INTRODUCTION AND RATING INFORMATION
This document contains information on the whitewater rivers and creeks of Arkansas. The information is NOT guaranteed to be completely accurate or up-to-date. Rapids, hazards, and access status may change quickly for many of these creeks. All ratings and descriptions are solely the opinion of the author, and the reader assumes all responsibility for his or her own interpretation of the material presented here. When you choose to paddle any creek, you do so at your own risk! Don't substitute these ratings and descriptions for scouting and good judgement. To help put the ratings in perspective here are some sample ratings of rivers in other parts of the country that I have done:
Nantahala R. (NC) = II-III Chattooga R. (GA) Sect III @ 2.5 ft. = II-IV Ocoee R. (TN) @ 1200 cfs = III Tellico R. (Ledges) (TN) @ 500 cfs = III-IV Crystal Narrows (CO) @ 1200 cfs = IV Pine Cr. and Numbers, Arkansas R. (CO) @ 1200 cfs = III-IV (V) Chattooga R. Sect IV @ 2.5 ft. (high) = III-V Upper Gauley R. @ 2800 cfs = III-V Cascades of the Nantahala @ optimal flows = III-IV+ Russell Fork (KY) @ 800 cfs = IV-V
These may seem a bit low to you if you're a beginner, or they may seem a bit high to you if you're a seasoned expert. And, of course, some of these runs, such as creek runs like the Cascades and Tellico, compare better with Ozark streams than bigger river runs like the Chattooga and Gauley. Just remember that a class III rating in this document generally means that you can expect a lot of solid class III action. If the rating is class IV or V there will be oppourtinites for serious injury or even death for an out of control paddler. The Index by Difficulty section (below) provides a fairly good comparison of the overall difficulty of the creeks. Creeks of equal or very similar difficulty have been listed in alphabetical order. Also notice that some creeks that have similar ratings have very different hazards (Cossatot R. and Fall Cr. for instance). On the lower end of the scale, don't assume that just because you have successfully run the Big Piney and Hurricane creeks, you are ready to tackle creeks such as Spirits Cr. and Kings R. The gap between class II to II+ and class III to III+ is a big one. Take time to hone your skills on the runs you are comfortable with before moving on to the next level. Above the class III level, the creeks become very tight and technical, and very fast paced (with Richland Cr. being a relatively big, medium volume entry in the class IV category). The margin for error on these creeks is often very small, and the penalties for mistakes can be very high. Runs at the top of the scale such as Whistlepost Cr., Beech Cr., Shop Cr., Sulphur Cr., and Possum Walk Cr. represent the limit of navigable water in the Ozarks. These runs have already produced injuries, accidents and several near misses, despite only having been run a few times each. Even boaters who routinely run these types of creeks put themselves at great risk when attempting these runs. Please don't try to establish your reputation by running these dangerous steep creeks. These runs can put a permanent end to your whitewater career.
The rapidly changing water levels on many of the Ozark creeks can greatly influence the difficulty and danger of a run. On many of the small, steep creeks, an optimal run is had at less than 300 cfs. A little more water can turn a fun class III run into a class V death trap. Many creeks are also choked with fallen trees and willow strainers. These hazards are unpredictable, and they can form overnight. A badly placed strainer can turn a class II rapid into a portage-or-die situation. Higher water levels increase the current's speed and force and make strainers a much greater hazard. Be aware of the dangers of flood stage paddling, and don't hesitate to opt for a safer run or no run at all when the water is high.
Many of the rivers and creeks described in this document (as well as many others) can be found in Tom Kennon's excellent guidebook Ozark Whitewater (Menasha Ridge Press). This is a great resource for Ozark paddlers of all levels, and no paddler should be without it.
This list is devoted primarily to the more challenging Ozark whitewater streams. A good source of information on less difficult whitewater rivers can be found in the Arkansas Floaters Kit Page maintained by the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department. Another good source is the GORP Arkansas Rivers Page at http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/Us_river/ar.htm
LOCATING CREEKS
This document is divided into North and South Arkansas. The dividing line between north and south is I-40, and most directions are relative to I-40. When trying to locate put-ins and take-outs, USGS topographic quads (now available in digital format from Delorme) and a book called "The Arkansas Atlas and Gazetteer" may come in handy. Also, a book named "The Roads of Arkansas" provides good non-topographic map coverage for the entire state. One final note concerning put-ins and take-outs. Many creeks in the Ozarks are located on privately owned lands. Most landowners are very reasonable about using their land for putting in or taking out as long as you follow some simple guidelines: 1) Always get permission BEFORE accessing a creek on private land. Failure to do this will certainly irritate even the most friendly landowners, and it will often result in the landowner denying access to everyone! If you can't find out who owns the land, find another creek to run, and come back for that one after you contact the owner. The long-term gain of avoiding trouble with the owner will far outweigh any short-term thrills. Also, be aware that anyone caught trespassing in Arkansas may face stiff fines, jail time, or, worse, the end of a shotgun barrel. 2) Always treat the land with great respect. This applies to public as well as private lands. Don't litter, cut down trees, cut fences, or deface any property. Try to leave the land and the creek in better shape than you found it. 3) Always treat the landowner with respect. Don't argue with an irate landowner. Try to calmly and politely explain your side, but respect his (or her) side as well. After all, he does own the land, and you are essentially in his backyard. 4) Respect the landowner's privacy. Don't use obscene language, don't behave in an offensive way, and don't STRIP DOWN NAKED in view of a landowner or their house. You'd be surprised how much these actions can piss off someone who has small children. 5) If a landowner denies you access to his land, please let other paddlers know about it. Spreading the word helps to ensure that there won't be more trespassers who might aggravate the situation further.LIST FORMAT
The general format of each creek listing is as follows:
NAME of the creek or river Rating: classification (I to VI) for the entire run (A rating in parentheses such as III-IV (VI) indicates that there is one rapid or section that is not characteristic of the overall run.) (A "*" indicates that rating is an estimate or that the author has not run the section in question.) TDCR Rating: Rating (0 to 9) of four different factors. These ratings should be used for comparison purposes only! 1) Technical Difficulty: how hard is it to run good lines (avoiding major hazards)? 0 = easy, 9 = very hard 2) Danger Level: if you screw up (see #1 for how easy it is to screw up) how high a price will you pay? 0 = very little risk, 9 = high risk of injury or death 3) Continuity of Rapids: how fast/continuous are the rapids? 0 = long pools, short rapids, 9 = almost no pools or eddies. 4) Remoteness: if you screw up (#1) and get hurt (#2), how far away is help? 0 = road right beside river, 9 = 3 day hike to somewhere that a helicopter can land. The rating is given as a four digit number like this: 6431. This would indicate that a river is technically a 6, danger level is 4, continuity is 3, and remoteness is 1. These ratings are based on opinions collected from people who have actually paddled the rivers in question. Some runs are not rated because I couldn't get an opinion on them. Warning: This system may not correspond to the international system (I - VI). Location: Counties and put-in and take-out locations (when available) NOTE: Please read the section on Creek Access before trying to access any creek. Topo Quad(s): USGS topographic 7.5 minute (1:24000) series maps Gradient: average in feet per mile Length: length of the run in miles Season: ALL = all year round, FALL = Fall, SPRING = Spring, RAIN = only after local rains, FLOOD = only after local flood NOTE: If a run is of type RAIN, you may be able to catch it one to three days after a heavy rain. If a run is of type FLOOD, you probably need to be there within hours of a heavy rain. FLOOD runs are not easy to catch, unless you live very near them, so don't drive in from out-of-state expecting these to be running, even during periods of wet weather. Our season in Arkansas is generally from October to May with the best months being March to mid May. Gauge: as much gauging info as is available Hazards: rapids, strainers, and landowners that can threaten life and limb Description: A short description of the run.
The creeks are divided into five categories. Within each category they are listed in alphabetical order. The categories are somewhat subjective, but they are an attempt to match paddler skill level to the creeks in question. Here is a very rough idea of what each category means:
1) Beginner: Has paddled less than five times on whitewater. Has no real paddling skills. Comfortable only on class I and easy class II. 2) Novice: Has paddled several class II runs. Has some boat control skill, but unreliable self rescue skill. Confident on class II water and may run some class III. 3) Intermediate: Has experience on many class II-III runs. Has good boat control in rapids, and has self rescue skills (at least a pool roll). Comfortable with most class III rapids and may run some class IV. 4) Advanced: Has experience on many class III-IV runs. Has excellent boat control in class III+ (including eddying and ferrying), and solid self rescue skills (rolls in whitewater). Confident in class III-IV water, and may run class V. Can lead continuous class III. 5) Expert: Has years of experience on class III-V runs. Has excellent boat control even in very heavy water. Has bombproof self rescue skill, and can organize and exectute rescue of others. Confident in class IV-V water, and can lead continuous class III-IV.Of course, paddlers, like creeks, are not easy to lump into a finite number of categories. But this should provide you with a rough idea of what creeks you should be looking at.
Rating: III-V
TDCR: 7878
Location: Newton Co.; The put-in is reached by taking Dixon Ridge Rd.
west off of Hwy 21 about 1.5 miles north of Fallsville. This
road is the same as the put-in road for the popular Hailstone
Cr. run. About 2.5 miles down this road, just before it
starts to really drop in elevation down to the Hailstone,
there is a small road turning to the right in the middle of
a switchback. This road leads to the Dahl Memorial wilderness
access. You should see a USFS sign-in board located near a
parking turnout. Park here and brushwhack southeast about 1/2
mile to the creek. You're aiming for approx. elevation 1820
feet, where two major tributaries merge. The take-out is at
the Hwy. 21 bridge over the Buffalo R., the standard Hailstone
take-out. In an emergency (such as not having time to
paddle out on the Hailstone), you can pull out at the confluence
with the Hailstone and brushwhack up 500 vertical feet to
a small road that will take you back to the put-in. This
is not a fun thing to do, but if you have to do it, start at the
confluence on the left side of Adkins and try to follow the
spine of the ridge up to the southwest. Always keep climbing
because the point you're trying to reach is at the very top
(elevation 2087 on the USGS Fallsville quad). The foundation
of an old homestead marks the end of the road which leads off
to the southwest and eventually ends up at the Dahl Memorial.
It's best to take along a good topo map and compass. Good luck.
Topo Quad(s): Fallsville, Boxley
Gradient: 150 fpm (2nd mile at 190 fpm)
Length: 15 mi. (2 miles on Adkins plus 13 miles on Hailstone Cr.)
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: Several feet of water over the low water bridge over the Buffalo R.
at Ponca is probably a good indicator. Smith Cr. should also
look very big and muddy at Hwy. 21. Like Smith Cr., putting
on shortly after very heavy rainfall is a must for catching
the creek at a good level. Dragging down to the put-in
when it's too low can be a nightmare. You may be able to
predict the levels using the Buffalo R. rain gauges which are
linked below. The Ponca and Buffalo Tower gauges are the ones
to watch.
LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY)
Hazards: strainers, severely undercut rocks, severe rapids, hydraulics,
etc.
