Arkansas River Float Trip

[lazypants]

Hello All,

I'm planning a 3 day 2 night float down the Arkansas River this Spring starting at Dardenelle Lock & Dam, stopping at the Lock & Dams in Morrilton and Toad Suck to camp, and ending up at Murray Lock & Dam in Little Rock. I've found tons of information about floating the Mississippi but nothing on the Arkansas (at least not the McClellan–Kerr Navigation System). It looks like camping will be easy at the parks adjacent to the dams. I'm planning to rent some Does anybody have experience / advice / helpful information they could share with me? Thanks!

Cheers, Jay

[potterspoint434]

If you contact the Corps of Engineers they have material that tells distance between locks and a lot of general information.
I have started to plan a trip to paddle the length of the Arkansas River across Arkansas ,to where it goes into the Mississippi River a total of 442 water miles
I plan on waiting for high water to give me all the push I can get!!

[lazypants]

Thanks for the information! The Corps of Engineers has PDFs of Navigation Charts posted on their website: http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... rts.cfm%20

They also provide real-time water level data for the Arkansas River Basin: http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/watercon ... er%20Basin

[Richard]

I use to take my son's dogs to sand bars above Toad Suck (miles 158-159). Wind direction made a huge difference. A 10mph wind from the south produced choppy 1+ foot waves whereas a 10mph wind from the north produced no waves at all. When you are on the water you don't really notice how much flow there is in the pools.

For me at least 81 miles in three days would be more miles than I would want to deal with. It does not fit my definition of "float".
There is a lot of fascinating history associated with this section of the river. I could easily spend an entire day just in the five miles between Mile 155 and 160.

Chart 41 L&D10 Dardenelle - Mile 206
http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... 41FILL.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
29 Miles
Chart 46 L&D09 Ormond - Mile 177
http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... 46FILL.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
21 Miles
Chart 49 L&D08 Toadsuck - Mile 156
http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... 49FILL.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
31 Miles
Chart 54 L&D07 Murray - Mile 125
http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... 54FILL.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[lazypants]

Hi Richard, thanks for your input!

I agree, this plan is a bit aggressive. Everybody in my group is physically fit and we're looking for a bit of a challenge. With that said, my contingency plan is to see how it goes on the first day. Sweden Island recreation area is at mile 192 (~14 miles down-river from our starting point in Dardenelle). If can't keep pace up to this point we'll stop there for the first night and change our end point to Toad Suck.

[Shark Attack]

Hey there Mr. Pants, there is really no need to use any of the campgrounds along the way as there are many safe sandbars the whole way down. The COE campgrounds other than Toadsuck are really kind of marginal at best! I agree with others about your plan being very aggressive, but it's your trip. I shuttle a friend and his son up to Dardanelle to fish down to the Cadron Settlement Park launch every spring and with a small motorized fishing boat it takes from a Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon to make the trip.

[potterspoint434]

I would make sure of the water flow, I paddled one day from Toad Suck to Little Rock . When I checked the water that morning there was about 10k and by the time I got on the River they had shut it down. I made for a long trip. It took me almost 5 hrs and I thought I would make it in at least 4 hr.
To reach where your going I would make sure the water has some flow but be not to much.

[Richard]

there are many safe sandbars the whole way down

Very true. Keep in mind that this is a dam controlled river and levels are subject to change. A dry sandbar can disappear overnight if the dam downstream is closed and the one above is opened.

[potterspoint434]

I paddle the River from I30 to the Big Dam Bridge which is about a 13 mile trip several times a week . Monday it was like a lake, I could go faster up river with the wind than down river with a head wind. I paddle a surf ski that is 21 ft long so I can cover some distance pretty fast
I think I would wait for some flow in the river

[robcmullins]

Hey potters,
When are you planning to go and would you like some company during the first leg? I have been thinking about doing the river from Ft. Smith to Clarksville.

I havn't done any of my own research yet, so if you have some extra time......

In any case, let me know what your schedule looks like and I'll see if I can't shake loose some time to go along with ya.

[potterspoint434]

I usually go during the week just to stay away from all the crazy`s in power boats. You can contact through my website
http://www.paddlearkansas.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Phil