0.75 mile downstream at ferry landing.

JAMES RIVER Float trips, for which the Ozarks are famous among smallmouth bass fishermen, reputedly originated at Galena on the James. John boats 18-24 feet long and 4 feet wide were used long before canoes and kayaks became popular and are amazingly maneuverable craft for their size. Some anglers still prefer the stability they provide for casting while standing and the comfort of folding arm chairs which they can carry.

Before the days of Table Rock Dam a five-day float of about 125 miles was available from Galena to Branson, but now little, if any, of the river is floatable below Galena. However one of the fine fishing floats always has been the 22mile section from “Hooten Town” to Galena and this may still be floated even

with john boats.

In high or medium water paddlers can run another 40 miles above this as well as some of the larger tributaries. Most of this water provides fine fishing.

• Difficulty: I; a few places on upper river rate up to III due to obstructions.

• Gradient: General - 4.5; Hwy. 125 to Lake Springfield - 6.3; dam at Lake Springfield to Hwy.14 - 4.3; to Galena 4.

• Counties: Greene, Christian, Scone.

James River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Hwy. 125 Bridge. McCraw Ford.

Access under bridge.2.7 Hwy. D Bridge.

No access.

• 2.9 Turner Bridge. Old Hwy. D. • 3.0 San Francisco St. Louis R.R. Bridge.

• 6.8 Joe Crighton Access on right, at Kinser Bridge on Farm Road 164. No ramp, but easy canoe/kayak access.

• 9.5 Hwy. 60 Bridge. Lake Springfield backs up water beyond this point.

• 9.7 Farm Road 181 Bridge. No access.

• 10.0 Southwood Access (Springfield City Utilities) on left downstream from Hwy. 65 Bridge. Off Hwy. 65. take Evans Road to Southwood Road. Lake Springfield. which is about 2 miles long, begins.

• 12.1 Public park and access on right.

• 12.3 Kissick Darn. Fair access.

• 12.4 Tailwaters Access (Springfield City Utilities) on right, off Hwy. 65 to Evans Road to Kissick.

• 15.8 Hwy. 160 Bridge. Fair access.

• 18.7 Owens Bridge.

• 20.3 Shallow rapids caused by rock ledge, with brush and logs at bottom.

RiverHillsTraveler.com Walk or line!

• 21.3 Blue Spring on left. Not safe.

• 23.2 Country road bridge. No access.

• 25.2 Wilson Creek on right.

• 26.3 Stone piers of old Delaware Bridge.

• 26.7 Spring branch on left.

• 27.0 Delaware Town Access on left, on County Road 14-31.

• 27.5 Hwy. 14 Bridge Access.

• 28.3 Blue Hole.

• 29.3 Rock ledge at old ford site makes good riffle.

• 31.9 Frazier Bridge on county road.

• 33.5 Shelvin Rock Access on left, on Shelvin Rock Road.

• 33.9 McCafferty Hollow Creek on left.

• 36.2 Jamesville Bridge. Hwys. M and U. No access.

• 36.3 Finley Creek, on left. 37.9 Tory Creek on left. Montague Spring, 2.5 miles up creek, reached via Hwy. O from Hwy. 65. The spring has a flow of nearly 2 million gallons per day.

• 39.4 Silver Lake Branch on right.

• 39.7 Hooten Town Access on right, on Hotten Town Road.

• 40.8 Hooten Hill, on right (high bluff).

• 42.6 Watch for down trees in river along right bank. Use caution, particularly in high water.

• 44.3 Cole Pit Hole access on County Road V-70 off Hwy. V. • 44.7 McCall Bridge.

• 45.0 Old Stillhouse Hollow, on right.

• 46.1 Access on left where extension of Hwy. V parallels rivet.

• 46.3 Goff Creek on left. No access.

Fast run just below.

