Rafting, canoeing and kayaking in Arkansas are refreshing, inspiring activities that are almost impossible to beat.
Taking a trip on one of the state’s many lakes, rivers and streams usually results in a peaceful time with nature, temporarily free of day-to-day stress and worries, said Chad Lowe, an education specialist with the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center.
“Taking a trip on the water is good because you don’t have to do a lot of effort usually to move down the river,” he said. “A lot of people like to be out there, doing some fishing, visiting and hanging out.
“And if it gets hot, people can jump in the water when it’s safe,” Lowe added.
Among Arkansas’ ideal spots to kayak, raft and canoe are Wells Lake near the JHARVNC, the Mulberry River and Kings River, he said. Wells Lake and the Mulberry River are close to Fort Smith, making them the preferred choices for many water enthusiasts looking for single-day adventures, Lowe said.
“It’s also happening, too, because it runs north, which is different for rivers around here,” he said of Kings River, which is a tributary, or stream of the White River that rises in the Boston Mountains and flows for more than 90 miles into Missouri’s Table Rock Lake. “It’s fun because people can see some new land.”
Those individuals wishing to travel on Arkansas rivers and lakes have a variety of options that entertain and educate, said Debbie Doss, conservation chairwoman for the Arkansas Canoe Club.
“For paddling, Arkansas is probably the best spot in the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Smokys,” she said. “Here in Arkansas, we have difficult streams and areas for canoeing and rafting, and we have intermediate streams that are beautiful and a little bit challenging.”
Beginner and/or young paddlers can take in “easy” bodies of water such as the area south of Kyle’s Landing on the Buffalo River, Doss said. “More difficult” water trails would be found in Richland Creek, Cossatot River, Bobtail Creek and Beech Creek, she said.
“We have intermediate streams like the Mulberry, Buffalo River and Big Piney Creek,” Doss said. “The Buffalo River is a real asset because it’s a national river, of course, but also because its upper reaches are expert-only, with intermediate paddling in other areas, too.”
Another popular area that offers “slow, easy-water paddling” is the Grassy Lake Loop Trail and Bayou Deview, both near Conway, she said. Although these water trails are more novice-friendly, safety still needs to be a priority, Doss said.
“With all the raining and the flooding recently, it can make it dangerous,” she said. “Flooding streams are deceptive. They tend to flatten out, and the rapids can sometimes disappear because there’s so much water.
“But what we say is, they are technically easy but the consequences can be very bad, especially for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience,” Doss added. “If you capsize in a really high, flooded stream or in an area where the current is strong, you can have a lot of difficulty getting out.”
Trees located in the water can pose a potentially fatal threat, she said. An individual can get caught in the trees and, if pinned against the tree or under water, serious injury or death can be the result, Doss said.
“A 12-year-old boy died last year on the Buffalo River,” she said. “He had grabbed onto a tree and the boat pinned the tree and brush on top of him, and it held him under.”
Doss said Arkansas law mandates that all children 12 and younger always wear a life jacket, but all adults should wear one, as well.
“All children have to be wearing life jackets, and if you are doing any kind of difficult white water at all, you definitely need to have a life jacket on,” she said.
Doss recommends that individuals and families only raft, canoe or kayak during the daylight hours.
“If you do tip over, don’t get in front of the boat, especially in a fast current,” Doss said. “You want to be upstream from the boat, stay away from trees and don’t plant your feet on the bottom of the river or creek.
“Keep your feet up, because we’ve seen a number of people in Arkansas die just from putting their feet on the bottom and then getting their foot wedged in between rocks,” she added. “When that happens, the current can push you down.”
While keeping their feet up, people need to swim to a safe area, either to land on the side of the river body or into a shallow area of slow-moving water, Doss said.
“Do be careful that the Buffalo River and other streams can rise quickly in thunderstorms — I’ve seen the Buffalo River go from very low to flood stage within an hour or less — so you need to notice if the water is changing color or rising,” she said. “If the color of the water changes from a blue-green color to brown, it’s dangerous. Get to a safe place.”
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