Arkansas | Delta

Bayou DeViewBenson Creek Access to Rock Island Road Access

Longer upper-to-middle Bayou DeView continuation from Benson Creek Access to Rock Island Road Access. AGFC still documents the public access chain, the direct gauge thresholds, and the same floodplain route-finding caveats that make this more than a casual flatwater day.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 9.4 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 5 hr to 7 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
Bayou DeView winds through a flooded bottomland forest in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
River contextBayou DeView in Cache River National Wildlife Refuge river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Trip details

Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.

Permits, camping and season
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use the named public AGFC accesses, follow Arkansas boating and PFD rules, and respect any WMA, refuge, gate, or road postings.
CampingOptions nearbyAGFC still treats nearby Dagmar WMA camping as the legal overnight support, but this continuation is still most defensible as a long day float unless the group separately confirms a primitive camp plan. Camping is not allowed on Cache River National Wildlife Refuge.
SeasonMar-NovThis longer continuation still depends on enough stage to connect the marked trail without forcing shallow detours, and road-access checks matter because the Dagmar gate closes when the gauge reaches 17 ft.

Access and shuttle

Launch at Benson Creek Access and take out at Rock Island Road Access for a longer upper-to-middle Bayou DeView day. This is still flatwater, but it is not a casual paddle: use the Brinkley gauge, carry the AGFC map, and expect a real route-finding commitment.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Benson Creek Access
DirectionsOpen map

Benson Creek and Rock Island Road are named public AGFC Bayou DeView Water Trail accesses reached by rural WMA roads rather than by developed park marinas.

Finish

Take-out

Rock Island Road Access
DirectionsOpen map

AGFC 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 Rock Island Road Access, then drive back to Benson Creek Access. Carry the AGFC georeferenced map before launching because this longer continuation crosses multiple indistinct floodplain turns and side-channel decisions.

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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance9.4 miCreek-focused
On-water timeAbout 5 hr to 7 hrFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Benson Creek Access to Rock Island Road Access is about 9.4 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 and keep trail markers in sight because the upper-to-middle corridor leaves more room for wrong turns and time loss than the short splits.
  • Stay off private banks and expect wood, floating debris, and stronger current if the gauge rises toward the 17-foot Dagmar Road closure mark.
Terms and safety
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Conditions

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Tomorrow and the weekend

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Station details and river cameras

Sources and methodology

Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.

Data reliability: checking
Data status
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Next stepChecking

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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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Water levels, published guidance and update times

These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.

Gauge siteBayou Deview near Brinkley, AR
Gauge heightChecking
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24h trendChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
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Preferred rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor14.00 ft
High thresholdWater-level guidance unavailable
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreArkansas Game and Fish Bayou DeView gauge guidance
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Published 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 shapeBenson Creek Access to Rock Island Road Access, about 9.4 miles

    AGFC lists Benson Creek to Hickson Lake as 6.5 miles and Hickson Lake to Rock Island Road as 2.9 miles, which supports the longer continuation through the same public access chain.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Take-out accessRock Island Road Access, 34.85911, -91.29025

    AGFC still publishes Rock Island Road Access as a named public Bayou DeView Water Trail launch with a map-linked coordinate point.

    Source

  • Camping policyAGFC camping permit on Dagmar WMA; no Cache River NWR camping

    AGFC still treats Dagmar WMA as the nearby legal camping support and says Apple Lake WRA closes to access from Nov. 1 through Feb. 15, while camping is not allowed on Cache River National Wildlife Refuge.

    Source

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