Description: Overlooked and ignored for many years, Adkins Cr. was first
paddled on June 17, 2000 by Dave "Ghost" Reid, Steve "Dog"
Robertson, and Bill "Fish" Herring. Like many Newton Co. creek
runs, a run down Adkins creek can't be adequately summed up
in print. It compares in difficulty to classics like Beech Cr.
and Shop Cr., but like those has a personality all it's own.
Probably the best way to get an appreciation for the creek is
to hike it from the put-in to the Buffalo and back up. The
hike is spectacular and will give you a chance to inspect
the big rocks that form the myriad drops in the creek. When
big rains fall, the creek becomes runnable where two smaller
creeks merge southeast of the Dahl Memorial. Immediately the
paddler is faced with three blind ledges. This is "Gimme Three
Steps", and it is a great start to the day if you avoid getting
surfed in the holes at the bottom of the drops. After some
tree dodging you'll come around a corner and onto a sliding
shelf of rock. Get out quickly to scout "The Last Step". This
big drop is walled in by an undercut grotto, and at moderate to
high levels the water below kicks underneath the river right
wall making for a class V drop. It was not run on the
firost descent, but it may look more user friendly at lower or
higher water levels. Until the hydraulic is probed, it should
be treated as a keeper. Portage is easiest on the right side.
A big slide into a hole follows Last Step, and after this the
creek changes to blind, undercut boulder piles for the next
1.75 miles. The first of these, "Undercut #1" will give you an
idea of what is going to come at you over and over again for the
rest for the trip. There are two particulary nasty spots to
watch out for. One of these is "Ghost's Hole" about 1/8 mile
below Last Step. After dropping over a few ledges the creek
runs underneath an undercut bluff on the left. A pour on the
right can be run, but a mistake may still put you under the wall.
The only good portage option is on the right. The second major
hazard is another nasty undercut trap located maybe 1/4 mile
from the end of the gorge. "Dead Man's Leap" looks just like
many of the other ledge/boulder drops from the top, but all
of the water pours off of the ledge and under a big rock. The
creek is walled in by bluffs and portages are tricky. Although
these are the only drops I'll single out, at moderately high
levels almost every drop is potentially dangerous. Frequent
bank scouting is a must, and moves in front of undercuts are
a fact of life. The average drop involves running a class III+
line to miss class V hazards. For the experienced creeker it
is Nirvana. For anyone not familiar with this type of water
it will not be pleasant. Once you emerge at the confluence
with the Hailstone, you have two options. The best one is to
paddle out, but the Hailstone will be at or near flood, and it
is a continuous, hairy, big-water run at these levels. Huge
keeper holes and pourovers must be carefully avoided. If you
have the time to make it before dark, you can paddle to Hwy. 21 in
around 2.5 to 3 hours. If not, take-out option #2 is a 500
vertical foot climb back up to a small road that follows the top
of the ridge for two miles back to the Dahl Memorial. This is
only a last resort, but it may be less dangerous than trying to
boat flooded rapids in the dark. Adkins is an incredible
wilderness creek run combined with a long, floodstage run-out on
the Hailstone. Trips can quickly become epic and aborting a trip
anywhere in the gorge is about the least fun thing I can think
of. Make sure you're comfortable running this type of steep
creek before you commit yourself to this awesome Ozark gorge.
Rating: II+ TDCR: ???? Location: Pope and Van Buren Co.; Take Hwy. 16 west from Clinton and then Hwy. 264 north to the bridge over the creek. Put in at this bridge. Take out at the Hwy. 65 bridge in Clinton. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Alread, Botkinburg, Old Lexington, Clinton Gradient: ??? fpm Length: 20 mi Season: RAIN Gauge: none. The Big Piney gauge is a reasonable estimate. The Piney should be between 4 and 7 feet for a good run. Hazards: numerous strainers Description: This is a long but fun run, and it makes a good overnight trip, if you secure permission for camping on private land. Other put-ins are possible, but be sure you get permission to cross private lands to get to the river. The run has many class II+ rapids, and the whitewater is fairly continuous much of the way. Willow strainers can be a major hazard, however, so stay on your toes. This is a good run for paddlers comfortable on class II-III water.
Rating: III-V * TDCR: ???? Location: Go 4 miles West on Hwy 123 from Pelsor (Sand Gap) and take Forest Service Road 1802 South at Bertha. The road runs the ridge on the West Side of Indian Creek. Drive about 1.3 miles and look for a deer camp on the left. Park at the camp and carry down the trail directly across the road. The trail immediately passes by a small pond. Follow the trail North to the end of the knob and follow the trail 3/4 down the mountain. The trail continues North and crosses a small creek. Bushwhack to the left on the North side of the creek to the main creek. This is where the 3 upper forks come together at the beginning of a long slide. (Elevation 1490) Reach the take-out by going East from the Hwy 123 bridge over the Piney for 1/4 mile. The Hwy crosses over Sugar Creek in a right hand turn then curves left up the hill. Look for the first road to the left (South). Another deer camp is located here. A 4WD trail leads 1/4 mile to the creek just above the confluence with the Big Piney. (Elevation 720) Topo Quad(s): Fort Douglas Gradient: 185 fpm Length: 4 mi Season: FLOOD Gauge: Gage at Richland Campground should to be above 6 or headed that way. Look for 1.5" or more rain at the Deer and Ben Hur rain gages, at the BNR Data Page. Rain must have fallen within the last 6 to 12 hours. If the Sugar Creek just East of the Hwy 123 bridge over the Piney is flowing good, it's a definite run! Hazards: Undercut ledges and rocks, overhanging branches, strainers, waterfalls. Very tight in places (pinning hazards). Don't broach in "Mama Bear Falls" and beware of "Papa Bear Falls". The "Bear Trap" is a nasty undercut 3/4 of the way down the creek after section of class II water. The first 1.25 miles drops at 300 ft/mile. Description: First known descent was December 12, 1999 by Lance Jones, Cowper Chadbourn, Greg Churan, Shelby Johnson, Mitchell Ford, Graham Henry and Jeff Riley. The creek starts out fast and narrow with a 50-60 yard long stair stepping slide ending in a steep funnel dropping 10-12 feet. The creek is very narrow as is starts to cut into the gorge, several long slides and boulder fields are encountered in the first 1/2 miles. At this point be on the lookout for a small creek crashing in on the left. Immediately below the confluence is the "Bear Pin". A cluttered approach makes the left side boof difficult. A vertical pin is very likely with a missed boof. A few hundred yards downstream the creek turns 90 degrees to the left as a small tributary enters on the right. Get out on the river left and portage the inside of the corner around the multiple logjams. This is the end of the warm-up. The creek drops 200 feet in the next 2/3 mile! Maximum gradient tops out over 550 ft/mile in this section. After a couple of nice drops the creek sweeps to the right and cuts back to the left around a steep right bank. Eddy out and scout the next boulder jumble, "Bear Claw". There are multiple routes through the jumble and pinning is very possible. Low water runs through here are tight and bumpy. Only a couple smaller drops separate the end of "Bear Claw" and the entrance slide to "Baby Bear Falls". This is a very clean and very beautiful 15+ drop. A gentle slide transitions into a 45 degree slope then empties into a fantastic grotto pool over a 8-10 ft waterfall. Enjoy the view and be ready to scout the next big drop less than 100 yards downstream. "Mama Bear Falls" starts with a 20 yard gentle slide 20 feet wide then drops 15+ feet at a very steep angle as it funnels into a 4 foot wide notch. After leaving the notch the water fans out over bedrock as it pushes toward the left overhanging wall. Eddy out above the next horizon line. Scout and/or portage on the left for the big boy, "Papa Bear Falls". The creek splits into two narrow slots around a large boulder in the middle of the 15-foot wide creek. The water drops 12+ feet from each slot into a 8-10 ft wide cauldron. The exit from the cauldron is through a 3-5 ft wide 15 ft deep sluice that is 50-60 feet long and makes a jog to the left in the middle. The sluice looked nasty at the low water level, a flip or pin in there will be disastrous. The water exits the sluice over a 10 foot drop out of a wall into another picture perfect grotto pool. This was the only drop not run on the first descent. This is truly a unique drop. The creek calms down a little for half-mile before entering a mini gorge recognized by the return of large boulders to the creek. Pick you way through the slots. The creek returns to calm fast class II, but don't get lulled just yet. A small tributary will enter on the left as the creek takes a hard right turn. Again boulders reappear in the creek. After a slot to the left cuts back to the right along a steep shale bank, look for a very large boulder on the left followed by another very large on the right bank. Cut to the left immediately behind the first boulder and scrape down the boat-wide channel. The main channel stays to the right toward and UNDER the second Boulder. It is very difficult to recognize until you are right on it or know it is there. This one is apply named "Bear Trap". Fast class II water takes you the last mile to just above the confluence with the Piney. Look for the 4WD trail on the right just as a field comes into view. Like other micro-volume creeks, meaningful ratings are difficult to establish on the accepted International scale. At lower levels, the creek will seem like a very technical Class III, with much rock bashing, scraping, and some portages. At higher levels, several rapids are expected to become solid Class V. A tip o' the hat to Lance Jones for a write-up of this great Ozark steepie! See Lance Jones' Pages for more info on Bear Cr.
Rating: III-V TDCR: 8888 Location: Newton Co.; Put in is off of Cave Mtn. Rd. west of Boxley. You must hike down to Edgemon Cr. from near Ryker just past the Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag) trail head. GET PERMISSION FROM LOCAL LANDOWNERS BEFORE TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE LANDS. Take out is at the Beech Cr. bridge at Hwy 21 at Boxley. You should park at the Boxley bridge over the Buffalo R., since there is no room to park at the Beech Cr. bridge. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Boxley Gradient: 90 fpm (some sections approach 120 fpm) Length: 7.5 mi Season: FLOOD Gauge: The Buffalo R. should usually be running very high - over two feet of water over the low water bridge at Ponca is a good sign. There is a gauge painted on the river-right side of a pylon on the Beech Cr. bridge at Hwy 21. A minimum put-in level would be around 4 feet and rising. If the creek is already falling look for at least 5 feet on this gauge. The creek drops out very quickly (forming many boulder sieves at low water), so plan for that. The creek has been run at levels over 7 feet on this gauge, but at really high levels the creek is incredibly pushy with several near-terminal holes. You may be able to predict the levels using the Buffalo R. rain gauges which are linked below. The Ponca and Buffalo Tower gauges are the ones to watch. LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY) Hazards: continuous tough rapids, strainers, undercuts, etc., etc. Description: Beech is quite possibly the toughest overall run in the Ozarks. The first runs/walks of Beech may have occurred in the early 80's but the first complete run of the creek was probably done by a small group including Jeff Green in the Fall of 1986. The rapids are long, continuous, and demanding and the penalties for mistakes are usually severe. The creek runs through an almost inaccessible gorge, so hiking out is very unpleasant, though more than a few boaters have done so. Pins and swims are not uncommon events, even among boaters who know the creek well, and equipment can easily be broken or lost if a mishap occurs. The drops are non-stop, with one drop feeding right into the next for more than five miles. Multiple slot drops abound, and paddlers unfamiliar with the creek will need to take plenty of time to scout to avoid the many dead-end slots and other hidden traps. A few drops do stand out of the crowd. The first mile is known as the Jungle Gym, which starts with a nasty hole just 30 yards from the put-in, and provides only small eddies to stop in from there. Just before the confluence of Edgemon Cr. and upper Beech Cr. (or Beech "Proper" as it has come to be known), Beech Ball is a class IV drop with a tough move to miss the "Ball" at the end. At the confluence with Beech Proper, would-be hair boaters can hike up to look at a series of class IV+ drops just upstream on the merging creek - if time permits. About 150 yards from the confluence is White Lightning, a long slide with huge waves and a big hole at the end! The last drop that really stands out is Beech Falls, a nasty looking class IV ledge with a reasonable line just to the right of the rock splitting the drop at its lip. It's best to run angling hard left after you come around the rock, since the rooster tail on the right tends to knock the ever lovin crap out of paddlers who hit it (to quote creek pioneer Jeff Green). Of course, this description of the "highlights" omits dozens of other long, technical drops, some with thin lines around dangerous hazards. Beech Cr. basically throws everything in the book at you for five miles in a row, wearing paddlers down and making it arguably the most difficult overall run in the Midwest. Several of the area's best creek boaters have come away from the creek with damaged egos, equipment, and bodies! Regardless of your skill level, the best way to tackle Beech is to run it behind someone who has been there before. The creek is a BIG step up from creeks like Richland, EFLB, etc. Make sure you're ready for it and take your creek boat with you for this one. Thanks go to Ryan Johnson and Shelby Johnson for information on this legendary Ozark creek!
