A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my first time to float the Cove Creek run on Cadron Creek. It was not the first new float for me this year. Actually, all my floats this year have been new ones for me. One of the latest was in June, where we floated the Middle Fork Little Red River. This is a float that I’ve had my eye on for a while. For me, the first challenge is finding a weekend when my float friends are free to do a new float. But the biggest challenge for this river is hitting it at just the right level. And boy did we! For this trip, we lucked out getting the perfect water level on a day we could go. More on that later.
We shuttled with Little Red River Outfitters* to do the 10-mile float from Lydalisk to Shirley. Let me just tell you, this float is a hidden gem that is not on most people’s radar. I could tell as soon as I saw the river at the put-in that it was going to be a great float. Well, it turned out to be even more fun than I expected. Another thing that’s great is, it’s pretty convenient to Central Arkansas and the Ozark foothills. It’s almost an hour closer to Central Arkansas than the Buffalo River, Mulberry, and others. And even if the more popular rivers are closer to you, this one is still worth a visit. From the outfitter experience to the river quality, rapids, and scenery, this is an all-around great float.
Quick Glance
Distance: 10 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate, Class I-III
Put-in Coordinates: 35.742241, -92.333594
Take-out Coordinates: 35.652431, -92.319606
Directions
I have provided the put-in and take-out coordinates above and embedded those points in the Google map below for anyone that insists on self-shuttling. But I really don’t recommend self-shuttling for this one. The Lydalisk put-in is a pretty good drive from the take-out at Shirley. Personally, I’m not interested in doing that drive after the float to pick up a vehicle. The shuttle rates are very reasonable. So do yourself a favor and just go straight to Little Red River Outfitters* in Shirley. They are located right on the corner of Hwy 9 and Sam St in downtown Shirley. You can map yourself to them right here.
*Note: This is an honest, voluntary plug and NOT a sponsored post. I received no financial incentive from Little Red River Outfitters.
What to Expect
The River
The guys at Little Red River Outfitters said that 6 feet on the Shirley gauge is the minimum they recommend for a good float. At 10 feet on the gauge, they will not put kids on the river. Well, it was 8 feet the day of our float. When I said earlier that we got the perfect water level, I feel like we hit the sweet spot at 8 feet. There are some really fun rapids on this river. We were met pretty quickly with a couple of small rapids. But along the way we got some small but fun shelf drops and a few wave trains. American Whitewater says up to Class III rapids on this float, but I disagree, at least at 8 ft. I would say a couple of high Class II, but not quite Class III. For the most part, it’s Class I-II at the 8-ft level. You can see these in the video below and judge for yourself.
The Middle Fork Little Red River is a nice shade of green in the deep pools and very clear in the shallows. It gets wide and deep in some parts, and narrow in others. It has plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. We didn’t encounter any major hazards. A few big rocks here and there that can tip you over, but we didn’t have any issues with strainers. We never dragged or had to portage anywhere. There is a strong current at the put-in which lasted for most of the float. There was only one long pool in the middle that we had to paddle through, and one more close to the take-out. Aside from that, we had great current the whole way. We took our time and finished the float in about 5 hours.
Features
There is some great scenery on the Middle Fork Little Red River. Don’t go in expecting to see Upper Buffalo River type of scenery, OK. But there are some nice bluffs along the way and the whole area is surrounded by mountains. This area is just north of Fairfield Bay and Greers Ferry Lake. The scenery is very comparable to that. A few miles into the float, you’ll see a big stone culvert on the right with water pouring out. Up the bank and behind this, you can find a waterfall if you’re willing to hike a little. This is just a few yards past the rope swing on the same side. All this can be seen with more detail in my video below at the 8-minute mark.
The Middle Fork Little Red River has plenty of gravel bars to hang out on. But I don’t know if camping is allowed. It looked like a lot of it was private property, so probably no camping. Don’t expect a big party on the river either. We only saw a few other small groups all day. So if you want a quiet, chill float, this one is for you. It looks like there’s some good fishing to be had here too. If you like to fish, ask your shuttle driver about the best spots. Our driver had lots of good info on that.
Plan Your Trip
Once again, I highly recommend getting a shuttle for this float. The guys at Little Red River Outfitters were great to work with. They are very knowledgeable of the river and all the features of the different sections you can float. When I called them to get info, they told me what to expect, and were spot on. Call them a day or two ahead of time to let them know what you want to do and get updates on the river levels. This river is dependent on rain, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the weather and river levels. As I mentioned, 6-10 feet on the Shirely gauge is the ideal level for this one.
Give yourself 4-6 hours to do this float. Maybe longer if you want to do a lot of fishing. As always, be prepared to pack out your trash and leave no trace. Cell service is spotty here. I think I had a signal occasionally though (AT&T). If a bathroom is important to you, better handle that before you leave Shirley. There is a convenience store on the south side of Shirley for ice, drinks, snacks, etc. This is an easy day float, but if you want to make a weekend of it, I think there is one Airbnb in Shirley. But there are other places to stay in nearby Fairfield Bay and Clinton. For camping, the closest campgrounds I’m aware of are those on Greers Ferry Lake. When rainy weather comes back to the state, add this one to your float list. Be safe out there and enjoy this hidden gem.