• 50.4 Private access on right side, off Hwy. AA near O to church. continued on page 9B

RiverHillsTraveler.com

JAMES RIVER continued from page 8B • 52.8 Crane Creek on right.

• 53.8 Wheeler Branch and Hwy. AA on right. No access.

• 56.6 Horse Creek on left. H.L. Kerr Access on Horse Creek Road.

• 58.3 Yocum’s Camp on tight. No access.

• 61.0 Hwy. 248-13 Bridge. Access.

• 61.3 Hwy. 13 Bridge. No access.

• 61.6 Y Bridge at Galena. Supplies in town. Lake fishing regulations apply downstream from here. 61.7 Access on right. When Table Rock Lake is not at full reservoir, the river may be floated beyond this point. Inquire locally about conditions and accesses.

MERAMEC RIVER Fed by Maramec Spring and many smaller springs, the Meramec is floated most of the year. The most floated sections are those between Maramec Spring and Meramec State Park, although there is still much reasonably attractive river down to St. Clair or even Pacific.

Beyond that point, however, real estate developments, railroads, and industry may make the river unattractive to some paddlers. For those who do not mind these distractions, the river is floatable right down to the Mississippi. Floats above Maramec Spring are recommended only for high-water periods.

• Difficulty: I, seldom II. • Gradients: General (to Palisades) 3.4; Hwy. 19 to Hwy. M - 7.8; to Hwy. 8 - 5.3; to Hwy. 19 north of Steelville - 4.2; to Onondaga Cave - 3.2; to Moselle 2.6; to Palisades - 1.6 • Counties: Dent, Crawford, Phelps, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Louis.

Meramec River Mile-by-Mile Description • 0.0 Low-water bridge at Short Bend, just off Hwy 19.

• 0.8 Hwy. 19 Bridge.

• 0.9 Short Bend Access. Good access for canoes/kayaks.

• 6.3 Low-water bridge access on extension of Hwy M. • 8.7 Low-water bridge access at Cook Station.

• 10.1 Hwy M bridge.

• 13.4 Low dam. Portage.

• 13.7 Low-water bridge access at Wesco.

• 16.7 Low-water bridge access on road between Wesco and Hwy. U. • 18.7 Low-water bridge access. Hwy. U 1.3 miles north.

• 20.7 Benton Creek on left.

• 26.1 State Hwy. 8 Bridge.

• 26.2 MDC Woodson K. Woods Wildlife Area Access on right. Reached from Hwy. 8. Usually the highest practical put-in.

• 28.1 Maramec Spring branch, on left, is 0.7 mile long and is managed for trout fishing by MDC. The spring, with average daily flows of more than 90 million gallons is sixth or seventh largest in the state. The beautiful park in the area of the spring and branch is maintained by The James Foundation.

• 28.8 Dry Fork enters on the left. Although this creek has a drainage as large as the upper Meramec, much of its water is thought to drain into the Maramec Spring system. Consequently, it is seldom floatable. Its gradient for the lower 23 miles (from Hwy. F) is 5.2.

• 32.8 Richart Spring on left. Not open to the public.

• 35.1 Scotts Ford Access area on northwest side of bridge. Private camp-

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ ground nearby.

• 41.0 Indian Spring and Lodge on right.

• 41.0 Indian Spring and private lodge on right.

• 42.3 Riverview Public Access. Off Hwy. O. • 43.4 Channel divides. Right may be shallow.

• 43.9 Pine Branch on left. McIntosh Spring is one of the springs feeding this branch. It has a flow of under a million gallons but once operated a water wheel.

• 44.4 Private cottages on left.

• 46.8 Fishing Spring Road access.

• 47.0 Many private campgrounds in this area.

• 47.9 State Hwy. 19 Bridge.

• 50.0 Bird’s Nest access (Crawford County) on right. St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. and county bridges. Good rift in river here. City and private campground.

• 50.5 Whittenburg Creek on right.

• 55.3 Private campground.

