Saline River Access

[msullivan57]

Does anyone have the gps coordinates of access points for the saline. Know there are many and different forks of the river coming into Benton. Appreciate any help.

Mike

[Jim Krueger]

Mike,

Since Marlo and I live on the North Fork of the Saline here at the Western edge of Benton, I have floated from several accesses on the main Saline as well as one section of the North Fork. Marlo has a GPS but I've never taken the time to learn how to work it. I can try and offer map guidance if you have some particular section that you are interested in. Currently the Peeler Bend to Benton section, or on down to the Interstate access has enough water to float but above that, the forks are getting a bit low.


Best Regards
Jim

[msullivan57]

Jim, you don't need the gps because you always know where your going. Not so with me. I've taken my two kids and some friends on a couple of trips on the lower buffalo this year and was looking for an alternative closer to Little Rock. Found the Peeler Bend access you mentioned. Looks like their is access at Lyle Park in Benton, a little over 4 miles down river. Also, on Google earth it looks like their may be access off of south street in benton about 6 miles down stream from Peeler Bend. Their is an outfitter in Benton, which we would use if we had a large group. They mention a "Paul Wright" access about 9 miles from Lyle Park. Have not found this access, so if you could give me some map help, that would be useful. Here are the gps coordinates in decimal degrees format:

Peeler Bend 34.585225 92.646569

Lyle Park 34586890 92.604863

South St 34.562782 92.614988

The outfitter website indicates there are gravel bars for stops on these floats so it seems they would be friendly floats for groups with various experience levels. Went to swimming holes on the saline as a kid so kind of appealed to me to give it a look.

Mike

[Jim Krueger]

Mike,

If you have been out driving around and found the Lyle Park access, and especially the Peeler Bend access, then you've been doing your homework.
The Paul Wright Ford put-in, about 3 or 4 miles above Peeler, has been a favorite of mine for floating back down to the junction of the North Fork, then pulling/paddling my boat the remainding 200 yards or so up the North Fork to the Riverside Gro.&Sta. access by my house.
Paul Wright Ford, being an historic ford on the Saline, has two different routes in to the same place, one from the Mountain View community on the South side of the river, and one on my side of the river , off Hwy 5 going toward Hot Springs. Over the years I have used the one on my side of the river but both are fairly involved to get to, and neither are the types of access I would ever consider leaving a vehicle, I always have Marlo drop me off.
The basic instructions to find Paul Wright Ford from my side; get off I-30 at the #117 exit in Benton, proceed toward Hot Springs on Hwy 5 for about 8 miles, at about this point Hwy 5 turns sharply to the right and Nichol Bill James Rd. turns left. Follow Nichol Bill James Rd. (paved) about 2-3 miles, it will turn 90 degrees to the right and an unmarked gravel road turns 90 degrees left, take the gravel road for about a mile and a half or two until it hits the river.
In the past I have driven to the Mountain View side of the river but I need to ride my motorcycle back over there and see how the access
possibilities remain, or still exist.
Friend Gary and I got out for a little paddling yesterday and floated from Riverside down to the I-30 G&F access (the one you mentioned off South St.) This is about 5+ miles, and at yesterdays river level reading of 3.70ft. fairly nice. The short section of the North Fork was too low to float so we walked the boats down to the main Saline and then only had a little dragging on down to I-30. My recommendation for the floats we're discussing would be 4-4.50 ft. if possible. If you should ever float down to the I-30 access, there is one man-made hazard worth mentioning, about a mile before getting to the end of the trip you will come to the large pumping facility of the Benton Waterworks on river left, just 50 yards downstream of that is a river-wide control structure (a concrete dam that makes about a 3 foot drop) Like yester day, I will run this structure over the top where there is a 10 foot-wide notch in the middle of the dam. If the river were much higher than 4 feet or so, I would probably portage this feature for safety.
I'll do a little more research on the Mountain View as well as South Fork accesses this Summer and report back.


Best Regards
Jim

[bj1299]

Hey Jim careful leaving your vehicle at the end of South St. down by the pond where I tested your kayak. A few weeks back we got out at the I-30 bridge only to see a guy doing donuts in the gravel throwing rocks all over my truck. Got a couple stars on my window now. Mike I'd say the safest place would be going from the end of Mtn View to Peeler Bend. It's about a 4-6 hour float depending on the water level. There is good gravel bars along the way if you wanted to camp. Hope this helps

[Jim Krueger]

Hey BJ, How are you liking that new boat? Hope you've enjoyed several floats since we visited :)

Thanks for the heads up on the idiots and their machines... Were you parked on the gravel bar by the bridge or at the Game&Fish ramp above the bridge. Regardless, the parking lot at the ramp is gravel too and constantly shows evidence of do-nuts, tons of gravel sprayed onto the concrete ramp there that probably makes it difficult for folks trying to pull back up it sometimes.
I've not had any problems parking at the ramp over the years but do try to park my truck as far out of the way as I can...

