Information on Jack Cr.
Rating: II-III
TDCR: 4442
Location: To reach the take-out, take Hwy 23 south from Booneville
aprrox 1.5 miles and turn left on Jack Cr. Rd. going toward
Grayson and Jack Cr. Recreation Area. The road will eventually
turn to gravel. At the next four way intersection, turn
left (East) onto a paved road. Follow this road downhill to
Jack Cr. Rec. Area and the bridge over Sugar Cr. Jack Cr.
Campgorund is the take-out. To reach the put-in, go over
the bridge over Sugar Cr. and follow this road to the next
bridge which crosses Jack Cr. You can either put in at this
bridge or take one of the small dirt roads to the left
(West) which will take you up to Ramsey or Pigeon Cr. and
add a few miles of class II+ water to the run if the water
is high. The creek is only one hour from Fort Smith and
Russellville, so it's a great afternoon run for paddlers in
these areas.
Topo Quad(s): Sugar Grove, Freedom Mountain
Gradient: 65 fpm
Length: 3 mi
Season: RAIN
Gauge: One possible way to gauge Jack Cr. is to look at the USGS
Petit Jean R. gauge at Booneville. If this gauge is reading over
10 feet there should be enough water for a good run, unless
rain was spotty. Also look at Dutch Creek at Waltreak. A
reading of 6.0 or better can be a good indication of water
on Jack and Sugar Cr. Typically Jack Cr. takes a bit more
rain than Sugar Cr., and about 1.5"+ in the area is a good
indication that it will be comming up. When you get to Sugar Cr.,
water comming over the low water bridge at Knoppers Ford
usually means you'll have enough for a run on Jack Cr.
Hazards: Willow strainers, downed trees, and hydraulics at high
levels
Description: Jack Cr. is a great little creek run in the Ouachita
Mountains. The scenery along the creek is superb! The creek
races between intricately layered and folded bluffs as it
appraches its confluence with Sugar Cr., creating
fast-paced class II and III rapids and taking the paddler
through some of the most interesting scenery in the state.
Surfing oppourtunities abound, with several nice waves and
holes to catch on the way down. Watch out for willow
strainers in a few places that can pin paddlers who
misjudge the fast currents flowing through them. However,
the trees aren't usually as bad as those on Sugar Cr.,
so if the creeks are high, Jack is a much better choice.
At high levels, also watch out for a couple of chutes
into really big hydraulics! If you want to extend your
run, you can follow the small roads upstream from the
put-in bridge that lead to Ramsey Cr. or Pigeon Cr.
Pigeon Cr. is extremely small, and Jack Cr. must be
very high before Pigeon Cr. will be running. The rapids
in these two creeks are not really any more challenging
than Jack Cr., but the stream beds are narrow (especially
Pigeon Cr.!) and the gradient is steeper. If Jack Cr. is
too bony, try Sugar Cr. upstream of the Jack Cr.
confluence, a good class II+ to III run when Jack Cr. is
too low to boat.
Return to Index