• 58.3 Lick Creek on left.

• 59.1 Saranac Spring branch on left and private campground.

• 62.0 Spring branch on left.

• 65.9 Huzzah Creek enters on right.

Section just above Huzzah Creek often has log obstructions. The Huzzah and its companion creek, the Courtois, are floatable and are described separately. Huzzah Wildlife Management Area extends along right bank for next 1.5 miles.

• 66.2 Huzzah Conservation Area and access, off Hwy E. • 68.4 Onondaga State Park, Hwy. H bridge. Public access upstream from bridge on west. Onondaga Cave, about one mile up road to left, is one of the outstanding commercial caves in the state.

East side of low-water bridge private with camping.

• 70.4 Opossum Hollow Creek on left.

• 73.7 Campbell Bridge Access.

• 78.0 Private access canoe rental and campground.

• 78.6 Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area and access on Thickety Ford Road. Low-water bridge removed, but pilings still present. No ramp. Must carry canoe/kayak to river.

Meramec River II Mile-by-Mile Description • 73.7 Campbell Bridge Access.

• 78.0 Private access canoe rental and campground.

• 78.6 Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area and access on Thickety Ford Road. Low-water bridge removed, but pilings still present. No ramp. Fair canoe/kayak access.

• 82.4 Greens Creek on right.

• 83.2 Sappington Bridge Access.

• 85.3 Hamilton Creek on right.

• 85.8 Green Cave and picnic shelter on right in Meramec State Park.

• 86.2 Stater Creek on left.

• 88.0 Meramec State Park boat ramp from Hwy. 185 at state park entrance.

• 88.2 State park picnic ground along left bank, from bridge to Camper’s Spring. Stores for supplies 2.5 miles up road on left or in Sullivan 1.5 miles beyond. Meramec State Park makes an excellent base from which to float the Meramec River and its a fine place to begin or end trips.

• 88.5 Camper’s Spring on right at base of bluff.

• 89.5 Panther Cave, in bluff on right, is small but much visited. The “lower” state park campground extends along the left bank in this area.

• 90.0 Boat ramp - Meramec State Park on left. Watch for rock dike on left.

• 90.2 Fisher Cave 0.2 mile from river on left is operated as a park concession • 91.0 Silver Hollow Creek on right.

• 92.0 Private canoe park on left.

• 92.1 Private concrete boat ramp on left.

• 92.3 Private pavilion on left. Bluff on right.

• 92.4 Gravel bar on right. State forest - overnight canoe camping authorized.

• 94.3 Meramec Caverns and La Jolla Springs. Access. This cave is another one of the commercial ones in the state.

The management provides a park and picnic area for the public along the left bank, below the cave.

• 95.4 Sand Ford Access off Hwy. W. • 98.0 Twin Springs and private club on left.

• 98.7 Roaring Spring, on left.

• 101.7 Pickle Ford (Huff Ford). Poor access on left bank.

• 104.4 Plum Ford.

• 112.0 Hwy. K Bridge.

• 112.2 Indian Creek on right.

• 112.3 Private access at beach on right.

• 117.3 State Hwy. 30-47 Bridge. Private access.

Meramec River III Mile-by-Mile Description • 117.3 State Hwy. 30-47 Bridge. Private access.

• 123.8 Bruns Bridge. Private campground.

• 126.2 Little Meramec River on right.

• 127.2 River ‘Round Conservation Area and access, off TT to Mill Hill to Old Cove Road.

• 131.4 Hillcrest Park private access.

• 132.4 St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. Bridge. Access.

• 132.8 Chouteau Claim Access at junction with Bourbeuse River. County road and bridge 0.4 mile up Bourbeuse.

• 136.0 Robertsville State Park access.

• 139.4 Calvey Creek on right.

June 2017 • Page 9B • 142.7 Catawissa Conservation Area and access on right. Must paddle through lake to get to river.

• 142.8 St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. Bridge.

