Missouri’s Current River

Most spring-fed of all the Ozark rivers, the Current may be floated at almost any time of the year, particularly below Welch Spring. On hot summer weekends, the river is usually crowded. Weekdays floats are much more peaceful. Due to the increase in size of the river and the frequency of motor boats below Big Spring, most canoe and kayak trips are made on the sections above Big Spring.

Difficulty: I, occasionally II.
Gradients: general- 4.4; Montauk to Akers – 8.7; to junction of Jacks Fork – 5; to Big Spring – 3.8; to Doniphan – 3.2.
Counties: Dent, Shannon, Carter, Ripley.

Current River I – Mile-By-Mile Description

0.0 Baptist Camp Access on county road off Hwy. YY.
3.3 Ashley Creek on right.
6.5 Parker Hollow on left, fed by Schafer Spring].2 miles upstream.
8.0 Cedargrove Access. Low-water bridge and can1pground.
8.9 Big Creek on right.
11.6 Medlock Spring on right.
12.4 Welch Landing Access.
12.7 Welch Spring, sixth largest in state, on left.
15.7 Akers Ferry Access on Hwy. K. Campground and store.
17.8 Lewis Hollow on right at ford.
20.9 Cave Spring on left. Water at back of cave is 120 feet deep and comes from Devil’s Well via nearby Wallace Well Cave. Devil’s Well, a sinkhole more than 200 feet deep and partly filled with water, is one mile north of Cave Spring.
23.2 Rock House Cave on right. A meander of a cave, cut off by the deepening river valley, it is now more like a natural bridge than a cave and makes a good shelter.
25.2 Pulltite Access. Campground and store.
26.0 Pulltite Spring and branch on right. Just below on the same side of the river, are several other minor but interesting springs, one of which is the “Fire Hydrant Spring” gushing from a small cave in the bluff.
27.0 Boyds Creek on right.
30.2 Jerry J. Presley Conservation Education Center on left, formerly the Alton Club. No access or camping.
32.7 Sinkin Creek enters on left. By putting in at The Sinks, where the creek takes a short -cut through a hill via a cave, 6.5 miles of the creek can be floated in good water. Gradient is 10 teet per mile.
34.2 Round Spring access, campground, spring and cavern.
42.5 Big Creek enters on left.
44.7 Bee Bluff on left.
46.6 Jerktail Landing on right, on county road offHwy. 19. Access and campsite.
51.1 Ebb and Flow Spring, reached by walking 0.25 mile up creek on left.
51.5 Jacks Fork River enters on right. Two Rivers Access (Ozark National Scenic Riverways).
52.3 Old ferry site, access and campground.
56.2 Blair Creek on left.
58.4 Hwy. 106 Bridge.
58.7 Powder Mill, an old ferry site, with access and campground.
60.0 Blue Spring, ninth largest in the state, has deepest blue color. Reached by a 0.25 mile walk up its branch on the left.
63.8 Roberts Field access and campground. Rocky Creek enters on right. The Falls of Rocky Creek, 3 miles southwest of this point, are a scenic attraction of the area.

Current River II

58.7 Powder Mill, an old ferry site, with access and campground.
60.0 Blue Spring, ninth largest in the state, has deepest blue color. Reached by a 0.25 mile walk up its branch on the left.
63.8 Roberts Field access and campground. Rocky Creek enters on right. The Falls of Rocky Creek, 3 miles southwest of this point, are a scenic attraction of the area.
66.1 Spring on left.
66.6 Carr Creek and Cardareva Mountain on left.
69.0 Log Yard on left. Access and campground.
69.8 Beal Landing on left. Access.
72.5 Paint Rock Bluff.
77.7 Waymeyer Access on right at mouth of Chilton Creek, on County Road M-151 off Hwy. M.
81.5 Pine Valley Creek, also called Henpeck Creek, on left.
84.3 Watercress Spring Recreation Area. Forest Service and campground.
84.9 Van Buren Riverfront Park Access (Van Buren) and Hwy. 60 Bridge.
89.2 Big Spring. Access and campground. One of the largest springs in the world.
93.5 Clubhouse Landing. Access and campground, on County Road 60-221 offHwy. 60.
97.8 Hickory Landing. Access from Hwy. E at Hunter. Cave Spring-Jordan Spring Branch on left. Jordon Spring, 0.5 mile and Cave Spring, 1 mile up branch.
98.0 Catarac Landing on right. Access on County Road Z-217, off Hwy. Z and Hwy 103.
100.3 Panther Spring on right.
103.2 Bog Hollow. PhiHips Bay and Spring on right. Spring about 0.25 mile from river.
104.2 Gooseneck campground on right. Access on Farm Road 3142-County Road CI0, off Hwy. C.

Current River III

104.2 Gooseneck campground on right. Access on Farm Road 3142-Counry Road C10, offHwy. C.
105.8 Forest Service campground on left. Bagamaw Bay on right. Limited access road.
107.7 Big Barren Creek on right. Twin Springs 0.75 mile up creek.
110.5 Cedar Creek on left. Forest Service campsite in this area.
112.8 Buffalo Creek on right.
113.0 Compton Camp. Forest Service campsite, on right.
118.8 Deer Leap Recreation Area. Forest Service access on left.
119.3 Float Camp Recreation Area. Forest Service access on left.
120.3 Dun Roven unimproved access on right.
123.8 Hwy. 160 Bridge.
124.0 T.L. Wright Memorial Access (Doniphan) on right. Private campground nearby. Stores, meals, lodging in Doniphan.
129.8 Big Island.
135.0 Goose Lake, a lake-like pool of the river.
136.3 Missouri-Arkansas state line.
138.0 Current View. Private access.