Take care, S.Y.O.T.R.

Best Regards
Jim

[bj1299]

The boat is great. I love it. I need to put another drain above the dry storage but other than that it's perfect. And yes I was parked at the Game and Fish ramp. I was parked to the side but I guess not far enough. I'm sure I'll catch the guy down there again. The bad the was is it wasn't a kid, he was like 35... LOL Did you say that you could put drain plugs in? I'd do it myself, but I'm afraid I'd mess it up. Good hearing from you... Bennett

[Jim Krueger]

Bennett,

Just let me know and I will pick up another drain plug kit at OOO, or you can, and we will coordinate you coming by the house one day, it won't take long to install. :)


Best Regards
Jim

JM.Krueger@att.net

[Jim Krueger]

Mike,

This afternoon I decided to head out on my little river shuttle motorcycle for a ride. I went to the Mountain View side of The Paul Wright Ford for a refresher-look. If you are out scouting around sometime you can give it a try also. To get there, go on past the Peeler Bend Rd. on Hwy 229 (Old Hwy 67 or South Street) Turn onto W. Jackman Trail (paved) and follow until it ends at a Tee on Mountain View Rd., turn right and follow Mountain View Rd. almost to it's end. You will notice that Mountain View Rd., while paved, will eventually seem to be only one lane wide, about then it will turn 90degrees to the right with a sign designating it private from that point own. At this sharp turn, you need to turn 90 degrees left, this road will soon turn to gravel, then within a quarter of a mile run into the river, right across from the Nichol Bill James Route I mentioned earlier.
While I was there today, I took a swim to cool off, this was great later when I rode the motorcycle back home and "cooled by evaporation" ! Any rate, while at the Mountain View side, I met a nice local guy who put me on to Moore Ford access about two miles upstream. This is another good place to check out and although none of these places thrill me for leaving a vehicle, Moore Ford offers a better place to turn around, and or to park. To get to Moore Ford from the Mountain View Access, return the way you came for a short distance then turn right on Mitchell Loop, then right on Moore Ford Rd. for about a quarter mile.


Best Regards
Jim

[msullivan57]

Hey Jim, and Bennet, thanks for all the information. If I can add anything such as gps coordinates I'll post at a later date. Too bad leaving a vehicle can be so precarious. Makes arranging a shuttle somewhat harder. Hope to get my kids together for a float soon and will report back.

Thanks,

Mike

[Komoroski]

Thank you both for all the information on the Saline River access points. I have one question, though. During your discussions, you mention there are several good gravel bars for camping. I was under the impression that most of the land surrounding the Saline was Private and posted as such. Do either of you have any knowledge of Arkansas law in relation to camping on riverside gravel bars? I hold fast to the policy of "take only pictures, leave only footprints", but I also know different landowners have differnet views when it comes to creekside camping.
Thanks in advance!
Philip

[Jim Krueger]

I'm frequently asked about float-camping on the Upper Caddo River, and like the Saline, there are so many nice spots, but indeed, the land along these rivers is in private hands so I'm always reluctant to make specific recommendations on locations. If I float-camped, I'd use my gut feeling
on the best site, and still know I might be challenged by some local and just need to move on a little farther on down the river.
On rivers like The Buffalo where it's all public, I would think mostly about picking a gravel bar that offers the best in space and ready access to higher ground to escape any unexpected rise in the stream. On the rivers like the Caddo or Saline, I would hope for the same situation but would mostly base my choice on how secluded a spot I could find, ie., no access, no 4-wheeler trails, etc. down from adjacent land so no one would roll in on me. This would probably mean picking a mid-stream gravel bar that may be more clearly not one presons property or their neighbor, or at least not very handy for them to come visit. I can think of several mid-stream bars on the Caddo but I'd sure want to have a good feeling about the weather before I camped on one.
In the areas of the Caddo and Saline I have floated, there are very few landowners who have put up signs posting their land, so I have a pretty good feeling about the camping possibilities but a lot has to do with everyones attitude in these situations.


Best Regards
Jim Moose