Paddling the Ozarks: A Guide to the Area's Greatest Paddling Adventures

by Mike Bezemek

Overview

With gushing springs, clear-water streams, lush hardwood forests, and limestone bluffs rising hundreds of feet, the Ozarks offer enough paddling to fill a lifetime, including seven streams in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system and three rivers protected by national parks. Paddling the Ozarks details 40 of the region's best paddling trips—classic floats, hidden gems, scenic lakes, and challenging whitewater. Waterways ranging from southern Missouri to northern Arkansas to Oklahoma’s Cookson Hills with year-round classics like the Current River, Jacks Fork, NF White, and Eleven Point make this the essential guide to paddling the Ozarks. Paddling the Ozarks reveals that what some call flyover country is better described as paddle-through.

Look inside to find:

• GPS coordinates for every put-in/takeout
• Detailed river descriptions
• Maps showing access points and river miles
• Level of difficulty, optimal flows, rapids, and other hazards

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493025428
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2017
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,073,803
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Mike Bezemek is an avid paddler of whitewater rivers, lakes, float streams, and seas across the U.S. and around the world. He contributes writing and photography to a variety of publications, including his columns Regular Paddler, Remarkable Waters for Canoe & Kayak Magazine and Bull On Tap. You can contact him and view his work by visiting mikebezemek.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

What to Expect: Weather, Flora, Fauna, and Fishing 3

A Paddling Progression: How Does One Get Into That? 7

Resources: Clubs, Classes, Dealers, and Demos 9

Shut Up and Gear Up? Nope. Just Go Paddling 10

Selecting a Boat 11

Specialty Equipment 13

What to Take and How to Pack 15

Safety and Laws in the Ozarks 18

How to Use This Guide 21

Trip Finder 23

Map Legend 28

Boston Mountains 29

1 Buffalo National River: Ponca to Kyles Landing 31

2 Buffalo National River: Mt. Hersey toWoolum 35

3 Buffalo National River: Buffalo Point to Rush Landing 42

4 Big Piney Creek: Helton's Farm to Long Pool 48

5 Illinois Bayou: AR-27 Bridge to Hector Bridge 54

6 Richland Creek: Moore Bridge to Richland Creek Campground 58

7 Mulberry River: Byrd's Adventure Center to Turner Bend 62

8 Lake Tenkiller: Pettit Bay 68

Eastern Ozarks 72

9 Current River: Akers Ferry to Pulltite 74

10 Current River: Pulltite to Round Spring 80

11 Jacks Fork: Buck Hollow to Rymers 84

12 Jacks Fork: Bay Creek to Alley Spring 89

13 North Fork White: Hammond Camp to Blair Bridge 92

14 North Fork White: Blair Bridge to Dawt Mill 98

15 Bryant Creek: Sycamore to Warren Bridge 102

16 Eleven Point River: Greer Crossing to Riverton 106

17 Eleven Point River: Cane Bluff to Greer and Riverton to MO-142 110

18 Spring River: Dam 3 to Many Islands 116

St. Francois Mountains 120

19 St. Francis River: Roselle to Millstream to D Bridge 121

20 Big Creek: County Rd. 163 to Sam A. Baker State Park 128

21 Black River: Lesterville Access to Hwy K Bridge 134

22 Council Bluff Lake 140

Springfield Plateau 143

23 James River: Kerr to Cox 144

24 Shoal Creek: Tipton Ford to Wildcat 148

25 Elk River: Pineville to Mt. Shira 154

26 Kings River: Rockhouse to Kings River Outfitters 158

27 Beaver Lake: Van Winkle Hollow 162

28 Illinois River: Siloam Springs Kayak Park to AR-59 165

29 Lincoln Lake 169

Northern Ozarks 172

30 Gasconade River: Roubidoux to Riddle Bridge 173

31 Big Piney River: Mineral Spring to Boiling Spring 178

32 Little Piney Creek: Newburg Bridge to Jerome 182

33 Osage Fork of The Gasconade: Hull Ford to Hazelgreen 185

34 Niangua River: Moon Valley to Barclay 188

35 Lake of the Ozarks: Grand Glaize Arm 194

Meramec River Valley 198

36 Meramec River: Woodson K. Woods to Scotts Ford 199

37 Meramec River: Sappington Bridge to Meramec State Park 203

38 Big River: Washington State Park to Mammoth 207

39 Courtois Creek: Berryman to Bass Resort 212

40 Huzzah Creek: Westover Road to Huzzali Valley Resort 216

Paddle Index 221

About the Author 223