• 145.3 Hwy. F Bridge. Private access.

• 147.3 Pacific Palisades Conservation Area and access on right, on English Road off Hwy F. • 154.2 Allenton Access on left, off I44, at Allentown-Six Flags Road, go east on Main Street, south on Brown Road to Huntersford.

• 158.0 Big River on right.

• 161.0 Hwy. 66 bridges. Times Beach Access on left, at Lewis Road exit off I44.

• 169.0 Castlewood State Park off Kiefer Creek Road.

• 172.5 Valley Park City Access (Valley Park).

• 173.5 Green Tree Park Access (kirkwood), off Marshall Road.

• 176.0 Ackerman Access at I-44 Bridge. No ramp.

• 179.4 Hwy. 30 Bridge.

• 180.4 Winter County Park with ramps on right, off Corisande Beach Road.

• 183.6 Hwy. 21 Bridge. No access.

• 192.0 Flamm City Access on right below Hwy. 231 Bridge. Ramp. Last access above Mississippi River.

• 193.5 Mississippi River.

NIANGUA RIVER One of the best fishing streams in the state, the Niangua also has the advantage of being closely associated with Bennett Spring State Park and one of the Conservation Department’s trout hatcheries. continued on page 10B

Page 10B • June 2017

NIANGUA RIVER continued from page 9B Those who prefer floating to trout fishing in the park often make the park their headquarters while floating the upper sections of the river or the section immediately below the park.

However, the river itself provides many fine campsites for put-in-and-go type floats. In high water, a float could be made from as high as Hwy. M, but the river above Hwy. 32 is seldom floatable.

This river is usually crowded on hot, summer weekends.

• Difficulty: I and II. • Gradients: General - 4.6; Hwy. M to Hwy. 32 - 6; to Hwy. K -P Bridge - 4.2; to Bennett Spring State Park - 4.1; to Prosperine (Mountain Creek) Access 3.5; to Mill Creek - 5.2; below Tunnel Dam - about 3.

• Counties: Dallas, Laclede, Camden.

Niangua River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 State Hwy. 32 Bridge.

• 1.3 Big John Access. Low-water bridge. Good canoe/kayak access. Off Hwy. 32 and County Road 32-79 to County Road K-161.

• 3.4 Greasy Creek on left. Lower few miles sometimes floatable.

• 3.9 River divides. Left channel shatter, but inspect.

• 4.8 Watermill Bridge, offHwy. DO. • 8.4 Durington Creek on left.

• 12.2 Williams Ford Access, off MM, to County Road MM-123 to County Road K-143. Poor canoe/kayak access due to high embankment.

• 13.9 Indian Creek on left.

• 16.2 Hwy. K-P Bridge. Four Mile Creek on right.

• 20.1 Cave Creek on right.

• 22.3 Moon Valley Access, on County Road 00-126. Gravel ramp.

• 23.8 Fort Niangua private access and campground on left.

• 26.5 Cat Hollow on left.

• 29.0 Spring branch on left.

• 29.5 Bennett Spring Branch on right.

No access. Outfitters are available, adjacent to the park. The spring, 1.5 miles up the branch, is sixth largest in the state. A large trout harchery provides fishing for rainbows. Daily trout tag required.

• 29.8 Hwy. 64 Bridge. Spring branch on left. No access.

• 30.2 Bennett Spring Access on left off Hwy. 64.

• 30.5 Danceyard Creek on right.

• 35.0 For next two miles there are several private accesses and campgrounds on left.

• 36.2 Spring branch on right. River turns abruptly left along bluff.

• 36.5 Barclay Conservation Area and access, on left, off Hwy. 64 and County Road 64-152.

• 37.5 Prater Spring Branch on left.

Spring 0.4 mile up branch.

• 38.0 Low Gap. Fast rocky riffle area.

• 38.2 Ho Humm private access and campground.

• 38.3 Old bridge piers.

