Buffalo family floating suggestions?

[Ark_Jedi]

Seeking suggestions from anyone on the best stretch of the Buffalo to float in early June. Have a group of friends who have gone the past 2 years. There are several families all with kids, so we need a kid-friendly route.

We also want to camp somewhere close to the water so the kids can swim. I'm not very familiar with the entire river, so I was hoping for suggestions.

Past trips:
Year 1 - Baker's Ford to Gilbert -- Nice but had to camp too far from the water in Gilbert.
Year 2 - Maumee to Hwy 14 bridge -- Too much flat water = lots of paddling and not much fun.

So our hope is to find both a good camp location close to the water plus a good day-long route that is kid-friendly but not all flat.

Thanks.

[Richard]

Do you camp on gravel bars or do day trips from camp grounds? How dependent are you on toilet and water facilities?

It all boils down to (1) paddling/camping capability (2) weather and water levels. The first one you can determine now. The last one is up to mother nature and she does not give you a whole lot of notice.

If I had to make a decision now as to which section, I would recommend somewhere in the area from Spring Creek to Rush. The water level is more reliable in June. Possible downside is that you might not like the boat traffic.

So, let us know more about your camping style and we can offer some suggestions that should meet your objective.

[Ark_Jedi]

Thanks for the feedback. Working my way through your questions:

Gravel bars vs. day trips: We've previously done daytrips from camp sites and that would probably be the preference since we'd know we had space reserved for our group.

Having a bathroom nearby would be good, but electricity isn't necessary.

Paddling capability - our group is mostly recreation-level, not the type who go canoeing regularly. Plus most of us will be pulling kids (which is mostly why the flat water last year was exhausting an not much fun), so we'd need a family-friendly route.

What are the camping facilities at Kyle's Landing and Steel Creek like?

Thanks again.

[Charlie Ford]

The campground at Kyle's landing is good, it has bathrooms and water. The stretch from ponca to kyle's landing is also a good float but water level I think would be the big concern.

[Richard]

As mentioned Kyles and Steel Creek have reasonably nice facilities. Campsites are areas in open fields for the most part. But don't plan on paddling because the water level will not be sufficient unless we have some very unusual weather.

Assuming normal weather conditions, I would recommend Spring Creek to Hwy 14. It is only four miles so you can take your time. Stop and swim. Stop for lunch. Stop to hike up Water Creek. Stop to enjoy the scenery. Be very leisure in your approach. Use paddles for control and not for forward motion. Novices think in terms of more miles the better. Experience paddlers find that less miles are better. They take time to smell the roses.

Camping options are Buffalo Point or Spring Creek. Spring Creek has no water so no fee. Buffalo Point has some great activities for kids.

[Jim Krueger]

Jedi,

You mentioned "pulling kids", on inner-tubes or air mattresses tied onto the adults canoes I presume? If so, it's something I try and avoid unless the distances are kept very short, like two miles for an afternoon float.
I know, kids certainly do like floaties, my two nieces were just like that when they were little. I don't have one easy answer here but if at all possible I like to keep the kids in boats while under way but make plans to stop more often so everyone can get in the water to play.
From watching people floating over the years who were 'loosing the victory in the day' Id say pulling a floater along with the Yo-Yo effect all day, for too many miles, was a factor. It also makes it hard to negotiate
any rapids as the attached floater usually jack-knifes at the side of the boat, or sling-shots away from it at the wrong moment.
When I have little kids along, I do think it's important to take breaks, have some toys along, and even some floaties but really prefer to do any significant traveling in boats. 2cents worth...

Best Regards
Jim Moose

[Richard]

Among the toys make sure you include water guns.
Some warnings: We all know about ticks and chiggers. What is not so well known is a hairy catepillar. It looks cute and harmless. Its not! Those hairs are poison darts and can be very uncomfortable. We found out the hard way last summer.

[Ark_Jedi]

All very helpful suggestions. Thanks so much.

Moose: I understand completely about the disadvantages of pulling kids. And yes, they're in innertubes - which they love. But the one time in 2 trips that our canoe turned over it was the exact scenario you describe: hitting some rapids on a turn...the tube got ahead of us and pulled us around and we lost it.

Last year we camped at Buffalo Point and from the discussions I've heard, we may go back there again.

[Jim Krueger]

When pulling the inner-tubes on several feet of line, it sometimes helps gain some control to snub it up against the stern before running a rapid then letting it back out in the pools. Still I have to watch not to bang anyone with a paddle inadvertently.

10-4 on the caterpillars Richard! Twice over the years I have been stung by them, once on the forearm and once on my neck Both times, I was on my tractor bush hogging when they fell or were shaken from trees&bushes.


Best Regards
Jim

[Mike_P]

I'm looking to take my 7 year old on his first river trip in his new WW kayak when it gets very warm. Sounds like this would be a perfect stretch of preditable moving water in the late spring/early summer. We've been doing pool sessions thus far & he wants to get on a river. I would like to so something moving (class I) but nothing harder for his first trip.

I considered the Spring River but don't think I want to mess with those ledges or the cold water until he gets some more experience.

Thoughts?

[Clif]

hwy 65/ grinders to Gilbert is a good 1st timer too. Pay attention to long pools cuz they turn off younguns pretty quick. This section has a couple of strainer dodgers but most is no problem. Unless they have lots of new ice trees in the water.

If you can shuttle it, what we did was the almost a mile from hwy 65 to Shine eye several times. Lots of moving water but still easy. Several eddies to catch and some rocks to dodge after he gets frisky.

Soyaknow, Shine eye is the big gravel bar river left in the big river curve. Come around the corner and you can't miss it. Wide pool with a bluff on river right and the gravel bar on the left. A road within sight of the bridge turns east from the hwy and goes back to it.

[Richard]

Clif, before I got the canoe, I had a backpackable raft (glorified innertube) I would drive down to the neck of Lane Bend, make my way through poison ivy and climb down the bluff. About 100 yards. I would then wash off to get rid of the poison ivy, take the raft out of my daypack and inflate it. The float is 2 1/2 miles and pretty scenic, passing by Shine eye, then picturesque bluffs on river left. I would then take out, deflate the raft and go to the car which was about 100 yards from the takeout as well. It was a perfect way to relax and cool off on a hot summer day. On the float I was in no hurray. I would relax and go with the flow, watching the birds, rock formations, water and of course canoes shooting by unaware of what they were missing.

[fryingsquirrel]

My favorite piece of water is from Woolum to Hwy 65/Grinders, but thats a little long and usually gets cut into a 2 day trip with camping overnight on the river. I think 65 to Gilbert is a great day trip, with a good balance between pools and moving water. Keep in mind that the farther you go downstream, the longer and more frequent the pools can get. Also, its always prudent to keep an eye on the forcast, you don't want to get rained out or get to the river and find it is naught but a trickle. I have actually seen the river just below woolum go underground before in the summer. Your best bet is to get out there after a decent rain. Keep the munchkins happy and safe, and most of all, have fun.

[Bob Stout]

Fryingsquirrel mentioned the Buffalo going under-ground below Woolum -- it's common in very dry seasons. The river goes under-ground at the end of the long pool below the normal Woolum put-in, where the Buff normally jogs left through a fast drop -- then appears again in springs a little over four miles below at the beginning of Margaret White Bluff.

[Richard]

According to a third generation gentleman I met at Woolum a few years ago, it has always gone dry for at least a short time every year, without exception (going back 80 years or more). I thought 2008 would be the exception but even with all the rain we got in the spring and summer it did go dry for about two weeks.