Holiday Weekend Policy at Riverside Resort

[Chester]

I just talked to the head man at RIverside Resort. Sometimes arriving after a 3 hour drive, we put in at Riverside Resort to cut off about 2 miles of mostly flatwater on the Spring. Well, there's a new polilcy for holiday weekends there. I ran into it on Memorial Day weekend, but have just now verified it. In the past, If you showed up on the first day of a holiday weekend, such as Saturday to just launch your boat and park for the day, it cost you $3.00 per boat. Now, it's $10 with a 2 day minimum, or $20 per boat. So beware before you drive down the dirt road, and lose more time, thinking you will catch up with the party goers.

[Jim Krueger]

Chester,

The only alternate put-in I can think of in the area is the ARGF Bayou Access which is about 300 yards upstream of Riverside property, and on the other side of the river. I've floated past it many times, and finally came to understand why all the folks were there fishing. I took a look on Google Earth this evening, and it looks like the shortest way in there still requires driving on up to Mammoth Springs, crossing the river and coming back down that other side several miles. It's not the best solution time-wise by any means but should be like all the other state accesses i've been to in that they are usually without any costs to launch. At least those of them I'm familiar with in the certral and southern parts of the state.

Jim

[Cowper]

It looks like it is about 10 miles further going to Bayou Bluff than if you turn and go to the river at Riverside.

So 20 extra miles of shuttling, to cut off maybe 2.6 miles of river, unless there is a short-cut I didn't see on Google Earth.

I think I'll just have to paddle the extra river.

Isn't $10 more than it costs to camp? Seems like you could say, "I want to camp here tonight" and then get two days of boating access for the price of one night's camping.

It would be interesting to know the logic behind this pricing - were folks paying a launch fee and then skipping out on overnight camping fees, or did they have some type of problem with holiday weekend boaters, or what?


I think it will cause many of us to take our business elsewhere.

[Chester]

Jim/Cowper,
I believe putting in at the the Bayou is free, and I know of no shortcut. To me, it is a valid option, overall still saving time if you want to catchup to the action, and don't mind the additional shuttle time. Or, if you're temporaily cripple, it'll save some valuable trolling motor battery life.
The owners decision was due to some folks paying $3 to put in, and then camping for the night. He said he had no way of crosschecking for this problem. I suggested some alternatives, but he wasn't interested. Seems it was $8 for just camping on a non-holiday weekend. But, the fee for anyone showing up the first day of a holiday weekend is now $20. So could you spend $8 now on non-holiday weekend and get the second day access, I suppose so. But none of this helps groups on a typical day trip.

[Wildwood]

I sometimes use Bayou access just to avoid the masses of rentals putting in at Dam #3. If ya are coming from LR, best way is to avoid going thru Hardy & Mammoth Spring. Get on Hwy 62 @ Ash Flat, go about 3 miles, turn north on #289. It's low traffic, nice ride, good road. (The turnoff to the access is on a hilltop @ a curve, and easy to miss.) Not sure of exact distance, I think it's about 24 miles.

I dealt with Riverside Memorial weekend (Saturday). They wanted $80 for us to park ONE vehicle for the day!!! We ended up going to the dam to put in.

Jan

[Jim Krueger]

Jan,

I wondered about that route into Bayou Access from the South, thanks for the information. The only way though that I could see this accessing the river on that side to put-in would be if there were some public or private access downstream on that side also to take-out, say in the area of Spring River Oaks. You know of anything?

Best Regards
Jim

[R_Corter]

I recently complained of there shuttle fees, I told them I would not be back and i wont, $20 dollars to shuttle that's $40 for a shuttle in and out......... highest price for shuttle on the river......I ask them why, they said" we have people that wont show up on time at the take out and our drivers are waiting for hours".

One more thing they like to play daddy we were up late at night and the security would not leave us alone this happened two nights, we were playing cards, no radio or loud music, we had the last three cabins rented no one camped within 100 yards of us, and they told us we had to go to bed. They had not received any complaints, i talked to the people in the cabins next to us and the closest campers. It was a freaking joke, we were not partying all married couples on a get away for the weekend. Why do they feel the need to bother there campers if they don't receive any complaints, Oh well, we will not be back.

[Wildwood]

Jim,
There is a road that ends between SRO & Many Islands, but I have not gone to see if it's private land. It's dirt, connects with Bayou Access road (via English Creek Road). Also goes on to 289. It's Great Woods Road. Part of it runs by English Creek. Next time I'm out, I may mosey over & check it out. (I go from Hardy to 289 at Saddle via Nine Mile Ridge Road...good dirt, it's the back way to Cherokee Village.) I love traveling the back roads! (...surprised I haven't met up with Cowper on one of 'em!)

Jan