#dryseason
Greer Crossing to Whitten on the Eleven Point River
Every Summer when the temperature rises and the rainfall stops, the hunt for floatable rivers begins. We have had some great floats on dam-fed gems like the Little Red River and Lower Ouachita River. And for the last two Summers, we’ve really enjoyed the spring-fed Eleven Point River near Pocahontas in Northeast Arkansas. But I’ve always heard the Eleven Point is also really nice further upriver into Missouri. So we recently ventured into the Show-me State to check it out. To ensure the flow would be good, we decided on floating Greer Crossing to Whitten on the Eleven Point River, and it did not disappoint. The Eleven Point is one of the three major floating rivers in the Mark Twain National Forest of Southern Missouri. All three are spring-fed and in close proximity of each ot...
The Arkansas Sphinx: A Natural Wonder in the Ozarks
Nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, lies a natural wonder known locally as the Arkansas Sphinx. This sandstone monolith rises 20 feet above its perch near the top of Hess Knob. Its profile bears a resemblance to the iconic sphinx of ancient Egypt. Measuring approximately 20-30 feet tall and just as wide, the Arkansas Sphinx is believed to have been formed over millions of years through erosion. Wind, water, and ice carved away at the softer rock layers, leaving behind the Sphinx-like profile in the sandstone that we see today. Standing tall and proud, the Arkansas Sphinx offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. This popular destination for hikers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts stands as a testament to the power of nature’s artistry. This natura...
Cow Shoals to Swinging Bridge on the Little Red River
For many people in Arkansas, the hot temperatures and dry rivers of mid-Summer mean the end of float season. But that doesn’t have to be the case. That’s right, there are other float options out there that do not rely on rainfall. There are spring-fed rivers like the Eleven Point River and the Illinois River. And there are dam-fed floats like the Little Missouri, Lower Ouachita, and Little Red. Last Summer we made our first trip down the Little Red when we floated Swinging Bridge to Lobo Landing. To beat the heat this year, we went upriver to float Cow Shoals to Swinging Bridge on the Little Red River. Quick Glance Distance: Approximately 4.5 miles Difficulty: Easy Cow Shoals Access Coordinates: 35.513393, -91.929978 Swinging Bridge Access (Barnett Park) Coordinates: 35.489656,...
Floating the Illinois River in NE Oklahoma
AR Own Backyard is an Arkansas Outdoors site, so I try to keep the subject matter limited to Arkansas destinations. But the “Backyard” part is subjective, right? Crossing an hour over state lines still counts as our backyard, doesn’t it? Well, when you want to float during dry season, you do what you have to do. So mid-September of 2022 we crossed the state line to try floating the Illinois River in NE Oklahoma. The Illinois River is a spring-fed river that starts in Arkansas and flows into Oklahoma. In addition to the Spring and Eleven Point Rivers, it’s one of the few spring-fed options we have. And it’s the only one I had not floated yet. So why Oklahoma? Simply because that’s where my crew wanted to go and they planned the trip. But I’m glad we...
Swinging Bridge to Lobo Landing on the Little Red River
Another hot dry Arkansas summer has once again forced me to look for some new paddling alternatives. (New to me, that is). There are some good dry season float alternatives out there, and I have been able to check several of them off my list. Most recently, we visited Heber Springs to float Swinging Bridge to Lobo Landing on the Little Red River. The Little Red had been on my float list for quite a while, and it did not disappoint. In the hottest, driest part of Summer, this float is really hard to beat. This section of the Little Red River is below the dam that creates Greers Ferry Lake. I’ve done some other dam-fed floats before such as the Little Missouri and the lower Ouachita River . Those are great dry season options too. But Swinging Bridge to Lobo Landing on the Little Red Ri...
Dalton to Shanty On the Eleven Point River
In the dog days of Summer, all the popular floating rivers in Arkansas tend to dry up and become too low to float. Sometimes we get lucky with some Summer showers. But by July, it is usually hard to find fun rivers that are floatable. However, there are some good solutions to this problem. Dam-fed floats like the lower Ouachita or Little Red River are good options as long as the dams are generating. Spring-fed rivers are an even more reliable option. So this summer, we made a visit to the Ozark foothills of Northeast Arkansas to float Dalton to Shanty on the Eleven Point River. This would be our second visit to the Eleven Point River. Late last Summer, we did the short float that local outfitter, Trukees Canoe and Cabin Rental, calls “The Cruiser”. You can read about that float...
Hike to Buzzards Roost
I find something to enjoy about every hike that I do. But some hikes are better than others. And then there are the ones that really stand out from the rest. Those are usually the ones where I spend the whole time thinking “how am I just now visiting this place?!”. The hike to Buzzards Roost is the latest one that really blew me away. Maybe it’s because I geek out a little bit over crazy rock formations (see video below), and this hike is full of them. This geological wonderland has two natural bridges and a huge rock outcropping/vista full of caves and tunnels. I would compare it to the Bear Cave Trail area at Petit Jean State Park, but more impressive. It also didn’t hurt that we caught this area on the last weekend of peak leaf season this fall. This hike has a c...
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’...
Floating the Little Missouri from the Narrows Dam
We have reached that part of the Summer where floatable rivers can be a little hard to find. Outside of the lower Buffalo and a few others, most of the popular rivers get too low without any rain. That leaves us with the spring-fed rivers of northern AR and southern MO, and several dam-fed rivers flowing from lakes. Examples of these would be the Little Red, lower Caddo and lower Ouachita, which I have written about. And last weekend, I learned all about floating the Little Missouri from the Narrows Dam at Lake Greeson. Floatable rivers may be a little hard to find this time of year, and whitewater is even harder. But when the Narrows Dam starts releasing water into the Little Missouri River, buckle up and hang on! No, I don’t mean crazy rafting whitewater like you might see in Color...
Floating the Lower Ouachita River
As the mid-Summer sun beats the Arkansas paddling rivers down to an unfloatable trickle, finding a place to paddle becomes a challenge. This is when it becomes necessary to turn to spring-fed options like the Eleven Point River, or dam-fed options like the Little Red or Little Missouri Rivers. For many in Central and South Arkansas, floating the Lower Ouachita River from Lake Catherine to Malvern is the go-to option. I had never floated this river until 2014. But I was pleasantly surprised by it and have made many return trips since then. I really like this float for so many reasons. Aside from being a short drive, the put-in and take-outs are also really easy to access. It’s a float that you can do fairly quick, or you can make it last all day. And best of all, the river almost alwa...