• 40.0 Gilbettson Ford. No access.

• 40.8 Mountain Creek on right. Prosperine Access, at mouth of creek on County Road AA-980. Gravel bar. Private campground next to access. Good swimming hole just upstream from mouth of creek. Rocky riffle below mouth of creek.

• 42.0 Indian Grave Point on right.

• 44.0 Guthrie Bluff on right.

• 44.9 Oldham’s private access.

• 47.4 Smith Ford. No access.

• 48.0 Blue Spring (also called Big Blue Spring) on right. A canoe can be

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’ paddled 200 feet up the branch to the spring. Private resort.

• 50.7 Mint Spring branch on left. 53.9 Jakes Creek on left. Lead Mine Conservation Area. Poor canoe/kayak access due to embankment.

• 54.3 Herrick Ford Access. No ford here, but old mill dam site produces a fast shoot. Gravel bar provides good access.

• 56.1 Berry Bluff Conservation Area and access on right. Mill Creek on left.

• 57.1 Berry Bluff, on right, particularly beautiful in fall colors.

• 59.1 AB Creek on left.

• 61.1 Chapel Bluff, on left, is mostly unwooded.

• 61.9 Lake Niangua backs water to this point.

• 63.3 Woolsey (Wilsey) Creek on right. Private access road at creek mouth.

• 63.8 Private access on left.

• 65.3 Private cabins on east side of lake.

• 66.0 Tunnel Dam. Public access and boat ramp on west side. However, there is often no water running in the river between the dam and power house, a distance of about 6 miles. At the dam it is only 0.2 mile across the ridge to the other end of this river meander, but it is no place to portage. End trip here unless water is flowing below the dam. The power house is located on the notth side of the ridge because the original tailrace used a cave that perforated the ridge. It is now replaced by an artificial tunnel.

If the “dry channel” section is floatable, the following distances apply: • 68.0 Ford (slab). South of Edith off Hwy. U. Good access.

• 72.2 Power house on right. Power line. Area dangerous when water is coming through turbines. Use caution.

• 73.5 Power line crossing.

• 74.7 Rodger Ford may be reached from both north and south sides. No crossing here.

• 77.0 Lake of the Ozarks may back water to this point.

• 79.5 Access near mouth of Bank Branch, reached by paddling along right shore of lake.

NORTH FORK OF THE WHITE The North Fork of the White combines a relatively constant flow of clear water from large springs with some of the best whitewater in the Missouri Ozarks.

Since its upper reaches are in Mark Twain National Forest, it retains some wilderness character and has good watershed protection.

The section from Hwy. 14 to Hwy. H is near-wilderness and includes some fine stands of short-leaf pine as well as several large springs. Old mills and a number of National Forest recreation areas enhance the attractiveness of the area for vacationers. Indeed, this river has high-quality recreation value equal to any in the Ozarks.

The river is almost always floatable from Dora down to North Fork Reservoir. Although the gradient of the lower sections is not spectacular, the volume is good and this produces some fairly sporty rifts.

The Little North Fork, in western Ozark County, was a fair float before Bull Shoals Reservoir destroyed its lower reaches. There is now little of it left that could be floated, but it is still suited to wading and fishing in the Hammond area.

• Difficulty: I and II. A few places might rate a low III in high water.

• Gradients: General - 7.5; Hwy. HH to Round Valley Ford - 10.4; to Twin Bridges - 8; Hammond Camp - 6.7; to Hwy. H - 6.4; to Tecumseh take-out 5.6.

• Counties: Douglas, Ozark, Howell useful for road connections.

North Fork River Mile-By-Mile Description • 0.0 Hwy. 76 Bridge. Access.

• 0.5 Low-water bridge on connecting road between Hwys. 76 and E. Access.

• 6.6 Low-water bridge and spring at Topaz. An old mill remains standing. Access.

• 11.1 Slab ford. Access.

