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TRIP-AT-A-GLANCE: Little Missouri River
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DATE / TIME
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7/24/2026 / 1:30-4:00 PM
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PUT-IN
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Riverside Picnic Area (Narrows Dam)
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TAKE-OUT
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SR 222
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GAGE
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4.32 feet (24 on the SWEPCO generation schedule)
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FLOW / DISCHARGE
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724 CFS
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AIR TEMPERATURE
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95°F
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PRECIPITATION
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None
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WIND
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Occasional mild breeze
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PARTICIPANTS
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Duane Hecklesberg and Kent Walters from HCC
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Debbie Morrison, Michael, Richard, Calvin and Chicago Bob
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VESSLE TYPES
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2 Dagger Katanas (HCC), 1 packraft, 2 WW canoes, a Wave Sport playboat
and an LL Bean Manatee
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CLOUDS
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Scattered clouds and overcast
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This trip was organized by a member of the Hot Springs Village Paddlers and Arkansas Canoe Club. Total souls = 7, with Duane and me representing the Houston Canoe Club. Sam had to attend his son’s birthday event at his (Sam’s) house.
We met at the put-in, unloaded boats and gear, and moved all but one vehicle to the take-out. We were on the river at 2:04 PM.
The Put-In at 1:30 PM
The water in the swollen river was fast and cold. At the beginning, we were enveloped in a mist that just felt wrong.
There were some very pushy sections in some of the rapids – one which tried very hard to shove us into some trees on river right.
In the wildlife category, we saw a great blue heron, a tri-color heron, an LBJ and a belted kingfisher.
The wave trains were a lot of fun, and there was plenty of movement in the water to keep the adventure quotient up.
The swiftness and chill of the water, combined with the lack of shoreline caused me to think about the plight of anyone taking a swim. Most parts of the river were decidedly unfriendly to that situation, since the water was swirling around trees along the edges of the river. One would have to endure the cold for quite a while before finding a way to get the boat and gear sorted out.
Where would you recover if you went for a swim here?
After completing the reverse shuttle, we finished our trip with a meal at Telinga’s Mexican Restaurant in Murfreesboro.
Good times.
Lessons Learned:
Don’t order the “Steak Americano”, described as a 12-oz ribeye, at Telinga’s – it is very salty and thin. Carnitas or tacos would be better options.
Trip coordinator needs to be thinking about experience and self-rescue capabilities of participants
NOTE: This is how we know what to expect on the Little Missouri River below the Narrows Dam. We go to the SWEPCO (SourhWestern Electric Power Company) website and download their generation schedule to see when the dam releases are scheduled:
I used to know what the numbers meant, but I have forgotten. I know for a fact that 24 is a good number for my kind of paddling.
Author: Kent Walters
Link to Photo Album