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Missouri | Southwest Missouri

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch to Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville

Check current paddling conditions for this Beaver Creek route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 7.9 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 4 hr to 6 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
A wooded southwest Missouri river corridor with shallow water.
River contextMissouri river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Wikimedia Commons contributor

Need to know

Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distanceAbout 7.9 miBeaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch to Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville
DifficultymoderateThis is a narrow Ozark creek with riffles, gravel bars, tree strainers, possible portages, and a steeper final riffle into Bradleyville. It can be a pleasant day float at ordinary levels, but it is not a beginner recommendation when high, rising, or freshly altered by floods.
ShuttleCar shuttleUse a rural two-car or campground-supported shuttle between Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch and the Highway 76 bridge area in Bradleyville. Inspect the Bradleyville take-out before launching because flood changes, gravel, private drives, and bridge-area access can make the landing less obvious than the route name suggests.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Budget for the campground access or parking fee at Brownbranch, follow campground rules, obey posted signs at the Highway 76 bridge area, and follow Missouri boating and fishing rules.
CampingOptions nearbyBeaver Creek Campground is at the put-in, so this can work as endpoint campground staging if you separately reserve or arrange camping. Do not assume private banks or bridge approaches are legal campsites.
SeasonMar-NovBeaver Creek is rain-sensitive and can swing from scrapey summer riffles to fast, muddy, debris-laden current after storms. Recent flood history and 2025 trip notes make the same-day trend and access inspection especially important.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch and take out at the Highway 76 bridge area in Bradleyville for a 7.9-mile Beaver Creek day. Use the Bradleyville USGS gauge with MoHERP bands, and skip the route when the gauge is high, rising, or below the low-water floor.

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Start

Put-in

Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch
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Brownbranch is a private fee-access campground, not an MDC area. Confirm current access fees, parking, shuttle options, and launch conditions before counting on it.

Finish

Take-out

Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville
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MDC currently describes the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville as a launch option, but MoHERP trip notes flag post-flood degradation and past confusion around MO 76 access. Scout the take-out first and obey any posted private-property limits.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Brownbranch is a private fee-access campground, not an MDC area. Confirm current access fees, parking, shuttle options, and launch conditions before counting on it.
  • MDC currently describes the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville as a launch option, but MoHERP trip notes flag post-flood degradation and past confusion around MO 76 access. Scout the take-out first and obey any posted private-property limits.
  • The Bradleyville coordinate is anchored to the USGS gauge / Highway 76 bridge corridor rather than a separate managed-ramp coordinate. Use it for navigation to the take-out corridor, then follow current on-site access conditions.

Watch for

  • Dragging, wading, slick riffles, and long shallow sections when the Bradleyville gauge is near or below 100 cfs.
  • High or rising water above the MoHERP high-water line, when this narrow creek can become pushy, muddy, and debris-prone.
  • Strainers, flood-deposited trees, braided gravel channels, and possible portages, especially after recent high water.
  • The final riffle into Bradleyville, bridge approaches, gravel-mining disturbance near the lower reach, and tight landing options.
  • Private land away from the fee campground, public bridge area, and lawful gravel-bar stops.

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

A wooded southwest Missouri river corridor with shallow water.
Missouri river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Wikimedia Commons contributor
Wikimedia Commons license on linked file page; regional context only

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

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Gauge inputChecking

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Next stepChecking

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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteBeaver Creek at Bradleyville, MO
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band200 cfs to 395 cfs
Low threshold100 cfs
High threshold727 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRivers.MOHERP Bradleyville gauge bands and Brownbranch-to-Bradleyville trip rows
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Public / fee access pairBrownbranch campground to Highway 76 bridge

    MDC says most Beaver Creek floats begin at Brownbranch and downstream, and that visitors can pay a small fee to park and launch at Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch or launch at the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville.

    Source

  • Route-specific trip rowsBrownbranch to Bradleyville, 7.9 miles

    Rivers.MOHERP lists exact Brownbranch-to-Bradleyville rows at 7.9 miles, including Good reports at 210, 241, 258, 276, 442, 496, and 532 cfs and Low / Poor reports in the mid-70 cfs range.

    Source

  • Gauge bands100 / 200-395 / 727 cfs

    MoHERP rates the Bradleyville gauge as Poor around 50 cfs, Low beginning around 100 cfs, Good beginning around 200 cfs, High beginning around 727 cfs, and Flood around 1,610 cfs. The app uses those community bands conservatively.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 07054080

    USGS Beaver Creek at Bradleyville showed same-day May 31, 2026 observations during review, including 1,080 cfs and 5.26 ft at 10:15 CDT. That reading is above the app high-water caution line, not a current recommendation.

    Source

  • Put-in coordinate36.79540057, -92.83080082

    The Dyrt publishes coordinates for Beaver Creek Canoe Rental, Campground & Cabins, and describes the private campground as river-accessible with boat-in access and canoe-rental context. MDC supplies the stronger access authority.

    Source

  • Take-out coordinate36.77963889, -92.90727778

    USGS publishes the Beaver Creek at Bradleyville monitoring-location coordinate at the Highway 76 bridge corridor. MDC supplies the paddling-access authority for the Bradleyville bridge; this is not a separate managed-ramp coordinate.

    Source

  • Access caveatBradleyville / MO 76 can be rough or confusing

    MoHERP notes include a 2025 report that the Bradleyville take-out continues to degrade after floods and a 2019 warning about MO 76 access confusion. Paddle Today keeps the MDC access wording but requires scouting the take-out before committing.

    Source

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Keep exploring

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Quick answers

Beaver Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Beaver Creek?

Paddle Today watches Beaver Creek at Bradleyville, MO and treats 200 cfs to 395 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Beaver Creek route start and end?

This route starts at Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch and ends at Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville, about About 7.9 mi on the water.

Is this Beaver Creek route good for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

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