See all 9 routes on Bayou DeView
Arkansas | Delta
Bayou DeViewBenson Creek Access to Bank of Brinkley Access
Plan the full 15.2-mile Bayou DeView Water Trail from Benson Creek Access to Bank of Brinkley Access. Follow its public access chain through the Delta floodplain with an offline map, a float plan, and current gauge and road checks.
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Route location
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Safety
Route safety
CautionThis route has hazards or access considerations that require extra verification.
AGFC says Bayou DeView high water is dangerous and the main channel is not always distinct, so the full trail should be treated as a serious floodplain-navigation route, not a casual flatwater paddle.
Safety details
- Carry the AGFC georeferenced map offline, file a float plan, and make a daylight decision about whether the group is completing the route in one push or splitting it with a legal Dagmar WMA camp.
- Stay off private banks and expect wood, floating debris, wind exposure, and stronger current if the gauge rises toward the 17-foot road-closure mark.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Benson Creek Access and take out at Bank of Brinkley Access for the full Bayou DeView Water Trail. The water stays flat, but this is a serious floodplain-navigation route: use the Brinkley gauge, carry the AGFC map offline, and treat the day length and campsite plan as part of the safety decision.
Access map
Put-in
Benson Creek AccessBenson Creek and Bank of Brinkley are named public AGFC Bayou DeView Water Trail accesses reached by rural WMA or refuge roads rather than by developed park marinas.
Take-out
Bank of Brinkley AccessAGFC says the trail needs about 14 ft or higher to paddle and that the Dagmar Road gate closes at 17 ft, so verify both gauge freshness and road access before launching.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Bank of Brinkley Access, then drive back to Benson Creek Access. Carry the AGFC georeferenced map before launching because this full-trail route uses the entire access chain and leaves no room for casual navigation mistakes.
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Access planner
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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Benson Creek Access to Bank of Brinkley Access is about 15.2 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- The main channel is not always distinct. Carry the georeferenced map or equivalent offline navigation before leaving cell coverage.
- Stay with the named public accesses and avoid private banks, fences, signs, and purple-painted property.
More route and safety guidance
- Carry the AGFC georeferenced map offline, file a float plan, and make a daylight decision about whether the group is completing the route in one push or splitting it with a legal Dagmar WMA camp.
- Stay off private banks and expect wood, floating debris, wind exposure, and stronger current if the gauge rises toward the 17-foot road-closure mark.
Plan this paddle
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No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
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Conditions
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Minimum 14.00 ft · Bayou Deview near Brinkley, AR
Does this gauge apply to my trip?
AGFC says Bayou DeView needs a gauge height around 14 ft or higher to paddle, warns that high water is dangerous, and closes the Dagmar Road gate at 17 ft. That gate level is an access condition, not a route-wide upper water-safety limit. Check the live gauge, access roads, seasonal closures and the marked channel before departure.
New to reading stage or flow? Read the paddler's gauge guide.
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Weather
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Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Bayou Deview near Brinkley, AR. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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More level reports needed
Only a low-water floor is known.
We can tell when this route is likely too low, but we do not yet have enough reports to define a best range. If you paddled it recently, send a condition report with how the level felt.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Bayou Deview near Brinkley, AR |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 14.00 ft |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Arkansas Game and Fish Bayou DeView gauge guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route segmentBenson Creek Access to Bank of Brinkley Access, 15.2 miles
AGFC still lists Benson Creek to Bank of Brinkley as the full Bayou DeView Water Trail segment.
- Direct gauge thresholdAround 14 ft to paddle; Dagmar Road gate closes at 17 ft
AGFC describes about 14 ft as the level needed to paddle and separately states that the Dagmar Road gate closes at 17 ft. It warns that high water is dangerous; the gate closure is not a route-wide upper safety threshold.
- Put-in accessBenson Creek Access, 34.93569, -91.24092
AGFC still publishes Benson Creek Access as a named public Bayou DeView Water Trail launch with a map-linked coordinate point.
- Take-out accessBank of Brinkley Access, 34.80024, -91.30049
AGFC still publishes Bank of Brinkley Access as a named public Bayou DeView Water Trail launch with a map-linked coordinate point.
- Camping policyFree Dagmar WMA campsites on route; none on Cache River NWR
AGFC still says free first-come campsites marked by blue paint are available on Dagmar WMA and that camping is not allowed on Cache River National Wildlife Refuge.
- Planner modelCanonical Bayou DeView corridor with intermediate public accesses
This full-trail slug preserves Benson Creek to Bank of Brinkley as the canonical route while the trip details keep Dark Corner, Hickson Lake, Rock Island Road, and Apple Lake available as named public access-planner stops.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Bayou DeView
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