THE OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS was created by an Act of Congress and became our nations first national scenic riverway in 1964. It is comprised of and protects 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers. The streams are located in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri and are ideal for canoeing, tubing, fishing and swimming.
- The Jacks Fork and Current rivers are generally slow-paced, but small rapids, tricky turns and rootwads can be challenging, especially to beginning paddlers.
- The region is generally rural wiith abundant broadleaf forests dotted with occasional open fields. The typical landscape of the area includes narrow steep-sided hollows, with numerous streams and bluffs, plus is home to numerous sinkholes, caves, and springs.
- Cave tours, historic sites and Ozark crafts demonstrations add a unique cultural dimension to the park. In addition, there are also numerous hiking and horse trails.
- Numerous park concessioners provide canoe and tube rentals and put-ins and take-outs at predesignated locations. A float trip can last from an hour to weeks.
- There are many well developed campgrounds and lodging facilities, plus drive-in primitive campsites are found throughout the park. Backwoods camping is permitted on river gravel bars.
- Anglers pursue Blackbass (largemouth
and smallmouth bass), trout and goggle-eye, and to ensure good catches
the smallmouth population of the Upper Jacks Fork is carefully managed.
Seven major springs and 51 other various sized springs within the basin account for around sixty per cent of the two rivers' flow . Big Spring, with an average flow of 276 million gallons of water per day, is one of the largest in the country .
Within the park reside 112 species of fish, 196 species of birds, and 58 species of mammals, plus 25 species of snakes, including 4 poisonous species.
The Jacks Fork and the Current Rivers remain nearly as wild as the day Indians lightly trod the Ozark trails. Get out on the water and you will quickly lose yourself in their timeless rhythm. Whether you are out for an hour run from Buck Hollow or a days-long drift, you will gain an intimate friend. At day's end, you will reflect on hours of relaxation and adventure: the animals that scurried up the hank, the birds that flew overhead screaming alarms, the tiny wildflowers under thick canopies of trees, and even the solid bluffs that yield so slowly to the wear of time. Float descriptions below describe many of the sites that will enliven your day.
The Riverways park is within an easy day's drive of two large metropolitan centers-282 kilometers (175 miles) south of St. Louis, and 402 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of Kansas City, Mo. The park consists of 216 kilometers (134 miles) of the Current and its tributary the Jacks Fork, through Shannon, Carter, Texas, and Dent Counties. A strip of land in public ownership along both banks preserves the scenic river backdrop and has helped to protect many important historic structures.
Mild winters allow almost year-round use of the Riverways. The upper stretches of the rivers are often more fun to float during late winter and spring because in summer's low water, portages have to be made around exposed gravel bars.
The major center of activity on the Jacks Fork River is at Alley Spring, and the major centers on the Current River are at Akers, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, and Big Spring.
Take Photo Tour of Ozark National Scenic Riverways
VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITES FOR MORE GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS NATIONAL PARK AND HOW TO COME AND ENJOY IT:
Official
National Park Service
OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS PARK SITE
Ozark National Scenic Riverways History from NPS
River's
Edge Resort
HCR 1, Box 11
Eminence, MO 65466
(573) 226-3233
Get aquainted with Eminence
Missouri, the Current
River, Jack's Fork River
and the Ozark
National Scenic Riverways area.
LINKS - ONSR - RESERVATIONS - SCENIC 19
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