See all 6 routes on Crooked Creek
Arkansas | Ozark Arkansas
Crooked CreekLower Pyatt Access to Kelley's Slab Access
Crooked Creek access-planner corridor from Lower Pyatt Access through Snow and Mark Oliver to Kelley's Slab. AGFC documents the exact public access chain and the Kelly Crossing gauge, but the official numeric guidance is limited to a 12-12.5 ft moderate band, so this route ships with conservative minimum-only scoring.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Lower Pyatt Access and use Snow, Mark Oliver, or Kelley's Slab as the selected take-out for the Crooked Creek access-planner corridor. This is a rain-sensitive Ozark creek float keyed to the Kelly Crossing gauge rather than to a broad flatwater assumption.
Access map
Put-in
Lower Pyatt AccessLower Pyatt, Snow, Mark Oliver, and Kelley's Slab are named public AGFC Crooked Creek Water Trail accesses with simple rural launches rather than full-service park ramps.
Take-out
Kelley's Slab AccessAGFC's moderate band at Kelly Crossing is 12–12.5 ft. The creek can rise or muddy quickly after storms, so compare the live stage and trend before launch.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Kelley's Slab Access, then drive back to Lower Pyatt Access. Snow and Mark Oliver are the clean intermediate public split points if the full corridor is too long for the day.
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Access planner
Choose your launch and take-out
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Lower Pyatt Access to Kelley's Slab Access is about 18.5 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Stay with the named public access points and avoid private banks, fences, signs, and purple-painted property along the creek.
- Scout Kelley's Slab before committing to the full downstream finish when the creek is up, dirty, or unfamiliar.
More route and safety guidance
- Almost all property along the creek is private; use only the named public access points and camp only where AGFC explicitly allows it.
- Shoals, riffles, fresh wood, and muddy or gravelly exits become more consequential when the creek is below the moderate band or rising fast.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
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.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
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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
Crooked Creek at Kelly Crossing at Yellville, 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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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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- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Crooked Creek at Kelly Crossing at Yellville, AR |
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| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 12.00 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 Crooked Creek moderate-level guidance |
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| Weather source | Checking |
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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 segmentLower Pyatt Access to Kelley's Slab Access, about 18.5 miles
AGFC lists Lower Pyatt-to-Snow, Snow-to-Mark Oliver, and Mark Oliver-to-Kelley's Slab as exact Crooked Creek Water Trail segments.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-02USGS 07055607
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Level guidance12-12.5 ft moderate floating band
AGFC says a moderate level for floating Crooked Creek is 12-12.5 ft at the Kelly Crossing gauge. Paddle Today treats 12 ft as the conservative minimum-only floor because AGFC does not publish a complete high-water ladder for this route family.
- Put-in accessLower Pyatt Access, 36.24665, -92.83494
AGFC publishes Lower Pyatt Access as a named public Crooked Creek Water Trail access with a Google Maps coordinate link.
- Take-out accessKelley's Slab Access, 36.22921, -92.71045
AGFC publishes Kelley's Slab Access as a named public Crooked Creek Water Trail access with a Google Maps coordinate link and hazard caveat.
- Camping supportSnow, Brooksher, and Fred Berry camping support
AGFC identifies primitive camping at Snow Access, Brooksher Crooked Creek Preserve, and Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center with limits and permission requirements.
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 Crooked Creek
All 6Nearby routes within 75 miles
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