Ozark National Scenic Riverways

All of the fourteen previous sites visited on the current trip are historical in nature, whether preserving battlefields, President’s homes, or historic towns. The last one is scenic. After grabbing lunch outside of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, I drove south into the Ozark Mountains to visit the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Note the rather subtle “s” at the end of the name. There is no Ozark River. Rather, this site protects two rivers running through the Ozark region of south-central Missouri. The principal river running from northwest to southeast through the park is the Current River.  Joining it from the west about halfway along its route is Jacks Fork. Together they form a waterway stretching over 100 miles.

I arrived in the small town of Van Buren, where the park headquarters and main Visitor Center is located. A National Riverway is geared toward water-based and other outdoor recreation: canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and so on. It was mid-October and I was traveling alone with just an afternoon available, so these activities were for a future visit. Much of the information at the Visitor Center, though, was designed to support those endeavors.  I looked around a bit but then headed out to see the nearby Current River.

After crossing over the Current River just south of Van Buren, I turned onto a local road leading over a hill and descending back down to the river valley at Big Spring. Big Spring got its name surprisingly because it is a big spring! It’s the largest and deepest in Missouri. At its deepest, it is 310 feet (100m) and puts out enough water daily to fill a good-sized football stadium.

I found a pull-off that led to a boat launch and a small parking lot. The river level was quite low: the entire boat launch was above the waterline and dry riverbed extended several more feet until the water was actually reached. Still, it was a very scenic setting. Leaves were just starting to change on some of the trees, while others held their green. The perfect weather further enhanced the scenery.

One of the drawbacks to my trips is that I can’t spend too much time at any one location. I generally try to visit 12 to 15 sites per two-week trip, a necessity if I am going to visit all 423 sites in a reasonable timespan.

This is a park I would have loved to spend more time exploring. Unfortunately, I had hotel reservations an hour away followed by two long days driving to get back home. I do, however, note the places I visit that I would like to further explore. Once I complete my visit to all 423, I will return to those places and spend the time they deserve, lifespan permitting.

After taking in the scenery of the river at a couple of points along the road, I continued on the road which looped back to the north, joining with itself near Van Buren. Where it joined was at a high point with views into the Ozark Mountains. A small side road named Skyline Drive headed to the west from this point. I followed it for a few miles and was able to get some nice photos of the grand views it provided.

Then it was time to start heading home, another trip coming to an end.

Steve