Rating: IV-V TDCR: 9895 Location: The take-out is at the popular Hwy 220 bridge over Lee Cr. (the put-in for section 2 of Lee). To get to the put-in take Hwy 220 south from Lee Cr. (the paved side) until you almost reach the top of the hill. Turn off on the first major dirt road to the left. This is the road that goes from Hwy. 220 to Chester and Hwy. 71. Follow this road for approx. 5 miles until you reach a four-way intersection (there is a house with a large cedar fence at the intersection). Take a left (a 120 degree switchback) and drive about 2 miles. You'll eventually see a private RV hookup on the right. Just past this RV hookup, a road turns left and immediately forks in two directions. (If you get to a small chruch and cemetery on the left you've gone too far.) Take the right fork down the hill if you have a 4WD or park at the camping spot on the left fork and hike down 1/8 mile to the creek. The first tiny creek that the road crosses is Ben Doodle Cr. Topo Quad(s): Rudy NE Gradient: 350 fpm (1/2 mi @ 550 fpm) Length: 7.5 mi (counting 5.75 miles on Blackburn Cr. and Lee Cr.) Season: FLOOD Gauge: The best way to gauge it is to inspect the put-in. Water should be filling the streambed and the creek should look easily boatable where the road crosses it. The big slide just downstream of the road should be able to be run without slowing the boat down much on the way down. Keep in mind that the water you see at the put-in is basically all of the water you have in the gorge. If Lee Cr. is at 15+ feet and Clear Cr. at Chester is in flood you MIGHT have enough water to run Ben Doodle. Ben Doodle has a much smaller watershed than Hart Cr., and it takes a very heavy rain (2.5+ inches) in a very short time to bring it up. Hazards: waterfalls, undercut rocks, trees, barbed wire (at the first rapid), and continous, heavy rapids Description: Ben Doodle Cr. may be the fastest and most difficult creek run in Crawford Co. It's certainly the steepest run I I know of that you can drive to! This tiny creek was first run at very low levels on April, 5 1999 by Steve "Dog" Robertson, Zack Smith, Rob Pollan, Mike Echols, and Bill Herring. Quite a few rapids were not run on the first descent due to the water level, and those that were run were not at full speed - much of the creek was shallow class III+ water at the first descent level. It was attempted again about two years later at a very high level by Mikle and Rob, but that time high water made several rapids extremely hazardous. As a result, there are several rapids in the gorge that have yet to be run. This tiny creek needs a lot of rainfall to reach runnable levels, and once it gets there, it doesn't stay there long. When you get to the put-in, don't put on the creek at the road crossing. A barbed wire fence hangs into the creek just around the corner. Carry your boat down 30 yards or so and put in just past the fences if you want to run the 18+ foot "Doodle Slide" to start off the run. Be careful to not get washed downstream at the bottom the the slide because another barbed wire strand hangs at the lip of the next small fall that immediately follows the slide. Portage from the base of Doodle Slide around this next fence. After this portage, the creek drops over back-to-back class III+ drops through trees. This is the warmup stretch for the gorge, so if you have trouble here, it's a good idea to hike out before you reach the more intense rapids below. About 1/4 mile down you'll run into a brutal drop of twelve feet nicknamed "The Midget Maker". This rapid has a completely blind approach - by the time you see the horizon line you are committed to the drop. There is however a good eddy that can be used to stop and portage the drop just above it. Scout ahead dilligently until you get past this drop! The drop lands on solid rock - a probe boat dropped over on the first run slammed into the streambed only one foot under the surface! Portage Midget Maker on the right. You're now in the gorge and the intensity just keeps increasing from here down. After another 100 yards of complex drops, you'll stumble into "Atom Smasher". Scout ahead at every turn after Midget Maker to keep from being swept into this huge drop against your will. This rapid starts as an simple rock jumble, goes around a corner, drops through some large twisting drops and then finishes with a big slide. The total vertical drop between starting and stopping is over 40 feet. If you come around the first innocent looking corner, you'll probably be running the entire rapid, so approach this one with care. Several complex class III+ to IV drops follow Atom Smasher. There are few places to stop, so when you do get stopped scout ahead to the next pool or eddy. The gradient in this stretch approaches pegs out at over 500 fpm. When you see a house-sized rock on the left ahead of you, get out to portage a large deadfall just around the corner. Take this oppoutunity to scout the next 150 yards. Somewhere in that distance the creek goes from moderately crazy to completely insane as it enters the 700+ fpm gradient around Tenderizer and Masticator. Where Tenderizer actually begins is debatable It is simply the name for the multiple class IV to IV+ drops that proceed the 18 foot class V drop of Masticator. Scout this stretch very carefully, as there are many hidden hazards. If you decide to run it, set plenty of bank support in strategic places along the way. A blown line here could result in serious problems. If you make the decision to portage Masticator, either bank will work well. After Masticator, you'll get 1/3 mile of more class III to IV drops. This is not as intense as the section just above, but don't let your gaurd down too quickly. After that, the creek mellows to continous class II-III with lots of trees until it merges into a flooded Blackburn Cr. At these extremely high levels Blackburn and Lee Cr. can present some serious hazards as well. Don't play around with these creeks at these levels. After you merge with Lee Cr. watch for Hart Cr. to come in on the left. When it does, get to the far left side of the creek to skirt a huge, deadly hydraulic that forms across Lee Cr. just below the Hart Cr. confluence. At floodstage, the 6 mile trip down Blackburn and Lee to the Hwy. 220 bridge should only take 1.5 hours or so. Dispite the rather silly name, Ben Doodle is a serious Ozark creek run. As is typicall of Crawford Co. the rapids are generally ugly boulder piles often with no really good routes. The creek is tiny, but that actually works against a paddler when there is sufficient water, providing little or no maneuvering room. A pre-run hike is an excellent idea, but nothing will eliminate the need for almost continuous bank scouting in the gorge. As a result it's a good idea to plan on taking three to four hours to navigate the half mile long gorge. Ben Doodle is a big step up from its sister creek, Hart Cr. If there is any doubt, run Hart Cr., which features class III+ to IV+ rapids in a less threatening environment. Both of these are no place for those who are not absolutely confident of their abilities on fast, tight Ozark creeks and class IV+ water.
Rating: III-V * TDCR: 8786 Location: Newton Co.; Go south, downhill from Iceledo Gap to Hill Cemetery (4WD required). Drag downhill about 0.1 mile to put-in. Creek looks too small at put in, but do it anyway. Take-out is at Richland Creek Campground. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Moore Gradient: 190 fpm (not counting Richland) Length: 2.4 mi. plus 1.5 mi. on Richland Season: FLOOD Gauge: Water should be nearly flush with Richland Campground bridge or above 6 ft on the ACC Bulletin Board gauge. Also, look for 1.5" or more rain at the Deer and Ben Hur rain gauges, as posted on the ACC Bulletin Board. Rain must have fallen within the last 6 to 12 hours for a run. At very high levels, expect a solid class V run for 4 miles. Hazards: severe undercuts, difficult rapids, overhanging branches, strainers, waterfalls Description: First known descent of this creek was on April 11, 1995 by Cowper Chadbourn, Charles Chevallier, Andy Hicks, Nathan Kline, and Joe Warren (of Galveston), with the exception of Big Devil's Fall (one of the Twin Falls) which was first run by Nathan Kline on April 29, 1995. This run begins as a creek so tiny that you will think you have made a mistake, but it quickly builds in intensity. The run has many tough class III to IV rapids sprinkled with a generous helping of strainers and undercut rocks. The highlight of the trip is the run of the Twin Falls near the confluence with Richland Cr. Depending on water level, you may either run the Big Devils (left) side, or access and run the the Long Devils side via a short carry. As of December, 1995, of 20+ runs divided between the Twin Falls, only two or three "pitons" have occurred, all on Long Devil's Falls (river right). Keep your speed up and try to launch well into the pool, running either of the falls slightly left of center. Be prepared for a "big water" run through some of Richland's most difficult rapids after the confluence (IV+ at these levels). All rapids have been run, although the boulder jumble just below the first waterfall has been marginal for water levels encountered to date. Big Devils Fork, like its sister creek, is an "experts only" run. The extremely tight course, high gradient, and numerous hazards combine to pose a significant risk of life and limb for even the most experienced boaters. Thanks go to Cowper Chadbourn for information on this great Ozark hair run. See Lance Jones' Pages for more info on Big Devils Cr.
Rating: II TDCR: 2224 Location: Johnson and Pope Co.; S1: Take Hwy 7 north from I-40 at Russelville, and then take Hwy 123 west to Fort Douglas. Put in at Hwy 123 bridge. Take out at Helton's Farm reached by taking Hwy 164 west from Hwy 7 then NFR 1801 to NFR 1805 and heading west toward the river. S2: Take out at Long Pool Rec. Area west of NFR 1801 on NFR 1804. S3: Take out at Hwy 164 bridge. Kerry Moore at Moore Outdoors located just south of the bridge provides canoes and/or shuttles for the run. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Fort Douglas, Treat Gradient: 10 - 20 fpm Length: S1: 8 mi. S2: 10 mi. S3: 5 mi. Season: SPRING and FALL Gauge: Readings can be obtained by calling the Corps at 501-324-5150 or by calling Moore Outdoors. The level should be between 2.8 and 5.0 ft. for good canoeing. Advanced boaters can enjoy pushy big water up to 7.0 ft. LINK TO USGS GAUGE Hazards: pourover hydraulics at high levels, the Little Mother rock Description: S1 is a good class I-II run for canoeists. Beware of downed trees in this section. S2 is a great play run for intermediate boaters and a challenging run for beginners. Some of the best action on S2 comes 3/4 of the way down at Surfing Rapid and The Mother. The left side of The Mother is a tricky class II+ to III rapid at any level, and the Little Mother, a midstream boulder, seems to attract canoes like a magnet. Surfing rapid usually has a good wave and a very forgiving wash out. Many Ozark boaters have cut their teeth on this stretch. S3 is more tamed down, but at high water it kicks up big waves at The Haystacks. Just below Long Pool you can go left or right of an island. The right is a rather tricky chute I call Plinko. Most beginners will want to stay away from this rapid, especially at high water.