• 11.4 Indian Creek enters on left.

• 12.2 Osborn Ford low-water bridge in Round Valley, on County Road AH260 off Hwy. AH and County Road 284 off Hwy. 181.

• 14.8 Hale Ford Bridge access on County Road 275 off Hwy. 181 and County Road W-278 off Hwy. • 16.1 Fiddle Springs Hollow on left.

• 18.7 Bridge on connecting road between Hwys. AA and 14. Hebron Access on left, on County Road 279 off Hwy. 14. Gravel ramp.

• 24.1 Hwy. 14 Bridge at Twin Bridges. Other bridge is over Spring Creek. Access and camping. Roadside park on left bank just above Hwy. 14 Bridge is a popular access and campground. Store between bridges.

• 25.9 Spring Creek enters on left. The lower 8 miles of the creek have a gradient of 12.5 but it is more a wading/fishing stream than a floating stream and tends to be blocked by logs and other obstacles. Big Spring, 2.5 miles upstream, is only a third magnitude spring.

• 26.0 Hicks Spring on right just below the mouth of Spring Creek.

• 28.2 Mary’s Hollow and creek on right. Spring up hillside on opposite side of river.

• 29.2 Hammond Camp Access just off Hwy. CC. Concrete bridge on West Plains Road. Forest Service North Fork Recreation Area and campground on left.

• 29.9 Blue Spring on left, at river level. The flow is seldom less than 7 million gallons per day.

• 33.3 North Fork spring issues from rock ledge on left.

• 33.5 Upper branch of Rainbow

RiverHillsTraveler.com (Double) Spring on right. Lower branch enters river 1500 feet downstream from source. No admittance. Private use only.

This is rated as the fifth largest spring in the state with mid-summer flows of up to 137 million gallons per day. There is a rocky riffle on the bend just below the mouth of the lower spring.

• 35.0 McKee Bridge. Private use only.

• 36.0 The Falls is merely a rock ledge about 2-3 feet high. Chute is best handled from the left and go toward the right, but check first.

• 39.2 Blair Bridge, concrete lowwater bridge, on extension of Hwy. KK to Hwy. H. Access. It is necessary to pull boats over this bridge. Approach with caution, since a broadside approach in medium-high water could result in being swamped and pinned against the upstream side. Just below the bridge are some old concrete bridge piers which produce a tricky channel in low water.

• 39.4 Blair Bridge Access on left, on County Road H-354 off Hwy. KK. • 39.9 Private campground on right.

• 40.9 Spring Creek on left, is fed by numerous springs, none of them large. It has a gradient of 14 on the 6 miles above its mouth but access to it is poor except at the Duncan Ford 2.3 miles upstream.

It has often been floated from this point in springtime and provides a good ride, but a float from Cureall (12 miles) could entail much walking. 42.1 Hwy. H lowwater bridge. Patrick Bridge Access at northeast side of bridge. Gravel ramp.

Althea Spring, rated as Missouri’s 23rd largest, is just downstream on the left.

• 42.3 Althea Spring Branch enters the river at a fast riffle.

• 43.6 Private campground on right.

• 45.3 Hwy. PP Bridge. This is a high bridge, but the old road goes down to the water for easy access.

• 47.0 Dam Mill Dam. Water is backed up for about a quarter mile by this low dam. The dam has been run in high water, but it is a “canoe buster” and you must know the right spot. It is easily “portaged” by sliding the canoe down a shallow chute on the right end of the dam where there is also a rough path around the dam. There is a good rapids below the dam which is easily run.

• 47.1 Dam Bridge. Going under this bridge in high water is dangerous. Approach with caution and make sure there is clearance! The Dawt Mill is one of the most picturesque of those still operating in the area. The run from here to Tecumseh access has a number of riffles depending on lake level.

