Have you ever experienced something and then afterward wondered why it took you so long to do that? Like, it’s been there under your nose for so long and you just never did it. But once you finally did, you wished you had been doing it all along? Well for me, that experience was floating the Caddo River from Caddo Gap to Glenwood. I had never floated this river until around 2013. What??!!! Crazy, I know. But wow, this a great float! No, you’re not going to see the towering bluffs and mountains you see at the Buffalo. You won’t see the emerald green waters of the Mulberry here. But this is still a great floating river in a beautiful part of the state.
What you will see is a clean river with some cool rock formations, fun rapids, and pretty good smallmouth fishing. You’ll see a combination of nice scenery along with some really nice homes along the river. I wouldn’t call it a “party river”, but there’s usually a fun crowd there. Best of all, it is so convenient. It’s really close to Central and Southwest Arkansas and easy to get to. If you haven’t been floating on the Caddo River yet, you should put this one on your list.
Directions
It depends on which outfitter you use. For Caddo River Canoe Rental, map yourself to Glenwood. Take Hwy 70 and turn left immediately after the bridge, just past McDonalds. (On the right before the bridge if you’re coming in from the west). If you are renting from Arrowhead, Lucky’s, or self-shuttling, head north of Glenwood up Hwy 8/27 toward Caddo Gap. Arrowhead will be just off Hwy 8/27 on AR-240, just across the river. And about a quarter mile north of that is the Caddo River Access point (public). This is the same place Caddo River Canoe Rental drops their people off. All of these points are included in the Google Map below.
What to Expect
This is a 7.5 mile float. When water levels are good, it mostly has a nice swift current with some stretches of deep pools and slower water. There are quite a few fun, easy rapids (Class I-II). In fact, you’ll get some of the best rapids as soon as you hit the water. Where the river crosses under the bridge by Arrowhead, it gets narrow and the current is really fast. When the water is high it produces some pretty large swells here, so be ready. Just after that are some large rock outcroppings that also make for some fun paddling. There are several more of these as well as some shelf drop-offs along the way to keep things fun.
This float can be done in 4-5 hours at moderate speed without a lot of stops. But there are plenty of gravel bars and swimming holes to stop at if you want to make a full day of it. This stretch of the river is pretty reliable for having good water levels most of the time. I’ve only been on it once when it was really low. When the water is low, expect to drag quite a bit and for the deep pools to be really slow. On a nice weekend with good water, expect to see plenty of other paddlers on the river. It’s not too crowded or crazy like the Spring (and sometimes the Buffalo). But usually enough to make it a fun day.
Fishing on the Caddo
Fishing is pretty good on this river when there are not too many paddlers. Even on a busy day, there are still spots where the fishing can be good. It’s mostly smallmouth bass, rock bass, and bream. So if stream fishing is your thing, this river is a good option.
Plan your trip
Most of this float is pretty close to Glenwood. So you can expect to to have cell phone service for most of it, minus a few weak areas. If you are renting from one of the outfitters on a busy weekend, it’s best to call ahead to reserve a canoe, kayak or raft. If you have your own boat, they all have good shuttle services. Like most rivers in Arkansas, the Caddo is rocky. So take river shoes. No glass bottles allowed (duh!). If you have never floated before and don’t know what to pack, refer to the gear list found on our Paddling page.
The Caddo is a close enough drive to Central, West, and South AR to go for the day and drive home. But there are several options for spending the night if you plan to have a few drinks. Both of the outfitters mentioned here have campsites. And Arrowhead even has cabins and bunk houses. Definitely call ahead for those things. Glenwood is a nice little town with a few local hotel options and several good restaurants for post-float dinners (You can’t go wrong with either of the Mexican restaurants there).
There are other options for floating the Caddo River, upstream from Caddo Gap that I have not had a chance to float yet. You have to catch these sections when the water is high. But I will one day, so check back for that story next summer (hopefully). There is also a shorter section that starts in Glenwood. For now, here are plenty of pics of this section of the Caddo. Hope you like these.