Rating: II-III TDCR: 3335 Location: The put-in can be reached by driving down off of Hwy 74. The only real "public" access is off of the Holt Road Loop near Devils Den State Park. Take Hwy 74 west off of I-540 until you are just about to drop down the hill into the State Park. When you see a "steep grade" truck warning sign take the dirt road on your left. This is just past a gated road on the left, and it is before the main access to the Holt Road (near the parking area). Past this point the roads are 4WD only! Follow the dirt road about 1 mile. Look for a road to turn left and go steeply downhill toward the creek. Follow this road for about 1 to 1.5 miles until you reach the creek. The road is extremely rough in wet weather, so you may want to stop and walk down if it looks too bad. The take out is (unfortunately) at Lee Cr. at the Hwy 220 bridge (the put in for section 2 of Lee Cr.). It's best to shuttle back to I-540 and then down through Chester, because Fall Cr. will probably block you if you take the route through Devils Den and up Hwy 220! You can also put in by carrying down off of I-540 where it crosses one of the far upper tributaries if there is a lot of water in the creek. This hasn't been done yet, as far as I know, but it is possible and will add quite a bit of class II-III water onto the run. Topo Quad(s): ??? Gradient: 25 fpm Length: 8 mi. Season: RAIN Gauge: Lee Cr. should be above 6.5 or so for a possible Blackburn run. If Lee is above 7.5 and assuming an even distribution of rainfall in the watershed, Blackburn will have plenty of water. Be careful that all of the water in Lee isn't comming from Fall Cr. and Upper Lee Cr. (i.e. Devils Den Park), which can happen. If Lee Cr. is over 10 feet expect a much more serious ride down Blackburn. At over 15 feet on the Lee Cr. gauge, strainers make much of the creek a death trap, and other good area creeks are just hitting their prime. A flood run on Blackburn would just be a dangerous waste of time. Hazards: Strainers and downed trees are the main hazard. There are a few good hydraulics to look out for too though. Description: Blackburn Cr. is a great class II+ wilderness run that has been overlooked for years. The creek was probably first run in the mid 80's, but very few boaters have ever done it. The biggest problem is finding a put-in. When I-540 first opened, one of the comments I heard the most from boaters was that it crossed Blackburn Cr. tributaries several times and would provide a potential public access to the creek. While I still don't know anyone who has tried this, it is a very real possibility. Asuuming you can find a good way to get to the creek, you'll have a bouncy run through several miles of wild country. There are plenty of strainers along the way and lots of fast curves and swift rapids. Other than the trees, there are no really serious hazards for competent class II-III boaters. If the water is high (e.g. Lee Cr. is over 10 to 12 feet), watch out for some dangerous hydraulics, especially an almost river-wide "hole-o-death" that forms just past the Hart Cr. confluence on Lee Cr. At high levels, Blackburn becomes pushy enough to elevate some rapids into the class III category, but the strainers become nearly unavoidable. It's probably a good idea to find another run when the creek is running full tilt. At any level, all boaters should be experienced with fast class II-III water and dodging strainers.
Rating: III-IV+ TDCR: 7776 Location: Searcy Co.; Go south from Richland Campground 3.6 miles on FS 1205, then east (left) 2.0 miles on FS 1219, and finally north (another left) 3.0 miles on FS 1219A. From this point turn east on a barely visible 4WD road that descends a hill. If conditions are bad you may have to carry the 0.7 mile down to the creek on this road. Take out is on S2 of Richland Cr. Optional takeout is to carry approx. 1.0 miles along trail back up to the Richland Campground bridge. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Moore Gradient: 125 fpm (1 mi @ 165 fpm) Length: 2.5 mi. (+ 9.5 mi on S2 of Richland Cr.) Season: FLOOD Gauge: Richland Cr. Campground bridge should have above 1 ft. of airspace (About 4.0 ft or higher on the USGS web gauge). Recent heavy local rains are a must for this run. Look for Falling Water Falls to be runnable all the way across. This is a good indication of water on Bobtail. Look for 1.5 inches or more of rain in the last 12 hours on the Tilly and Ben Hur rain gauges on the BNR site. Hazards: undercuts, hydraulics, difficult rapids, and, of course, strainers Description: This one was first run in Jan, 1994, by Cowper Chadbourn, Jim McDaniel, and Paul Newton. It contains about ten very significant rapids and lots of class III action in between. For the first 0.75 miles, the creek is shallow fast class II-III with willows. Good place to warm up, this section is also prone to downed trees. Be on the lookout for a sweeping bend to the left terminating in a log jam. Sometimes the logs can be jumped, many times a portage on the left is needed. Immediately below this jam is the first set of good drops. First 'Zorro' starts with a tight slot back to the left behind a pin rock. Cut back to the right after the slot, avoid the undercut on the right and line up for the wave/hole train that follows. Snake through the rock gardens below with a 4-foot double ledge in the middle. A large boulder rising vertically from the right signifies time to eddy left. The next drop is 'Go Left Falls' aka 'Cowper Dam'. Most of the water flows off a rock slanted to the right and into a narrow slot and undercut. Get up plenty of speed and go off the end of the flat rock. Several encounters with the slot have produced bruised bodies and egos. Next is 'Coliseum' originally known as 'Go Right Falls' due to a tree in the left slot on the first runs. Main channel goes right and over a 6-foot stairstep. Alternate route is to run the slots on the left and boof into the eddy. Take the straight line in the runout through a 3 foot wide slot. Now the pre-show is over and you get brief intermission of more fast class II-III water as Little Bobtail and Short Bobtail enter to pump up the volume. When the creek cuts back to the left over a horizon line, you're ready for the feature presentation. The next 0.75 miles is Ozark steep creekin' at its best. Major rapids are 'Bail-Baby-Bail', 'Werewolf', 'The Funnel' and 'The Slot'. 'Bail-Baby-Bail' starts at the horizon line and is a long drop with undercuts, trees, holes and pin potential. Main line is to enter down the slide right, avoid the rooster tail rock and tree, over the ledge, around the corner to the right and down through the series of holes to the left. The holes tend to push hard to the right and into the shallow rocks on the bottom right side. Finish through some tight slots after the recovery eddys below the holes. Creek turns left again and enters 'Werewolf'. Enter on the slide right and catch the right eddy, ferry back to the left above the Fang rock and down through the series of holes. A couple nice ledge drops follow before the entrance to the 'Funnel'. Again trees growing in the middle of the rock garden hide the horizon line. Enter right and punch the ledge hole, and ride the flume down through a couple more holes into the eddy-pool below. Several more good rock jumbles follow. Be on the look for a rapid where the flume narrows to 10-12 feet and ends in a house sized boulder on the left bank as the creek cuts sharp right. A large eddy to the left is a good place to stop and prepare for 'The Slot'. The creek bends back to the left and cuts back right as it funnels between two large boulders slanting in from each bank. Build up speed to punch the entrance wave-holes and the final hole at the bottom. This hole has provided numerous creekboat rodeos. The meat of the hole is river left, but the right bank below the hole is undercut, so the best line is to punch through the center. The eddy/pool below feeds a 5 foot offset ledge drop. The left bank below the drop is very sharp limestone. Best line is to boof straight of the far right side, but avoid the left edge of the right half of the ledge or you will likely piton on the lip and fall into the hole. Some more class III follows to the confluence with Richland. Paddlers need to be very, very confident on Richland before trying this run. It is a mean little steep creek, on par with Beech or Shop Cr., only shorter. Thanks go to Cowper Chadbourn and Lance Jones for a description of this one. See Lance Jones' Pages for more info on Bobtail Cr.
Rating: IV-V
TDCR: ????
Location: Newton Co.; To reach the put-in, follow Hwy 21 south from
Boxley toward Mossville. After you pass Mossville, look for a
bermed road on your right that has a large turnout area where
several cars can be parked near the highway. This is the access
for Paradise Falls described in Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls
book. Park and drag over the berm and down the old logging road.
The hike to the creek is about a half mile total, but it's not
too bad a brushwhack if you can manage to stay on the old roads.
Pass the first road trace that turns to the right and continue
as the main road bears to the left (south). Take the next old
road trace downhill on the right and follow it as it heads down
and back to the northwest. The next turn is very hard to find.
You'll pass one road trace going downhill toward the creek on your
left, but keep going a bit further and take the second one. This
one barely looks like a road anymore, and it's easy to get lost in
the woods on the way down. If you follow it correctly, you'll
intersect the creek very high up in the watershed at an elevation
of about 1980 feet,just above a 5-foot ledge where the old road
crosses the creek. Ernst's book and a good GPS and compass are
very helpful. It's a good idea to hike down this trail before
you have a chance to run the creek, just to make sure you can find
it!
Topo Quad(s): Fallsville, Boxley
Gradient: 230 fpm (300 fpm max)
Length: 10.25 mi. (2.75 miles on Boen Gulf plus 7.5 miles on Hailstone Cr.)
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: The USGS Buffalo at Boxley should be very high - 8+ feet is a good
indicator. However, if you wait for the gauge to update, you may have
missed the water. Look for 2.5+ inches of rain in just a few hours on
the Buffalo Tower and Swain rain gauges and get there when the rain
stops to catch the creek. Smith Cr. is a good indicator - look at
Smith from the Hwy 21 bridge. If it's muddy and running high, you
probably will have enough water on Boen Gulf. The only way to be
sure is to jog down to the creek and climb back out to either boat
or drive on - not an easy task, but one that can avert the unpleasant
experience of dragging a boat back up the hill if the water level
is in doubt.
LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY)
Hazards: strainers, severely undercut rocks, severe rapids, hydraulics,
waterfalls, etc.
Description: Boen Gulf sheds more total gradient than just about any
other Ozark steep creek. Dropping 650 feet in just under three miles,
it falls from the top of the Ozark plateau down to the Buffalo River
valley through three distinct gorges. The put-in elevation of 1980
feet is probably the highest anywhere in the Ozarks; you're still in
the nosebleed section when you launch your boat. The rapids range
from fairly tame to some of the wildest drops yet attempted in
Arkansas. If you can find the put-in (no small feat), the creek
starts by dropping over a small ledge with a punchy hole into a
large eddy on the right in a shallow cave. This starts the first
gorge of the creek, but the rapids are relatively tame class III
for the next 1/4 mile. You probably should be scraping some rocks
here, or the level downstream may be more than you want in places!
The first big drop presents a large horizon line and warrants a scout.
"Dog Barf Falls" is a fairly straightforward ledge, but it foreshadows
bigger things to come! After Dog Barf are two very rocky drops
back-to-back. At all but the highest water levels, these will need
to be portaged down to the next confluence. A creek merging from the
left doubles the flow - a common occurrence on the way down Boen Gulf.