• 48.8 Repeating Riffle. This is the last drop when the lake is high. A ledge produces good standing waves which whitewater enthusiasts rerun by using a strong upstream eddy on the right to carry them to the ledge again with little paddling effort.

• 49.1 Junction with Bryant Creek.

• 49.5 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tecumseh Access and campground on right. n

RiverHillsTraveler.com

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

Planning your float trip

W

hen getting ready to schedule your next float trip, be sure to use the following safety guidelines to help ensure a safe and enjoyable excursion: Pre-trip planning • Know the waters to be paddled.

River and coastal guide books and topographic maps are valuable references in trip planning. Plan alternate routes.

• Set-up a shuttle. Calculate the distance and time. Consider stops and a lunch break, along with put-in and takeout locations • Equipment — What you take with you on a trip is all that you have to survive and rescue yourself. This includes water, food, maps and charts, rescue equipment and extra clothes.

• File a float plan with someone who will notify others if you don't return on time.

• Paddle within your, and your group's, abilities and limits.

Water behavior & etiquette • Be a competent swimmer with the ability to handle oneself underwater, on moving water, and in surf or current.

• Have a properly fitted lifejacket (Personal Flotation Device - PFD), and WEAR IT!

• Keep the craft under control. Do not enter a rapid unless reasonably sure you can navigate it or swim the entire rapid in case you capsize.

• Keep a lookout for hazards and avoid them.

• Know your emotional and physical limitations.

• Group members need to constantly assess the behavior of others in their group.

• Respect the rights of anglers and land owners when paddling.

Know the conditions for flatwater • Remember to watch for water and weather changes — beware of fog.

• Keep an eye out for other boat traffic.

• Pay attention to all safety warnings.

• Be sure you are visible.

For whitewater & rivers • Stay on the inside of bends — beware of strainers! Strainers are fallen trees, bridge pilings, undercut rocks or anything else that allows the current to flow through it while holding you.

Strainers are deadly.

• Walk around low-head dams.

• Watch for and avoid hydraulics (water recirculating back on itself).

• If in doubt, get out and scout!

How to repair your kayak on the river

H

ere are some temporary solutions to common problems if your kayak or canoe breaks down while you’re floating: • Problem: Large dent in boat.

• Solution: Hot water and a rock or stick to knock the dent out.

This can be caused if your kayak or canoe, we will call it “boat” from here on our, hits a large rock or tree. First, stand the boat up vertically. Pour boiling water into the bow and let it soften for a few minutes before dumping the water and pushing the dent out with your foot.

You can also use a smooth rock inside the boat to help with the pushing, or a large stick if you can’t reach inside the boat.

• Problem: Crack in your boat.

• Solution: Bituthene or duct tape.

The first thing to do is take a knife, and using the tip, make a round hole on each end of the crack. This will help prevent the crack from spreading. Then, place a strip of bituthene (a rubberized adhesive material used in roofing) both on the inside and outside of the crack.

Having a few sheets of bituthene in your repair kit is a good idea, but duck tape can work if it’s all you’ve got. Before getting back on the water, heat the duct tape in direct sunlight or wave a lighter over your patch. You can also use zip ties for really big cracks. Put a few holes on each side of the break and zip tie it closed. These cracks are pretty rare but do happen. That and gorilla tape is often all you need for a quick fix. The double-wide stuff is fantastic as long as you can get the boat dry and warm.

• Problem: Broken backband.

• Solution: Extra cord or duct tape.

For Jackson boats, just tie a knot in the backband rope and move the rope to where the knot won’t interfere with the cleats or the backband itself. For nonJackson boats, a cam strap will come in handy. Just tie it off to the seat and replace the broken section. Zip ties can also be used to repair a backband.

Also, carry a small repair kit with dental floss and a needle in the dental floss box to repair sprayskirts, dry tops, etc., as well as a spare drain plug just in case someone loses one.

June 2017 • Page 11B

Page 12B • June 2017

OZARKS FLOAT TRIPPIN’

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