Family float trip reccommendation

[jlaverentz]

My family is planning a 2 day trip to canoe next month and I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions of places that would be good to go. My husband and I are decent in a canoe but we are bringing our 6 year old ( who can swim) with us this time. What we really want to avoid is groups of people floating down the river with their coolers of beer floating in the water behind them ( ie Missouri on the weekend in the Ozarks). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Richard]

Where are you coming from?
How far are you willing to drive?
Are you bringing your own canoe?
Will you be camping on the river/lake?
Will you be daytripping from a campground/motel?

[jlaverentz]

We are driving in from Kansas and are wanting to camp. We will have to rent a canoe as we only have single kyacks. We will drive in on Friday, It is not a long trip from Kansas.

[Richard]

I would suggest you keep your eye on the water levels on the Buffalo. It is most likely going to be low but you never know.
An August weekend is not going to be enjoyable on either the Spring or Current rivers but the Eleven Point is tamer. I have never experienced the drunks there but I may have been lucky. I had someone tell me once that the party people coming from St Louis go to the Current and those from Memphis go to the Spring. That results in the Eleven Point being buffered. The Eleven Point is spring fed so its much more reliable than the Buffalo this time of year.

[Ol Slick]

Amen on the eleven point, put in at Greer Springs and float down to Riverton, pretty easy two day float if you don't spend alot of time loafing, or you can stretch it out and spend two nights on the river if you wish.

Be sure to take the time to hike the trail up to the Greer Spring, watch the poison ivy, lots along the trail, but the spring is worth the hike, caves and more springs along the river to see, water is cold, there's trout, and the times I've floated that section there weren't many people on the river.

There's an outfitter just down the highway (south) from the greer campground, Richard something or other I believe his name is.

[Richard]

I have found Richards to be rather cantankerous. I use Hufstedler's.
Here is a list of the outfitter's for the Eleven Point.
http://www.riverhillstraveler.com/outfi ... .php?lid=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jaytee]

The main other question will be how committed are you to it being a weekend. I took last Wed off to take my 7 year old nephew floating and we went to the Elk, which is a "party river" on weekends, and it was very pleasant.