There are always trees to contend with in the next couple of miles,
and the current doesn't slow down very often, so be alert. Just after
a small drop into a creek-wide hole, get out at the top of a low-angle
slide to scout "Paradise Falls" on the left bank. It's hard to see
the bottom from the top - a rope to rappel down somewhere on the left
side of the gorge is an excellent idea. Paradise is about as impressive
as it gets in the Ozarks: a fast slide with some tricky diagonal
holes feeds a near-vertical fall that is 25+ feet high. The water
explodes off of rifts in the rock face on the way down creating ominous
looking rooster tails before it all crashes into a big hole at the
bottom. The fall has been run several times, but high-volume creek
boats with blunt, rockered bows are essential gear. A feasible line
is down the middle of the drop, hopefully maintaining an upright
attitude all the way down. This is class V creekin at its finest, and
the portage on the left may be nastier than running the drop! After
leaving Paradise, the creek settles down as it emerges from the first
gorge. Dozens of class III drops, and at least one tougher rapid are on
the agenda until the creek seems to disappear into a big pile of rocks.
Get out on the left to scout or on the right to portage the next 1/8
mile. This is the second gorge consisting of large drops with many
hazardous undercuts and sieves. A large siphon under the rock in
the last drop awaits any swimmers, forming a deadly, hidden trap.
This is nasty, class V+ water that most boaters will want to portage
in its entirety. At the end of the ugly gradient is a small pool
leading into a jumbled drop on the right that feeds onto a low-angle
slide. Catch an eddy at the end of the slide where rocks push the creek
to the far left into a slot. This is "Smack Yer Bottom", a ten-foot
spout landing on a bedrock slide. The impact at the bottom will hit
you very hard with a landing that is too flat or too steep. A screw
up in the churning slot above could result in very serious injuries.
The portage on the right side is simple. The slide continues down
to another creek confluence that marks the end of the second gorge.
The rapids mellow out for a short while, but a third gorge awaits!
You'll suddenly find yourself looking for eddies among the rocks.
The creek twists and drops constantly for the next 1/3 mile. Some
drops that might be singled out are "Huck & Duck," where a huge dead
tree on the first descent forced everyone to duck while running a
slot drop into an undercut rock, "Splat To Hell," where a relatively
easy looking drop bends sharply right, pushing into a boiling pile
that will trap wayward boaters in a sieve on the left, and
"Double Crack," which presents two interesting ways to vertically
pin at the same spot in the midle and a potentially nasty surf
on the sneak route on the far right. This section presents dozens
of opportunities for pins and is basically one long class IV+ rapid
when the water is up good. Just before reaching the Hailstone, the
rapids ease up and the gorge recedes. The Hailstone will no doubt
be in flood, with lots of huge waves and big holes to deal with. On
the first descent, the group made it down Boen Gulf in good shape,
but had multiple swimmers in the willow jungles on the Hailstone
just above Boxley. Don't let your guard down! The first known descent
was made on 5/16/2003 by Bill "Fish" Herring, Noah Fraiser, Lance
"Lazer" Jones, Ray Skinner, Billy Williams, Mike Oglesby, and
Kyle Bogard. Obviously Boen Gulf is only suitable for boaters
comfortable on steep, class IV+ water who have their helmets
strapped on tight!
Rating: IV-V * TDCR: ???? Location: Turn West from Hwy 7 at the "Who Would Have Thought It Gift Shop". Take the left hand fork about 1.2 miles to the 6th drive/road to the left. Park and carry or drive 0.75 mile (4WD only) to a gate. An ATV trail leads downhill just before the gate. Drag downhill about 0.5 miles to put-in (elevation 1560 ft). Reach the take out by taking the right fork at the gift shop down the hill to Hurricane Creek put-in. At the bottom of the hill the road forks. The left fork fords a creek. If the creek is high park here and carry boats out 0.5 mile. If crossable, drive 0.5 mile to house on right in left hand bend. Ask permission to park in the clearing provided by landowner (Very nice!) Topo Quad(s): Deer, Fort Douglas, Lurton, Sand Gap Gradient: 200 fpm Length: 4 mi. Season: FLOOD Gauge: Gage at Richland Campground needs to be above 6. Look for 1.5 inches or more rain at the Deer and Ben Hur rain gages, as posted on the ACC Resource Page. Rain must have fallen within the last 6 to 12 hours. If the small creek at the bottom of the take-out road is to the point you think about not driving across, it's a definite run! Hazards: Undercut ledges and rocks, overhanging branches, strainers, waterfalls. Very tight in places (pinning hazzards). Vertical pins possible on left side of "THE BOSS". Avoid "The Undercut"! Description: First known descent was December 17, 1995. By Cowper Chadbourn, Chris Anderson, Chris Jones, Nathan Kline, and Lance Jones. The creek starts out fast and narrow dropping over several small slides and ledges. The run is 2 miles on Boss Hollow (200 fpm with 400 fpm max) then 2 miles on Buck Branch (80 fpm). Approximately 0.25 miles into the run there is a small ledge into a pool. Now the tight and technical section starts. Lots of pin possibilities here. This is where the Toilet Bowl and Baby Boss Slide are encountered. These are followed shortly by Face Slap Falls and Sycamore Slot. After several more extended fast continuous rapids there is another small ledge into a pool. The exit to the pool is usually cluttered/blocked with logs. Scout on the right bank. This is the entrance to THE BOSS, a very serious drop. This is the combination of the entrance to the big slide (Performance Evaluation), the big slide (Broken Paddle) and the last ledge (Half A Paddle). Pick your way around the wood or carry. Run down the main channel to the left through a slot, over a ledge and down a narrow slide and hang a 90 degree right to the big slide. Make sure you slide down the right half of the slide to avoid the nasty vertical pins on the left side. The last ledge into a small pool can create a strong hydraulic. Very shortly (100-150 yds) the creek takes a sharp turn to the left and funnels down a 3-4 ft. wide slot. This is "The Undercut!" A large house foundation sized slab rock at least 50% undercut. Run as far left as possible. (up on the wall is my preferred route) The next 0.25 mile to Buck Branch is known as Cheesegrater. A long continuous shoal with several surf holes. At low water it feels like a your sliding down a cheesegrater. (At least your boat will be lighter for the carry out!). The final 2 miles down Buck Branch have many class III drops and several play spots. Take out just above Hurricane Creek at house beside the creek. Like other micro-volume creeks, meaningful ratings are difficult to establish on the accepted International scale. At lower levels, the creek will seem like a very technical Class III, with much rock bashing, scraping, and some portages. At higher levels, several rapids are expected to become solid Class V. Either way, because of the hazards, Boss Hollow should be treated with a lot of respect. Make sure you're ready for a serious run before putting in. (Thanks to Lance Jones for the description of this great Ozark creek!)
Rating: IV-VI
TDCR: 9996
Location: Newton Co.; Put-in is near Mt. Sherman and Kyles Landing
on Hwy. 74. You're looking for a dirt road leading steeply
downhill roughly across from the road to Kyles Landing.
It should go down quickly to some pastures and you want to
stay right past a house on your right. Just past this
the road turns ugly and only determined 4WD will make it
to the bottom. About 150 yards downhill is an old
abandoned shack of a house. Assemble gear here and then
hike straight down the old road to the creek about 75 yards
downhill. The takeout is reached by following the Mt. Sherman
Cemetery Road south toward Diamond Cave. Park on the LEFT
(creek) side of the road just upstream of the slab stream
crossing. Do not block the driveway on right side.
Area Map
Topo Quad(s): Jasper, Parthenon
Gradient: 250 fpm (1.25 mile @ >500 fpm)
Length: 2.75 mi
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: Only runnable after extended heavy rainfall.
Buffalo R. should be over 2 or 3 ft. over the Ponca bridge.
Beech Cr. should have plenty of water. The creek should
look flush with water at the takeout - unless it's raining,
you'll lose most of the flow by the time you finish the run.
Hazards: continuous severe rapids, unrunnable boulder sieves,
numerous undercut rocks, keeper hydraulics, numerous strainers
Description: Boulder is not your typical Ozark steep creek run.
The vital statistics of the creek are sobering for paddlers.
First, the gradient is amazing: 250 fpm average, but that
includes a 60 fpm half mile at the end. The steepest part
is found in a quarter mile near the end, known simply as
The Falls, that drops almost 200 ft in that distance. The
creek also lives up to its name; huge boulders abound creating
nearly continuous and blind class IV-V rapids mixed with
sieves of questionable runnability. And the watershed is
large by Ozark standards - the lower two miles of the creek
is fed by runnoff from almost four square miles of land.
A trip down Boulder Cr. sets the paddler up for a full day
of mental and physical stress testing that is unrivaled
anywhere in the state (and few places in the country).
The first attempt on the creek was made on 11/7/96 by
Bill and Chanoy Herring and Kevin Fendley. A 3/4 mile
section of the creek was completed before an injury
forced the group to hike out of the gorge. The first
successful run of the gorge happened during the memorable
"Earth Day Floods" on April 23, 2004, when Zach Williams,
Sean Ruggles, and Bill Herring completed the entire trip
at an optimal level with around a dozen portages. This
group knew the creek intimately after numerous pre-run hikes,
but the trip still required more than 7 hours to complete -
despite an early start, the takeout was reached just before
nightfall. Hiking the creek dry before running it should
be considered a requirement (hike from the takeout up, not
the put-in down), and consideration should be given to
identifying landmarks for scouts and portages in advance.
The creek begins just below an old abandoned house as a
tiny stream and immediately plunges over an angled fall
with a bad landing, followed by a ledge into an undercut
grotto. It looks a bit dicey, but the creek dishes out
far worse for the next three miles - if the first drop
gives you pause, a hike back to your vehicle is still an
option. The rapids are typically class III with small
eddies for the next third of a mile, with a few tricky
spots thrown in for good measure. The Upper Gorge rears
its ugly head when a large jumble blocks the stream under
a pretty dripline bluff on the left. This drop feeds into
a severely undercut boulder - scout with care. From here
the creek alternates between bouts of relatively tranquil
water and pure class V mayhem for the next quarter mile
or so. If there aren't too many trees, it is all runnable,
though questionable at times. Scouting is difficult but
essential, and these rapids must be gotten through or around
quickly since the water level is probably dropping out
fast and there is a lot of creek left to boat. In the middle
of this is maybe the biggest sheer drop on the creek -
"Hang A Lefty". It's an 8-foot ledge onto a rock shelf on the
right, but the current helps funnel you left into the
undercut base of the drop - no worries! When you see/feel
two tributaries kick in and the gradient slack up, be ready
to get out. The "Strainer Strainer" is rock sieve through
which not much will pass - portage right. Class III water
provides some rest for the next quarter mile, and then
the class IV+ "Pretzel" signals the start of the Lower Gorge.
The bottom part of this rapid may not go at low levels.
The infamous "Elbow" follows - a very long class V rapid
consisting of multiple tricky ledges followed by a sharp
turn into an ugly-looking hole. The only reasonable scout
is from river right. The next half mile presents an almost
constant barrage of long, complex, blind drops. This is
a very intense section of water, but all drops are boatable
under the right conditions. When the bottom looks like it
is really starting to drop out, it is. This is "The Falls",
so get out on either bank to scout and portage the next
quarter mile. The long lead-in is solid class V (V+?) water
that roughly ends at a drop called the "Pearly Gate" - a
steep plunge between two boulders into a wicked looking hole.
