Floating the Eleven Point River in Arkansas

July and August in Arkansas can be brutally dry sometimes. And that makes it really tough for river floating around here.  2021 Summer was especially bad, with the dry season extending well into late September.  We can usually find a dam-fed river to float, but even some of those have been generating less water lately. So what does that leave us with?  Spring-fed rivers. There is the Spring River near Hardy.  It’s a fun river if you like to party, but it does get really crowded and rowdy on the weekends.  I actually like the river, but I’m over the crowds there. A while back my brother asked me, what about floating the Eleven Point River in Arkansas?

The Eleven Point?  In Arkansas? Maybe I’m the only one, but until recently, I didn’t realize the Eleven Point was good floating in Arkansas.  It doesn’t show up on the RiverApp or the Arkansas page of American Whitewater. So I really never thought about it as an Arkansas river. I always thought it just a Missouri floating river. This spring-fed river does start in Missouri, and I suspect the best floating is probably in the upper portions. But the lower portion in Arkansas is good for floating too. And it’s a great option in late summer when other rivers are dried up. I floated it recently and was pleasantly surprised with what I found there.

Quick Glance

Distance: 4 mile or 10 mile options
Difficulty: Easy
Outfitter Coordinates:  36.244155, -91.073735
Put-in Coordinates (short float): 36.289213, -91.094007
Truckees Take-out Coordinates (short float): 36.250418,-91.086274  

Directions

About halfway between the towns of Pocahontas and Imboden, you’ll find Truckees Cabin and Canoe Rental* on Hwy 62. This is the only outfitter I am aware of for floating the Eleven Point in Arkansas. Their location is saved in the Google map below. I recommend shuttling with them because it’s really easy and very reasonably priced.  But if you insist on self-shuttling, go west from there on Hwy 62. Cross the bridge over the Eleven Point and take the first right, Lloyd Williams Rd. Take the first right after that on Dunn Rd and follow it until it dead-ends at the river. That is the take-out. Drop a vehicle there.

To reach the put-in, I can only tell you where the put-in is for the short float. Coming out of Dunn Rd, turn right back onto Lloyd Williams Rd. Stay on it all the way to Valley Chapel Rd. Turn right and follow it over the bridge crossing the river. Take the next right on Osprey Ln and right again on Heron Trail.  Look for the signs for the Truckees campground on the left. For the longer floats, I recommend shuttling with Truckees*. At a minimum, stop in there for directions and make sure you have permission to park on their property.

What to Expect

The Float

Truckees* offers several options for floating the Eleven Point River in Arkansas. They have a 4-mile, 10-mile and a longer overnight float.  We arrived a little late on a Sunday to do the 10-mile float and still get home at a decent time. So we opted for the short float and took our time with it.  We made the float last almost four hours, but it can easily be done in two.  This is a super easy float. There are a few shoals on this section, but none that I would classify as rapids.  The river has a steady flow. It does get a little slow in a couple of spots, but most of the float has a decent current. 

The River and Scenery

You might think because it’s close to the flat lands of Northeast AR that it would be slow and muddy, but it’s not.  The river is located in the foothills between the delta and the Ozarks.  Since it is spring-fed,  there is always plenty of water and it’s nice and cool.  It’s really clean and has a nice emerald color.  We saw a lot of trees down in the river, but no strainers or hazards that we couldn’t go through or around. Truckees said that people are not allowed to move the trees because they are habitat for fish. So my guess is the fishing is good.  It looks like it would be good. And we found plenty of gravel bars to stop on for snack and swim breaks.

When it comes to scenery, don’t go there expecting to see the same kind of scenery as other parts of the state.  You won’t see any big mountains around or large bluffs towering over the river.  But it is located in some pretty country with rolling hills and gorgeous pasture land.  The scenery was better than I expected. There are also some pretty nice waterfront homes along this river.  One thing we didn’t see much of was other people. We only saw two other paddlers all day.

Plan Your Trip

This would be a great float for beginners. If you are new to paddling, check out our paddling gear list to get started.  The short float could be done in a couple of hours, but you could make it 3-4 hours if you take your time and stop a lot. And if you like to fish, this could easily become a half-day float. For the 10 mile float, you should check with Truckees*. But if it is similar to the short float, then I would estimate 5-6 hours for the 10-miler. As I mentioned before, I highly recommend getting a shuttle with Truckees for any of these options. They’re just too convenient and reasonably priced not to. Also, I don’t recommend tubes for this river. Even though it’s a nice float, there are a lot of trees that could snag or pop a tube. As always, be prepared to pack out any trash you have and leave no trace.

Floating the Eleven Point River in Arkansas is something that you could make a whole weekend of. Truckees* has cabins available for rent, as well as a campground on the river with really nice campers for rent. There is also an overnight float option, but you have to camp at the designated campground. I had cell service for pretty much the whole float. So if you need that, it’s there. Snacks, drinks, and ice are available at the Truckees store. And there are restaurants a few miles away in Pocahontas for post-float grub. I’ll be back to this river in the future, probably for a whole weekend. If you are ever having trouble finding water to float, then give this one a look. It’s a great option. Enjoy!

* Note: This is not a sponsored post. I received no financial incentive from Truckees for this article.