Caddo river camping

[FloatingFool]

I just joined the forum - even though I've been reading here for years! Thanks in advance for all the good information. I meet a buddy every year to canoe a river in Arkansas. Our favorite is the Buffalo but this year our time is limited so I'm asking about other locations. We prefer to stay away from crowds - large or small. We like to camp on a river where we are very likely the only ones there - examples - Shine Eye Bluff, Margaret White, or somewhere overnight on a two-day float. I have canoed the Caddo several times and know it is mostly private property. I'm wondering if anyone knows a good place to camp that would not be private property. We probably won't be able to do a two-day float - but a place like Arrowhead or Caddo River Camping is just not primitive enough for us. Any suggestions?

[Deuce]

Welcome!

Avoiding crowds and floating the Caddo are kind of mutually exclusive. If it's running when you go you'll most likely have company and lots of it. That said, if you consider Shine Eye and MW Bluff to be private you're clearly willing to tolerate other folks on the rio. Now, none of that really matters or is particularly helpful to you, so now that it's out of the way, following is some information I hope will help.

Not sure where you're coming from that renders the Buff too far this year, but in the same area as the Caddo is the Ouachita which IMO is much prettier and by any objective measure definitely more conducive to float camping. You could camp on a gravel bar, or you could simply defy the absurd ban on camping at the float camps and, well, camp at one of the float camps. Of course the aforementioned is based on the assumption that whenever you plan to go there will be sufficient water. Do you have a set weekend, or are you able to watch gauges and go when conditions are right? Where will you be coming from? What kind of boat(s)?

[FloatingFool]

Thanks Deuce for the informative reply!
I do consider Shine Eye and MW Bluff pretty secluded - especially since we try to go during the week and kind of "off season".
Second weekend of September. I'm a "yankee" Louisiana guy (Ruston) and my buddy is from New Orleans and usually flies into Little Rock. I just hate to pick him up on Friday this year and take him back for a Sunday afternoon flight. That's about 6 hours driving time leaving us only Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning to camp and canoe.
I've never canoed the Ouachita but had some friends do it recently and they said it was lots of paddling! I would assume it would be fairly people-free since school has started up.
I had my own canoe but the outfitters charged more to haul it than to rent theirs so we just rent now. I watch the gauges for the Buffalo and Caddo religiously. I guess I need to find one for the Quachita too.
Thanks again for the info. A gravel bar would be perfectly fine for us!

[Jim Krueger]

Hey Phillip,

The Ouachita is also a good suggestion. I have been floating various sections of each for many years and they can both offer some good gravel bar camping spots. If you check the USGS gauge on the Caddo and it is in the 6.50ft range, you can choose from three sections ranging from Norman, down to Amity, 6ft or a little less, I'd go with the Glenwood to Amity section. On the Ouachita if the level is in the 3-4ft range, the sections from Rocky Shoals (Hwy 270), or Sims Bridge down through the Dragover section would be great. Both of these streams have some real nice gravel bars to camp on, many will be on private property but many landowners have been pretty decent about not posting them and would probably be pretty tolerant with floaters who are considerate. Most all of the land along the Caddo is private, as you already know. A lot more of the land along the Upper Ouachita is in the national forest however even there it is a patchwork of federal land, timber company, and private. I really think you'd be OK on either stream but I would research the outfitters on each stream to both ask their suggestions on the primitive camping and see what they can do for you as far as overnight boat rental. From Little Rock to the area of the Ouachita River mentioned is going to be about 3hours driving time, and the Caddo slightly less at about 2 1/2 hours each way. Hope this helps. If you have other questions, do ask, we hope you have a good time!

Best Regards
Jim

[FloatingFool]

Thanks Jim for the good info!
Do I understand you correctly though about driving time from Little Rock to either Ouachita or Caddo? I thought it was only about 1 1/2 hours from Little Rock to Glenwood. The Ouachita would be a little longer.
Which section of the Ouachita would you recommend?
Philip

[Jim Krueger]

Philip,

I am getting older and prefer the two lane routes which always take me longer to get anywhere so you would probably make it there in a little less time than me for sure. As far as the Ouachita, I would think the Hwy 270 to Dragover take out would be a good distance for an overnight float.

Best Regards
Jim

[Deuce]

Gotcha. Honestly, the Caddo and Ouachita are closer to Little Rock than the lower Buffalo, but only marginally so. I don't think you'd notice the difference really, especially since the drive to the lower Buff is so pretty, and logistics would be easier than on the other two rivers. Plus, who knows whether they'll have water in two weeks? They could; flows have been unusually good the last two years, but odds are against it. Here's what I'd do under the circumstances.

Load your canoe and gear and head to the airport that Friday. Pick your buddy up and hit the road for the lower Buff. It's 2.5 hours from Little Rock tops. Arrange for Aaron at Buffalo River Float Service to deliver your truck to Shipps Ferry some time over the weekend. He'll charge you $70 and take good care of it. It will still be DST so you'll be able to launch at Rush on Friday and cover a few miles, grill some fat steaks on a gravel bar and enjoy some frosty beverages, watch the stars and listen to the coyotes, then sleep in and make ten or fifteen miles on Saturday. Repeat Friday night's routine on Saturday night, then you'll be set up to return to civilization at a decent hour Sunday. Piece of cake!

If you don't do that i agree with Mr. Jim that a leisurely HWY 270 to Dragover trip would be about right, but just go to the Buff already.