Past this is "Salvation Eddy", a semi-pool of water
on the right bank. Failure to reach Salvation will
result in a severe pummeling in the monster class VI cascade
that follows. Even the hairiest of boaters will want
to carefully consider this section - even just standing on
the bank comptemplating the ramifications of an attempt
at running this incredible chunk of gradient can be a
quasi-religious experience. The carry down to the small
pool below is not as bad as it first appears, and after
the pool, a long, complex series of drops through
boulders leads into the base of a large cliff with a
cave in its base on river left. "Cliff Rapid" is just
above the cliff, and unfortunately a large seive in
the middle of the drop is not runnable except at very
high levels. It's hard to see this without careful scouting,
so make sure you see the entire rapid before committing to
it. The class III-IV water after Cliff may seem easy by
comparison, but don't relax too soon. Just When You Thought
It Was Over, a tricky class IV+, comes in this stretch and
another long, difficult rapid follows it. From here to
Panther Creek is solid class III+ water with some holes to
beware of (the worst is a ledge right at the confluence
with Panther). Take a deep breath and paddle through
fast class II-III water for the next third of a mile down
to the takeout. Kiss the ground and walk up to run your
shuttle. Boulder Cr. should obviously not be taken lightly.
It is a serious, all-day undertaking suitable only for a
team of well-prepared class V creek boaters. Dozens of
class V drops must be run or portaged quickly, often
without good bank scouting or support, since water levels
drop quickly and virtually the whole creek can sieve out.
Expect a great deal of serious hiking/climbing though
jungles of poison ivy and you will not be disappointed!
Rating: IV-V
TDCR: ????
Location: Newton Co.; Take Hwy. 43 north from Compton about 1/2
mile and take the dirt road on your right that's across
from the fire station building. Head downhill for 2
miles on the dirt road until you reach a small creek
crossing over a rock slab. If there's a lot of water
covering the slab and it's moving really fast,
you're good to go! Paddle down to Cecil Cr. about
1/4 mile down and then carry back up on the left side
of Broadwater on the hiking trail that leads back to
the put-in. The hike takes about 20-30 minutes dragging
a kayak.
Topo Quad(s): Ponca
Gradient: 400 fpm
Length: 0.25 mi
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: Only runnable immediately after very heavy rainfall.
Look for 2+ inches in a couple of hours on the Compton
rain gauge at the Buffalo National River site and drive
fast!:
LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY)
Hazards: undercuts, downed trees, and one spine crushing drop
Description: First run in the epic Earth Day Flood on April 24, 2004
by Fish, Otter, Zach Williams, Sean Ruggles, Amanda
Boster, and Trey Marley, this is the premier Park-N-Creek
run of the Ozarks. The access is simple and no shuttle is
needed. Just jump in your boat and hang on - though scouting
down the creek on the left trail is a good idea for first
timers. The run starts with long slide that finishes with
a seven foot spout that was first run by Sean Ruggles
backwards after a tightly spaced group launch turned
into an ugly traffic jam halfway down the slide. This author
can attest to the rather surprised look in Sean's eyes
as he disappeared into the froth! The drop's named
"Clusterf**k" - watch out for the eddy on the left and if
there's much water at all expect to get backendered. If you
had fun, the carry back up to run it again is not hard at all.
The next drop is one of the more visually impressive drops
in the Ozarks. Nicknamed "Honcho", this twisting falls
lands on a slab of limestone, making varying degrees of
spinal abuse possible if not likely. Honcho is a solid
class V drop, probably V+ at high water levels. It's easy
to portage on the left, and unless you're feeling invincible
that's probably the best route to the bottom. Next is another
long slide at high speed and then a jumble of rocks that
makes for a nice class III-IV drop. A couple of eddies lead
over a class III+ entrance rapid and a tiny eddy above the
lip of "Rock Slide". This 10-foot plunge over a house-
sized boulder looks more intimidating from the entrance than
it is, but there's relatively little room for error since
it immeditately feeds into some rocks and then into the
next series of drops. The next 100 yards of class IV-V
water is the "Broadwater Boogie". A good scout and some
strategic bank support can prevent minor mishaps from
turning epic here. Depending on water level, you'll
either be trying to speed up to boof or slow down to not get
smashed into the rocks. There probably isn't a completely
clean line down the whole thing, and well laid plans tend
to unravel before the bottom eddy is reached. The next
and final drop, "Big Ugly", is only runnable at very high
water levels over the double drop in the center of the
creek. Water flows through cracks in the huge rock making
any line potentially hazardous. Scout from the rocks
in the center, and if it doesn't look pleasant, just carry
up the left bank to the trail. Cecil Creek lies at the
bottom of Big Ugly - make sure you take out there or it
will be a very long walk back to the car! If you get on
the creek at high levels and run it quickly, you can go
for round #2 if you have enough energy left, but expect
a much bonier run unless it's pouring rain. Not running
the first drop again would be a shame though - it boats
well even with very low flow. Or, if you have a lot of
time, head over for a chaser on Osage Cr., which should
have plenty of water left! Broadwater is extremely steep
and boaters should definitely be experienced at class V
steep creekin' before launching a boat!
Rating: I-II TDCR: 1213 Location: North AR., Numerous put-ins and take outs are possible in the 130 miles of river in the National Park. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Boxley, Ponca, Jasper, Hasty, Mt. Judea, Eula, Western Grove, Snowball, Marshal, Maumee, Cozahome, Big Flat, Buffalo City Gradient: Boxley to Ponca: 20 fpm Ponca to Kyle's Landing: 15 fpm Rest of the river: less than 10 fpm Length: about 130 spectacularly beautiful miles! Season: ALL except very dry summer months Gauge: Readings can be obtained by calling the Corps at 501-324-5150. Levels for several locations are given. LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY) LINK TO USGS GAUGE Hazards: none Description: The Buffalo is the first U.S. National River. It is exceedingly rich in history and beauty. A discussion of this river is far beyond the scope of this humble document. Suffice it to say that it would be difficult to find a more spectacular river anywhere in the world. The whitewater is at its best in the spring on the upper sections from Boxley to Kyle's Landing. But the whitewater is not the primary reason to float this river. The towering, multi-colored bluffs, the clear, cool, green water, and the abundant wildlife (including some imported elk) are the main attractions. See Tom Kennon's guidebook "Ozark Whitewater" or one of the many books written about the Buffalo for more information on this fantastic river. If you catch the river at high water, check out the good kayak play run from Boxley to Ponca. This stretch is more challenging than the downstream sections, and it is the only one you can run when the Park Service closes the river due to high water.
Rating: I-II TDCR: 2113 Location: Faulkner and Cleburne Co.; Take Hwy. 65 north from Conway to Hwy. 310 (west of Guy). Take 310 northeast for a 2.5 mi. until you reach the bridge over the Cadron. Put in at this point. You can take out at Hwy. 65 bridge (3.5 miles downstream) or float down to the Hwy. 285 bridge south of Damascus. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Guy, Damascus Gradient: 10 fpm Length: 13.5 mi. Season: SPRING and FALL Gauge: Call Howard Elliot Outfitters at 501-679-5050. Hazards: minor strainer problems Description: This is a good run to catch after a good rain, and it's only 45 minutes from Little Rock. The river offers some good class II rapids in the first few miles, and at high levels there are some good surfing opportunities. Rent a canoe from Howard Elliot if you don't want to bring yours along and mess with the shuttle.
Rating: II+ TDCR: 4444 Location: Crawford Co.; Take Hwy. 282 west from I-540 to Rudy, then take the Hobbtown Rd. north from Rudy to Hobbtown. There is a put-in on the East Fork of Cedar Cr. at Hobbtown (adds about a mile to the run). To get to the West Fork of Cedar follow Hwy. 162 west from Hobbtown. Put in at the bridge. The take out is on the Frog Bayou in Rudy. Other put-ins/take-outs are possible on the many county roads in the area. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Rudy Gradient: 50 fpm Length: 7 mi. Season: RAIN Gauge: The Frog Bayou should be probably be running at least 5 ft. for a run. Also there is a gauge is on the west side of the western most bridge abutment on Hwy 348. This gauge should be at least zero inches for a run on Cedar Cr. and 4 inches for a run on the West Fork or East Fork (above the confluence). There is also a gauge on the Hwy 162 bridge over the West Fork but it isn't graduated or calibrated. The gauge is located on the upstream side of the west bridge abutment. You need water to the bottom of that gauge to run the West Fork. Hazards: mostly strainers Description: This run is a fun class II to II+ run down a small, swift creek. Many different runs are possible. The most play oppoutunities can be found on the West Fork between the Hwy 162 bridge and the confluence with the East Fork. The surfing in this stretch is some of the best in the state, with continous waves and holes. The first major hole below the 162 bridge can be a boat keeper at high levels, so have a good plan for getting out before you get in. The East Fork can also be boated from the Hwy. down. It is a smaller, steeper stream, but it doesn't have the quality surfing spots of the West Fork. Watch out for an 8 foot high dam that must be portaged on the East Fork about a mile below the 162 bridge. Watch for strainers and trees that can be hazardous on most of the creek, but which are especially bad on the East Fork. Also beware of some barbed wire strands on the East Fork near a small low-water crossing. The bridge at the confluence of the East and West forks makes a good take out for the Fork runs or a good put in when the water is too low upstream. Drive to this bridge from Hobbtown Rd. (to the East of Cedar Cr.). The lower part of Cedar Cr. has many good rapids and playspots in the 5 miles to the Frog Bayou. It can often be boated when the West Fork and East Fork are too low to paddle. Cedar Cr. is a great alternative to a run on Lee Cr. and it is often running when Lee is running. Like Lee, the two miles of the West Fork of Cedar Cr. is a great afternoon play run. Thanks go to Charlie Stotts for information on this great play run.
Rating: II-III TDCR: 3333 Location: Crawford Co.; Take Hwy 71 north of I-40 to the Hwy 282 junction just north of Mountainburg. Take Hwy 282 west to Chester. Put in at the Hwy 282 bridge in Chester. (Park downstream river right just below the bridge.) Take out at Ash St. low water bridge in Mountainburg (see Frog Bayou, S1 for more info.) Area Map Topo Quad(s): Mountainburg Gradient: 30 - 40 fpm Length: 3 mi. Season: FLOOD Gauge: The USGS Frog Bayou gauge should be above 5 ft. for a good run. Another good indicator is less than 1 ft. of airspace under the Ash St. bridge. If there is more than 1 ft. of water over the bridge, the run will be dangerous due to extremely heavy water on the Frog. Hazards: mostly strainers and some heavy water on the Frog. Also beware of construction work for I-540 in several areas. At the time of this writing the creek passes through some culverts in three places and the areas are littered with rebar and other hazards. Description: The first two-thirds of this run is on Clear Cr. The boating in this section is fast paced with many good class II+ drops. The first surfing opportunity comes immediately below the put-in bridge where enders are possible at high levels. Another spectacular surfing wave resides less than 1/2 mile down as the creek bends sharply to the left. This portion of the creek is similar to Lee Cr., but it is much narrower. Beware of the areas near and under the three I-540 bridges, as these areas contain debris left over from highway construction. Also, beware of some protruding rebar on the river right side of a train trestle just below the third I-540 bridge. Just downstream of this trestle, a ledge in the middle of a class II rapid provides a great spot for surfing and 360 spins. After the confluence with the Frog Bayou at the end of the second mile, the character of the run changes completely. The paddler is now on a full sized river, and the flow triples. Heavy class II+ water is encountered for the next 3/4 mile until the take-out is reached. There are usually some bad strainers below the confluence, and the current can easily push an unprepared boater into them. The run is fairly fast, usually requiring less than two hrs. If you are more pressed for time, consider taking out or putting in at the upper I-540 bridge. Take care not to trespass on the banks since most of the land surrounding the creek is privately owned. Boaters should have very good boat control in class II-III rapids before putting on Clear Cr.
