Report Type: Weekend Trip Report
Trip Dates: October 2005
Nearest City: West Plains, MO, USA
Difficulty: Moderate
Submitted by: Jake

Description:

This was an unbelievably beautiful float. We floated 19.3 miles with a total on-water time of 9.5 hours. The river had a good mix of moderately fast and slow waters, giving ample time to fish for the trophy stream, while the faster sections ensured we were bored. The faster sections were mostly easy to navigate, with only one section that required walking down with bow lines. The river is surrounded by wilderness and national forest land and wildlife are abundant. We even spotted two otters playing near the bank, which is a rarity in Missouri. The river doesn't have as many sandbars as other Missouri streams, but there are plenty of good camping places, with enough fallen trees for firewood. Trout and smallmouth bass are the fish of choice, and at this time of the year, beadhead nymphs and emergers seemed to work fairly well.

Accommodations:

We camped on the river one night and at Huffstedtlers campground one night. There isn't much there, but a small store will have a few necessities if you forgot. However, it'd be wise to get what you need in Alton.

Outfitting:

We took 2 16'9" composite canoes

Directions:

This stream is remote. The nearest town is about 20 miles away. There are numerous ways to get there, but you'll need to head south from West Plains to Alton, then take Hwy. 19 northeast to the Greer Spring take out. We floated down to Riverton off Hwy. 160.

Resources:

A Paddlers Guide to Missouri -- I love this book.

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