Ozarks of Missouri

The Ozarks cover southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas. We were last in the Ozarks in Arkansas in Oct / Nov 2024. The Ozarks are made of high hills, old rock, thick forests, and deep river valleys. Famous for clear lakes, fast streams, and big underground caves. We saw lots of that in our 3 days here…

Visiting 1 new National Park Site, last one in Missouri:

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (#357) was the first federally protected river system in 1964, and provided the inspiration for the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. It conserves and interprets the unique cultural and natural resources of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. The Riverways protects 134 miles of clear, free-flowing spring-fed waterways. The impressive karst landscape of the Riverways supports an amazing variety of features, including a spring system unparalleled in North America. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers are two of the finest floating rivers found anywhere, a delight to canoe, swim, boat, or fish. The park is also home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails, and historic sites.

We spent our first 2 days checking out the 3 Visitor Centers and the Spings for which they are each named, Round Spring (~28 M Gal water daily), Big Spring (~286 M Gal water daily), and Alley Mill Spring (~89 M Gal water daily; Blue Spring (~90 M Gal water daily & “famous” for it’s deep blue color, due to depth & heavy concentrations of calcium carbonate); Rocky “Falls” (the “” are ours…the “waterfall” is really a cascade); and the historic Alley Mill. No significant hiking, just some short trails to/around some of the sites, and almost 200 miles of driving (including 5 miles RT on a steep-ish dirt road). We did cross both the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers at least a couple of times each.

Ozark NSR-Big Spring, looking at it bubbling out
Ozark NSR-Mark at cave just above where Big Spring comes bubbling out
Ozark NSR-Big Spring Branch running toward Current River
Ozark NSR-Rocky “Falls”, apparently a great place to swim, as the parking lot, mid afternoon, midweek, end of 1/2 mile dirt road was full
Ozark NSR-Blue Spring, where a picture does not do justice to the color
Ozark NSR-Blue Spring, worth the 5 mile RT on the narrow dirt road
Ozark NSR-Round Spring
Ozark NSR-Alley Mill
Ozark NSR-Alley Mill water coming through the mill race
Ozark NSR-Alley Mill, 3 grain rollers
Ozark NSR-Alley Mill Spring, walking around it, behind Alley Mill

We spent yesterday doing a half-day paddle/float canoe trip down 10 miles of the Current River. NO driving, as the outfitter from whom we rented the canoe, picked us up and dropped us off at our campsite! It was an exciting trip…3.5 hours on the river, maybe 2-3 minutes IN the river, when our canoe overturned against a rock, at about 90 minutes. Mark lost his hat. Thank goodness we bought those water proof cellphone holders before we took off, best $15 investment ever! It was exciting and fun. Water kind of low. We saw a bald eagle, a few blue heron, and lots of fish…from minnows to 18 inchers, some trout and several chain pickerel.

Ozark NSR-Current River, heading out, Mark still has his hat
Ozark NSR-Current River, some of the rock walls & caves we saw
Ozark NSR-Current River, one of those still/lake-like spots on the river
Ozark NSR-Current River, Gail after capsizing, at stop to dump water from canoe…wet, but with hat and phone
Ozark NSR-Current River, Mark after capsizing, smiling for camera, but not happy…wet, no hat, but does have phone
Ozark NSR-Current River, Gail dried out, still having fun

Camping in Echo Bluff State Park

It is Missouri’s newest state park, so very nice camp sites and services, and very near near Round Spring Visitor Center, toward the northern end of Ozark NSR, 12 miles north of Emminence (i.e. where we fueled up and bought groceries.) It is also home to one of the herds of feral horses in the Ozark NSR area. Supposedly hard to spot, we actually saw them on our way back to camp yesterday and our van driver was gracious enough to stop for us to take pictures. Here we also (re)learned that our awning isn’t just for shade, as we got to sit outside during the late afternoon thunderstorm.

Ozark NSR Feral Horses at Echo Bluff, incl spotted foal

And now we’ve made it to Kansas

After a loong drive today, the first 3.5 hours of which, poor Mark drove us through constant rain and downpours, most of it on 2-lane state roads! It finally stopped raining a bit before we made it to Kansas. We did stop at our 100th Costco, in Overland Park, Kansas, south of Kansas City. Had to lay in supplies…last one for awhile.

We’ll spend the next 9 nights in Kansas, at 3 different campgrounds, planning to see 3 new National Park Sites, and…enduring? 100⁺ degree weather! What were we thinking?!?!? South Midwest in August?!?!?