Rating: III-IV (VI) TDCR: 6857 Location: Newton Co. Put in is reached from a county road 2 miles southwest of Deer on Hwy 16. Turn north on this road and follow it for approx. 4 miles to a house. ASK FOR PERMISSION TO ACCESS THE CREEK. Drag your boat 1 mile down an old logging road to the creek. Take out is reached by taking Shiloh Rd. east of Hwy. 21 just south of Mossville. Drive for 2 miles and take the right fork. Descend a steep hill for 4 miles to a wide low-water slab across the creek. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Swain, Murray Gradient: ??? Length: 8 mi. Season: FLOOD Gauge: Water should be flowing over the Buffalo R. low water bridge at Ponca. Also, low water bridge at the take-out should be under water for an optimal run. LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY) Hazards: strainers, Johnson's Squeeze (VI) Description: The upper section of the EFLB, as it is locally known, is a classic Ozark creek run. At the confluence of Barberry Cr. the EFLB is a very small steep creek, but it picks up volume from three tributaries in the first mile and becomes a respectable creek run. Half Moon (III) is the first notable drop encountered followed by Johnson's Squeeze (VI) where the creek is severely choked down. Portage Johnson's Squeeze on the left, and beware of entering the upper part of the drop accidentally. You may be forced to fight for your life in the Squeeze, as it's namesake, Jon Johnson, can attest to. Although it certainly is not recommended, the Squeeze has been run twice. The first run was on the right at very high water by Ryan Johnson (4/22/96), and the second was on the left (2/21/97) by Mr. Johnson as well. Don't try this at home boys and girls. It's a definite hazard to life and limb at any level. Numerous class III and III+ rapids are encountered below the Squeeze, and shortly after this stretch the gradient relaxes a bit. When you pass some remote houses near low water crossings, get ready for more serious action as the creek crashes through a series of technical class III+ rapids, with one of these warranting a bank scout. A pin is a real possibility in this section. After this stretch the river still contains many class III drops. All boaters should have solid class III-IV skills before attempting this fast paced, dangerous creek. Thanks to Shelby Johnson for information on this run.
Rating: II * TDCR: 1332 Location: Madison County. Take Hwy 16 south from Durham, go approx. three miles, then the highway will curve to the left and go uphill. At top of the hill will be a gravel road to the left. The road is easy to recognize because it cuts through an exposed layer of red clay. Follow the road to the take-out (should be obvious). The turn for the put-in is approximately 1.75 miles down (South) of the highway from the turn-off for the take-out. Cross over one bridge, go up a hill then across another drainage then take the first left on a gravel road. The road is marked by a stop sign. Follow it to a bridge which is the put-in. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Durham Gradient: less than 20 fpm Length: 1.75 mi. Season: FALL, SPRING Gauge: No real gauge, but the Mulberry should be relatively high (> 4.5 ft.) for a good run. Hazards: Some strainers, bad hydraulics at high water levels Description: For some reason not many paddlers are aware of this run, probably because there are many more challenging runs up when this one is optimal. However it is a great afternoon float for paddlers near Fayetteville due to the short shuttle and the large watershed above the run which maintains a floatable level for up to a week after a good rain. It is a good training run for beginners, offering several chances to practice eddy hopping and ferrying. When the river begins to turn to the left and a tributary enters on the right, the river channel begins to narrow signaling the proximity of Flat Rock Rapid. This rapid begins as a chute flowing over a ledge that creates some nice surfing waves, then it opens up and flows over sandstone bedrock creating mucho surfing waves. At the bottom of the rapid the bedrock ends and creates more waves and turbulence. The short pool just past the trough is great for recovery. There is a short class II- rapid just below Flat Rock Rapid, which, unfortunately, signals the end of the run. Paddle through a long pool to the take-out. Thanks to Steve Robertson for information on this run.
Rating: II-IV TDCR: 5666 Location: Washington and Crawford Co.; Take Hwy 71 north from I-40 to West Fork, then take Hwy 170 south and then Hwy 265 west to Strickler. Put in at Hwy 265 bridge at Strickler. Take out at low water bridge on Hwy 220 (dirt road) south of Devil's Den State Park. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Strickler, Rudy NE Gradient: 50 fpm (80 fpm. in first 2.5 miles) Length: 12 mi. Season: RAIN Gauge: The bridge at the takeout near Lee Cr. should have water flowing over it for a minimal run. More than 1.5 ft of water over this bridge will make for a class IV run in the upper six miles. The USGS gauge for Baron Fork at Dutch Mills is also a good predictor for this run. It should be over 4.0 ft. for a run on Fall Cr. LINK TO USGS GAUGE Hazards: hydraulics, strainers, barbed wire (2 fences at end of 6th mile), undercuts Description: This creek was first run by Steve Robertson and crew in open boats in May 1995. The lower 6 miles were run in Jan. 1993 by Bill and Chanoy Herring. The first 4 miles are the toughest, containing many class III+ drops in a very narrow stream bed. "Threes with trees" is the best way to describe this dangerous stretch. At high water there are very few eddies and no pools to recover in. Some of the more notable rapids include Introduction (III) just below the put-in bridge, Poke in the Eye (III) about 2.5 miles into the run, and Hal's Falls (III) at mile 5.0 which sports a terminal, river- wide hydraulic at higher levels. 1/2 mile below Hal's Falls watch out for two mean strands of barbed wire that span the creek. The first fence appears at the end of a rapid where water pillows off of several car sized rocks in the middle of the stream. It is best portaged on the right. The second fence follows about 1/4 mile after the first, just as a large overhanging bluff on river left ends. Portage on the left. These fences are extremely dangerous and difficult to spot from upstream. Also there are barbed wire strands in the creek between the two fences. Stay near the left bank to avoid these strands. Though it's tempting, do not attempt to cut or move these fences. The landowner is within his rights to have them there, and he could cause major trouble for boaters if his property is destroyed. Also beware of the potential for strainers that can block the entire creek in many places. Plan on portaging at least a few times. The gradient lessens in the last half of the run providing more time to recover, but there are still many trees in the fast current so stay on your toes. You may want to put on early, because it can easily take you more than six hours to run the 12 miles, and more time can easily be consumed unpinning wayward boats and paddlers. All boaters should be confident on fast class III-IV water and familiar with strainer hazards before attempting Fall Cr.
Rating: III TDCR: 4562 Location: Pope and Searcy Co.; Take Hwy. 65 north of Conway from I-40 and then Hwy. 16 west of Clinton to Ben Hur then north on NFR 1205. Numerous put-ins and take-outs availible off of NFR 1205. Area Map Topo Quad(s): Smyrna, Moore Gradient: 60+ fpm Length: 6 mi. Season: RAIN Gauge: The gauge at Richland Cr. should be between 12 and 0 inches of airspace. You may also be able to determine the approximate level using the Buffalo R. river and rain gauges which are linked below. LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY) Hazards: strainers, Falling Water Falls Description: A tributary to Richland Cr., Falling Water is a great whitewater run in its own right. It's packed full of terrific scenery and some great drops, most notably Falling Water Falls, a sheer 10 footer 6 miles upstream of the Richland confluence. Much of the creek can be scouted from the road that parallels it 80% of the time. The stream bed is extremely narrow in the first 3 miles, and at high water the class III rapids tend to come at you very fast with few eddies to scout from. Watch out for the ever present deadfalls that can make you wish you'd worn some hiking boots. While not as punishing as Richland's gorge, Falling Water is more technical and all boaters should be strong intermediates. In high water, be an expert boater and hold onto your hat!
Rating: III-V *
TDCR: ????
Location: Put-in: Go North on Hwy 123 at Lurton to Spence Junction.
To the right is a dirt road which is the way to Richland.
There is a large pond on the left (this is the headwaters
to Falls Branch) Go North on Hwy 123 for ~1.25 miles to the
next dirt road on the right. (Shulers Point) Go ~0.7 miles
on this road to a parking area in front of a burmed road on
the right. Drag South down the old roadbed to a field and
then down from the left (East) edge of the field to the
creek. Target is just above the junction of the two upper
branches where the old roadbed crosses. (Elevation 1830)
Reach the take-out by going back to Spence Junction and
heading East on the dirt road. Take lefts at the two major
intersections and head North on FR 1200 down the mountain
toward Bass. Park on the side of the road near the low
water bridge. (Elevation 890) The Shulers Point road does
go down the hill to the confluence of Falls Branch and Cave
Creek, but the FS gated it in the summer of 2001. But it
could be used as an emergency access.
Topo Quad(s): Lurton
Gradient: 150 fpm, (300+ fpm max)
Length: 9 mi (4 on Falls Branch)
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: Gage at Richland Campground should to be above 6 or headed
that way. Look for 1.5" or more rain at the Deer, Ben Hur
and Mt. Judea rain gages, at the BNR Data Page. Rain must
have fallen within the last 6 to 12 hours. If the Pond at
Spence Junction is spilling lots of water, it should be a
run!
Hazards: Undercut ledges and rocks, overhanging branches, strainers,
waterfalls.
