There are certain floats in Arkansas that have a very short window of opportunity for floating. You have to catch these floats during prime float season, and often within days of a good rain. Floats like North Sylamore Creek, or Helton’s to Long Pool on Big Piney Creek are good examples. Big Piney Creek is one of my favorites, and I think a very underrated float river in Arkansas. And although the window of opportunity is often short, there is a section that’s a little more forgiving. Of course I’m talking about Long Pool to Hwy 164 on Big Piney Creek.
Long Pool to Hwy 164 on Big Piney Creek is a float that I have done many times. You might also see it called Long Pool to Moore’s, or Long Pool to Twin Bridges. I like it for several reasons. One, it has some really fun, but manageable, rapids. Two, as long as the water level is floatable, the flow is always good. Very little paddling is required. Three, it’s a short and fun float you can do if you don’t have a full day to commit. And finally, shuttling is super easy. Whether you self-shuttle or shuttle with Moore Outdoors, getting to the access points is quick and easy. This Spring, we caught the Piney on a Saturday at an awesome level, and were treated to some fast and fun water.
NOTE: This is NOT a paid or sponsored article. We received no financial incentive from Moore Outdoors.
Quick Glance
Distance: Approximately 4.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Long Pool Access Coordinates: 35.550291, -93.161608
Hwy 164/Moore’s Take Out Coordinates: 35.504465, -93.182023
(Copy/Paste Coordinates into GPS or Google Maps search bar)
Directions
From Hwy 7 north of Dover, head west on Hwy 164 for 3.5 miles. Turn right on NFR 1801/Old Hwy 7. Moore Outdoors is immediately on the right, on Old Hwy 7. To get to Moore’s take out on Hwy 164, go back to Hwy 64 and turn right (west). Drive 0.3 miles and look for the turn-off on the left, just before the bridge. Follow that gravel road down to the creek. To get to the put-in at Long Pool, go back to Old Hwy 7 off Hwy 164. Pass by Moore’s and continue on that road all the way to the end. This will bring you to the Long Pool Recreation area and campground. After passing the entrance, veer to the left and look for the big parking lot and bathroom/shower house. There is a paved loop just before the bathroom. Off that loop is a short trail down to the creek. This is the put-in. See Google map below with both access points marked.
What to Expect
Long Pool to Hwy 164 on Big Piney Creek is a 4.5 mi float. For the extreme white water paddlers it would be an easy float. But for the casual floater, it’s a little more moderate in difficulty. There is not anything particularly dangerous to worry about. But it is definitely not a lazy river float. You need to be actively engaged in the float and aware of what’s coming up. There are a couple of Class II rapid sections that might be a little challenging for some. So I might not recommend this float for a beginner. Maybe a little bit of paddling experience would be best for this one.
Big Piney Creek tends to drain off quickly. So the window of opportunity to float it is usually shorter than something like the Lower Buffalo. This also means that when there is water, it moves fast. If the river is above 3 ft on the gauge, there will be very little paddling. You’ll mostly just steer. We got lucky and caught it at 4.2 ft on the gauge for the float you can see in the video below. The minimum recommended level for this float is 2.0 ft if you want to do it without too much dragging.
Scenery
Long Pool to Highway 164 on Big Piney Creek is set in the beautiful southern foothills of the Ozarks. While it may lack the towering bluffs of the Buffalo River, it does have a few nice ones. And plenty of nearby mountains can be seen throughout the duration of the float. I really love the view of the rolling pastures with surrounding mountains in the background while driving down Hwy 164 and Old Hwy 7. Upon entering Long Pool Recreation Area, visitors are transported to an outdoor wonderland of mountains, waterfalls, rushing streams, and dense forest. It’s really a special place and one of my favorite campgrounds.
Plan Your Trip
River Levels
First off, floating Long Pool to Hwy 164 on Big Piney Creek is dependent on the water level. This section of the river can get low pretty quick. So you’ll need to continuously check the river level before committing to this float. Check that on American Whitewater or the RiverApp. Or talk to the good folks at Moore Outdoors to get their feedback on the river conditions. The minimum is 2.0 ft on the Long Pool gauge (1.3 on the USGS gauge) and above 5 ft is considered high water. If you see that it’s over 3 ft, I recommend talking to Moore Outdoor about renting a raft and doing the Helton’s Farm run. You’ll thank me later for that one. At close to 5 ft, the Long Pool to Moore’s run will go by way too fast.
Shuttling and Floating
Moore Outdoors is the closest (and maybe only?) outfitter for floating Big Piney Creek. They are great folks and I recommend renting or shuttling with them. You can rent their canoes, kayaks, or whitewater rafts. Or if you have your own boat, they will shuttle your vehicle to the take-out for you. If you want to self-shuttle, it’s very easy to do. Just know there are access/parking fees at both Long Pool Rec Area and the take-out at Moore’s below the bridge. Even if you self-shuttle, please pay the fee to park at Moore’s take-out. Also, you’ll need to plan carefully. There is no cell signal out there to navigate you from point to point. So you’ll need to pull it up on your navigation before losing cell signal.
Camping and Cabins
The Big Piney is great place to spend a whole weekend. There are two camping areas. I usually stay at Long Pool Recreation Area. They have awesome campsites and decent bathroom/showers. Another option is Moore Outdoor’s campsite close to their take-out. I have not stayed there yet, but plan to as soon as possible. If camping isn’t your thing, there are cabins for rent in the area.
Anyone floating Helton’s to Long Pool probably already knows what gear they need. If not, you can refer to our gear list here. Please be prepared to pack out any trash you have. We must all do our part to leave no trace. Respect the private property(s) that you’ll cross when doing this float. Don’t get them shut down for the rest of us. Be safe and enjoy the float!
