Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Hello all, new to this forum and had a question, my wife and are novice kayakers and recently visited family in Arkadelphia and we wanted to know if kayaking from degray regulating lake in Caddo Vally to new Ouachita river park in Arkadelphia is a doable one for when we come up to visit....

Thanks,
Jeff

start early

Thanks, I appreciate the advice, can I assume that your response also indicates that the route of Caddo river to Glaze creek is a do-able one?

IDK at all .. but I did notice that google maps is calling the Ouachita river "glaze creek" not sure why

a good easy float I do know about is just up the road in Malvern, Remmell dam to Ouachita river WhiteWater Park (Rockport) ... Easy moving cool water 2 hrs +/- and a play wave at the end. water every weekend in the summer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udF11D5taEU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jeff,

From the put-in ramp (below the Lower Lake) down to Hwy 67 bridge at Caddo Valley is a couple of miles, from there on down to the Ouachita River is a couple more miles, then it's five more miles on down the Ouachita to the HWY 7 boat ramp at Arkadelphia. This is a nine mile trip in total and one I have made very many times over the years.
Like Harlan mentioned, I would start fairly early ( by 10am), especially if you will be spending any time fishing. With the longer days, it's no problem time wise, however since they usually generate some in the afternoons, if they generate at all the day you go, it's best to navigate that lower two miles of the Caddo when it is at normal flow and down. It's not too much problem for someone who has experience in that section but there are more logs down near the confluence that have occasionally been an issue for the unwary at higher flows. No other problems, you should enjoy the trip in kayaks or canoes. At normal flow, I plan for about five hours or so with stop for lunch and a couple of other breaks.

Best Regards
Jim

If you happen to float on a summer weekend, you might want to put in at the hwy 67 bridge in Caddo Valley and avoid the multitude of tubers, or start before 10:00. Of course, paddling around tubers can make for an interesting cultural experience, too, but it's not always family friendly. It gets worse the closer you get to the access at hwy 67--fewer beers remaining in their coolers.

You can also put in at the bridge at Donaldson on the Ouachita River and float down to Arkadelphia, but plan on a full day for this one, too.

This has been on my "I can't believe I've never paddled that!" list for too long. I've got a very flexible schedule these days and would like to make that trip soon, any day of the week.

Anyone interested, holler. I'm in NLR and can be there with a rec boat on short notice.

Lee