Description: First known descent was April 22, 1996. By Cowper
Chadbourn, Chris Anderson, Howard Elliot, Walter Felton
(OC-1), Bob Hoffman, Lance Jones, Nate Kline, Robert Orr,
Ted Smethers and Billy Williams. Falls Branch is a
4.5-mile run down to Cave Creek, with and average gradient
of 150 ft/mile, the first mile being 300 ft/mile. Due to
closure of the 4WD road to the confluence, an additional
4-5 mile paddle to the community of Bass is required. The
creek starts out on bedrock with a short slide followed by
a 10-12 foot waterfall just below the confluence of the
upper forks. There is a large rock in the left center of
the drop and a narrow line to land in just right of
center. Exit through one of two slots and over a 6-foot
waterfall. Now get ready for lots of action with very
tight slots and boulder jumbles. Little bedrock is
encountered for the next 0.25 miles. Many of the boulder
jumbles offer pin and undercut dangers compounded with
possible wood. Note: the first run occurred after a series
of wind storms resulting in a very large number of trees down
across the creek. Portaging these trees was a major chore
and led to the renaming of the creek by the paddlers as
'Dead' Falls Branch. Most of the drops were run. Once the
bedrock returns, have fun on the first couple of slides
but be on the lookout for the point where the slide takes
a sharp turn to the left in front of a large boulder. This
is 'Nate's Falls'. The drop is entirely on bedrock, but
two undercut boulders add some spice. Start with the
entrance turn to the left followed by a tight turn to the
right through a slot. The large boulder on the left bank
is undercut and may collect wood. Main route is to exit
far right and cut back left before dropping 10-12 feet
through a tight slot requiring a hard turn back to the
right. The crux is not pinning on the undercut boulder
forming the right side of the slot. Optional route (water
level and wood/debris dependent) is a straight line
through a slot between the boulders and down through the
final slot. Several more boulder jumbles and slides are
encountered shortly, topped off by a slot move into a
steep 12-15 foot slide drop into a grotto pool. Fast class
II-III water takes you from the next mile or so from the
tribuary on the right. Two small ledge drops signal the
approach of 'Surprise Turn'. The creek takes a hard turn
to the left as it drops between two boulders. As you enter
the white foaming maelstrom, you think "This is going to
be ugly!" But the foam is suprisingly forgiving and you
shoot out with a big smile. Stay to the center/left and
away from the undercut wall on the right and line up for
the next 5-6ft drop. Fast boogie water takes you to the
confluence with Cave Creek as the gradient starts to
subside. 80-100 ft/mile gradient continues downstream to
the takeout on FR 1200. Be aware of strainers and willow
jungles in this section. A road parallels the creek if
needed for portaging. Like other micro-volume creeks,
meaningful ratings are difficult to establish on
the accepted International scale. At lower levels, the
creek may seem like a very technical class III, with
much rock bashing, scraping, and some portages. At higher
levels, several rapids are expected to become solid
class V. In any case, paddlers need to be very
familliar with the hazards of small, steep Arkansas
creeks before attempting this run. Thanks to Lance
Jones for information about this great creek!
Rating: IV-V
TDCR: 9895
Location: Take out on Little Mill Cr. at the low water slab.
Put in is reached by heading north to Fern. Go past
Fern and turn off the pavement on the first gravel
road to the south (this road has a stop sign on it).
Follow the road downhill until the road does a couple
of semi-switchbacks. You'll have already passed
one pretty good road to the right, and you're looking
for the next one past the switchbacks. If you go just
past the road, you'll end up in a wide turn around where
the hunters like to camp, so if you get there, turn
back and take the first left. Follow the steep little
road downhill (4WD only!) until it switches back to the
left at a small creek. Go another 100 yards or so
and look for the rock-lined trail going down to the
right. The creek put-in is about 30 yards down this
trail. If you don't have 4WD, park up at the main
gravel road and walk down from there. An alternate,
but unpleasant, takeout if you're running short on
time is to carry back up the old logging road that
intersects the creek just past Rocket Slide.
(Actually there are old logging roads on the ridgetops
on either side of the creek all the way down.) This
road goes up through a split in the bluff and then into
a clear cut. Bear left and uphill and you can drag
up to the put-in in about 45 minutes. It's a heck of
a climb though!
Topo Quad(s): Mountainburg SE
Gradient: 300 fpm (0.5 mi @ 400 fpm)
Length: 4 mi (2.75 miles on Little Mill Cr.)
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: The Mulberry should be huge (10 feet) and rising on the USGS
gauge at Mulberry to have a chance at Fern Gulley. The
watershed is small and the creek is full of rocks - it
needs a lot of water to make a good run. Little Mill
Cr. should almost be covering all of the concrete of
the slab at the takeout. The best way to find out whether
it will run or not is to drive to the put-in, walk 30 yards
to the creek and check it. Ideally, there should be enough
water to form a rowdy looking hole at the base of the first
6-foot drop and the rocks in the main current should be
mostly covered. Unless it's raining, the water will be
dropping fast, so take this into consideration before putting
on at a really boney looking level. If you just see lots
of huge holes and no rocks, you probably should either wait
for the water to drop or go find another creek!
Hazards: Rapids are big, continuous, and dangerous. This is no place
for the unprepared. Pins are possible almost everywhere. Full-
face helmets and elbow pads are an excellent idea.
Description: Fern Gulley is the name given to the East Fork of Little
Mill Cr. by the local folks in Franklin Co. This creek is
the jewel of steep creeking in the southern Ozarks. When
full of water, it is easily one of the most difficult creeks
in the state. The creek features large, continuous drops with
almost no really good eddies. The run stays at a class IV
intensity level all the way, with no real breaks and some
notable class V interuptions. The lack of good eddies makes
it feel even steeper than its 300 fpm average gradient figure
(if that's possible), throwing at paddlers a constant barage of
steep rapids that seem to blend into each other for long stretches.
The creek begs for bank scouting at every turn, but since
the water level tends to drop out quickly, you can't spend
too much time on the banks. A pre-run hike is very highly
recommended. The first drop is called simply "The Test".
Those who fail to pass this class IV warm up, are urged
to consider walking back up to the car. The next half
mile of water is exactly the same - and then it gets much
tougher. Somewhere in the first quarter mile is a drop
called "Rooster Poot" (IV). This one looks like the rest,
but it ends in an ugly looking rooster tail. Portage on the
right if you can get stopped and don't want to risk a pin, or
try to angle right to avoid getting slammed into the rocks. The
first class V is encountered about 1/3 mile from the put-in,
just past the second major tributary stream cascading in on
the left. "Dumb and Dumber" is an ugly drop where the creek
is split by a big rock. The left side of this eight foot plunge
drops onto a roostertail rock and the right side dumps under a
huge rock. The approach is (as always) almost eddyless -
only boat what you can clearly see after Rooster Poot! At
Dumb and Dumber, go ahead and scout the next big class IV,
"Whack-A-Yaker". This is a big, twisting drop that dumps out
under a tree at the end. This one can mess with you - for
some reason it doesn't run as cleanly as it looks. The creek
lets up a bit at this point to a continuous class III slalom
through trees. When the creek turns back to the left, watch
for a major tree jam that requires a portage. Just past
these trees the creek gets very serious, so you might as well
stay on the banks and scout the next 200 yards. This is the
start of "The Drop Zone", and you won't want to enter it blind.
The left bank is really rocky, but it provides the best
look at the drops. The right bank is much easier for
portaging boats. The Drop Zone consists of a 200 yard
long staircase of fast, tough drops and tricky holes
that run headlong into each other creating a solid
class V rapid. There is no room for error when paddling
this rapid - this author can attest to the beating that
these drops can inflict upon those who are not on line!
The Drop Zone can conceivably be broken down into four parts
seperated by hard to catch eddies. The first part is a long,
multi-stage drop with plenty of rocks and holes. You can
then try to grab one of the small eddies - the last good
ones you'll see for a while - on either bank to stop before
part two of the Zone, known as "The Split". This is a
tough, pushy drop that is sometimes run to the left of
the pillowing rock, pulling hard right at the end to line
up for the three remaining ledge holes. Another unstable
eddy on the right preceeds part three - "Damned If You
Do". The creek twists left and drops about 10 feet
into two big holes before shooting out over a couple
of interesting looking drops around the corner. A small,
last chance eddy then appears just above the final
plunge - "Big Juju". Juju is a massive drop and the
route is complex and dangerous. A diagonal hole sits
between the eddy and the most feasible route on the left,
so expect it to kick you on the approach. If you are one
of the few who choose to test their luck in Juju, try to
precisely boof the first eight-foot drop to avoid the
vertical pin on the left and the pin rocks in the middle of
the drop. Assuming you are still upright and moving forward
after you clear the first rocks, you will hopefully carry
enough speed into the final hole to escape from it. If
you're determined to run the Drop Zone, set up bank support
in strategic locations and scout everything thoroughly. If
you think this is nice scenery but not runnable whitewater,
carry your boat around it high on the right bank. Below
Juju, the class IV drops keep comming. There are a couple
of large trees down in this stretch as well, and they
probably won't move anytime soon. After three or four
tricky class IV drops that should generally be run to the
right, a long slide starts. It's a good idea to get out
after the second drop below Juju and scout it, since
a downed tree near the bottom would likely knock your head
off your shoulders. This one is nicknamed the "Rocket Slide",
because you'll tend to launch into the air off of the
vertical ledges in the middle of the slide. Brace for
the curler as you drop into the funneling plunge at the
end, and don't forget to smile for the camera! Rocket Slide
is not that hard if you can avoid getting upside down (ouch!)
or surfed in the hole at the bottom. It's hard to believe
that any hole will stop you when you're moving 25 miles per
hour, but it is a possibility! The next 400 yards of the
creek is non-stop class III+ through trees. If you haven't
hiked out yet, you shouldn't have any trouble boat scouting
down this stretch. It may look strange, but you'll finally see
a small pool up ahead. Welcome to Little Mill Cr. Stop and
take a few breaths and get ready for nearly three more miles
of powerful class III-IV drops before you reach the take-out.
The first two major drops both feature big, sticky holes at
this level, so stay on your toes. If you run Fern Gulley at
below optimal levels, you may not be too impressed by the rock
bashing and sieve portaging. Running it with too much water
will force you into situations you don't want to be in.
The window for optimal levels is small, and even then, the
creek is no place for those who overestimate their skills. Hike
this one dry, and then follow someone who knows the creek if
you can. Fern Gulley was first run on March 19, 2002 by
Otter (aka Jason Bertschy), Mike Echols, Rob Polan, Danny Smith,
Nick Hobbs, "Crazy" Steve Brandenbura, and Fish (aka Bill
Herring), and they have the pictures to prove it!
Rating: I TDCR: 1111 Location: The playspot is on the Illinois R. south of Siloam Springs. Follow Hwy 16 West toward Siloam and turn on Hwy 244 West a short time after you pass Lake Wedington. Follow 244 for a couple of miles or so and take Cincinati Cr. Rd., a gravel road, to the north. You can look for the old, white "Nicodemus Church" sign that is mostly hidden by bushes at this turnoff. The Hwy 244 bridge over Cincinati Cr., a medium sized creekbed with a gravel bottom, is just past the turn you need to make, so if you cross it, you've gone a bit too far. If you reach Hwy 59, you've gone a little over a mile too far. Follow the gravel road north about a mile, and you'll come to an intersection. Go straight on what is now Fishers Ford Rd. The road makes a few bends, but just keep following it north toward the river. When you come to the old metal bridge, park on the river left, upstream of the bridge and be sure to pull off the road. Don't block the little road leading down to the river by the bridge, since local fishermen use it to lauch johnboats. Unload and walk down to the river and put in and paddle down about 100 yards to the ledge. When you're finished playing, either paddle or walk back up the streambed to get back to the bridge. Please respect landowners' rights around this spot, and DON'T TRESPASS on the river banks at the ledge, which are clearly posted. Ask permission from the landowner in advance if you want to walk through the field to reach the playspot. It's a long URL, and it may change, but you can follow this link to get a MapBlast map of the area. Zoom out on it to see how to come in from Fayetteville or other towns. Topo Quad(s): N/A Gradient: N/A (just one rapid) Length: N/A (100 yards to the rapid) Season: ALL Gauge: The USGS gauge on the Illinois R. at Siloam Springs should be higher than 3.0 feet - but it always is. If the gauge is over 5.0 feet, the river is flooding and the water qual