See all 16 routes on Current River
Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current RiverBig Spring Upper River Landing to Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation Area
Long lower Current River day from Big Spring to Gooseneck / Hawes, ending near the Current River mouth. NPS's older page estimates six hours, while its newer table's Cataract split totals seven; the Van Buren USGS gauge gives a conservative same-river low-water check.
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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 the Big Spring upper river landing and take out at Gooseneck / Hawes for the final long lower Current River section. NPS's older page estimates 6 hours; the newer table's Big Spring–Cataract and Cataract–Gooseneck rows total 7. Use the Van Buren gauge as a conservative low-water check and plan for motorboats, private banks, limited exits, and end-of-river logistics.
Access map
Put-in
Big Spring Upper River LandingThe current NPS Superintendent's Compendium lists Gooseneck (Hawes) as a Current River landing, and the current concession operating plan includes Hawes among authorized Lower Current accesses. Use the signed landing and verify current park alerts before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation AreaThe Gooseneck coordinate is a USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, not an NPS GIS landing table. Use current NPS signs and the actual river landing on arrival.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at the signed Gooseneck / Hawes river landing before driving back to the Big Spring upper river landing. This is a long lower-river shuttle near the Current River mouth, so verify current road conditions, parking, and campground rules before launching.
Additional access notes
- NPS distinguishes Big Spring (upper) as a Current River landing from Big Spring Boat Ramp (lower), which is trailered boats only with no floater access. Start from the signed upper landing.
- This route ends near the Current River mouth. Do not continue onto the Black River or downstream big-river water without a separate plan.
More route and safety guidance
- NPS warns that fallen trees and rootwad strainers can occur on any river section, streams can rise quickly after moderate to heavy rain, and phone help may be hours away. Wear a PFD, be ready to self-rescue, and do not launch on high or rising water.
- The Current is spring-fed and cold. Below Big Spring, expect substantial motorboat traffic, wakes, and longer pools; use only NPS-owned land for gravel-bar camping and do not treat every reachable bank as a public stop.
- The 700 cfs value is a conservative community-supported low-water floor, not an ideal band or high-water clearance. The NPS Van Buren 5.00 ft closure level remains a separate same-day closure check.
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Conditions
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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
Current River at Van Buren, MO. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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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.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- 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 | Current River at Van Buren, MO |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 700 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Rivers.MOHERP Van Buren gauge rating and Big-Spring-to-Gooseneck trip evidence |
| 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.
- NPS route shapeBig Spring to Gooseneck, 6 hr
NPS Paddle the Lower Current River lists Big Spring to Gooseneck as an estimated six-hour lower Current float and names Gooseneck as the end of the lower Current route sequence.
- Current NPS segment totalAbout 7 hr
The newer NPS estimated float-time table lists Big Spring–Cataract at 4 hours and Cataract–Gooseneck at 3 hours; combined, they total about 7 hours. The route card keeps the older direct estimate as the other end of a 6-to-7-hour range.
- Park brochure contextLower Current river mile 16 to 0
The NPS park brochure places Big Spring at lower Current river mile 16 and Gooseneck / Hawes at river mile 0, with Gooseneck / Hawes marked for primitive camping, picnic area, river access, and boat access.
- Gooseneck access contextNPS Gooseneck / Hawes campground and river landing
The current NPS Gooseneck Campground page confirms the open park campground on the lower Current and publishes the signed road approach. The current Superintendent's Compendium identifies Gooseneck (Hawes) as both a backcountry campsite and a Current River landing.
- Lower Current access authorityBig Spring and Hawes authorized accesses
The current NPS concession operating plan includes Big Spring and Hawes among the authorized Lower Current access points. The Superintendent's Compendium separately identifies Big Spring (upper) as the floater landing and the lower Big Spring ramp as trailered-boats-only.
- Route hazardsStrainers, fast rises, remote self-rescue, and legal-bank checks
NPS says fallen trees and rootwad strainers can occur on any section, storms and floods continually change the river, moderate to heavy rain can raise streams quickly, and help may be hours away. NPS also limits gravel-bar camping to NPS-owned land.
- Gauge check during route review · July 27, 2026USGS 07067000
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.
- Low-water floor700 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP rates the Van Buren gauge Good beginning around 700 cfs and includes exact Big Spring-to-Gooseneck trip evidence marked Good at 1,190 cfs. Paddle Today uses only the conservative 700 cfs floor and does not infer an ideal range.
- Endpoint coordinates36.9475519, -90.9901267 to 36.8194989, -90.9470707
The Big Spring put-in uses the existing USGS-topo-derived Big Spring River Access point. The Gooseneck take-out uses the USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, corroborated by current NPS Gooseneck / Hawes landing, campground, and access-road context.
- High-water closure contextVan Buren Bridge 5.00 ft closed level
The NPS Superintendent Compendium says the Current and Jacks Fork close to non-motorized vessels during flood conditions and lists Van Buren Bridge at 3.00 ft average and 5.00 ft closed level. Use this as high-water caution, not a scoring high cutoff.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS Paddle the Lower Current River
- NPS Ozark park brochure
- NPS Gooseneck Campground
- NPS Ozark Superintendent Compendium
- NPS Lower Current authorized-access operating plan
- NPS Ozark river safety
- NPS gravel-bar camping rules
- Rivers.MOHERP Current River Van Buren gauge
- USGS 07067000 Current River at Van Buren
- USGS 07067000 legacy current conditions
- Hawes Recreation Area topo coordinate
Other routes nearby
More on Current River
All 16Nearby routes within 75 miles
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