gnick4 wrote:Any advice on put in and take out? Would like to camp overnight and make a good two days out of the trip since it is a little drive from NWA. Any advice would be appreciated.
I was thinking I was going to google and find you a good map, but it didn’t work out that way. The maps I found were generally not well detailed such as not showing mileages, and/or tended to show either only the publicly owned access points, OR, the privately owned access point of a single outfitter.
About 9 times out of 10, I’ll run from the Dam #3 access to Spring River Oaks. The pools are shorter on that stretch, and there are several play spots that are worth a few minutes of your time. It’s also closer to the fish hatchery, and some websites report it has the best fishing although I don’t know anything from personal experience about the fishing part.
If I were wanting to fish, I’d just do the Dam #3 to SRO run twice. If I wanted to practice a few ferries and eddy turns, or surf a little bit, I’d still do the #3 to SRO run twice. If you’re really wanting to see more of the river at least once, then I’d run Many Islands to Hardy on Day 1, and the Dam #3 to Many Islands on Day 2, since that approach saves the best for last. Many Islands is about one mile downriver from SRO, and helps split the trip lengths a little more evenly.
The river slows down a LOT below SRO. Pools get much longer. One consolation is that you get the tallest single drop at “High Falls”, about 0.6 miles above the Bridge at Hardy. If you want to do that, you have to take the right channel as you get closer; there is also a left hand channel running right by the railroad track that bypasses High Falls completely.
If you’re wanting to do a “best of” tour, you can do the upper Dam #3 run to SRO twice, then save about 2 hours one day to go see High Falls. Put in by carrying down the steep bank under the highway 62 bridge (South side of river) at Hardy, and paddle upstream hugging the river right bank, going 0.6 miles UP to High Falls, which you can then run multiple times. I’ve done this a few times over the years; you only have to get out of your boat to drag one place at Rio Vista Falls. Be careful on that one, as it is the site of at least one drowning and multiple near misses due to foot entrapments. Going upstream, drag up the river right side; it is safe there. Coming back downstream, avoid it entirely by going far river left via other channels. Right now, it is flagged off with police tape and signs and arrows pointing to the safer route because of the Hardy Sports Show Canoe race that was just yesterday.
Rio Vista Falls doesn’t look any different that the other falls on the Spring, and is relatively easy to slide down in your boat if you hit the right spot. The problem occurs if you hang up and have to get out of your boat; there are some really, really bad foot entrapment spots in that rock. Just go left; the falls is only a 2 second thrill anyway, and at summer levels probably is taking a pretty good piece of plastic off your boat.
