See all 16 routes on Current River
Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current River
Cedar Grove to Round Spring
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Cedar Grove and take out at Round Spring for the full NPS-listed 26.2-mile Upper Current continuation. Use the upstream Akers USGS gauge as a conservative route check, with the app keeping the score at a 300 cfs minimum-only floor because the downstream half is not directly gauged.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Cedar Grove Boat Launch / accessThe 2026 NPS Superintendent's Compendium lists Cedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring (middle) as Current River landings. Use the signed Round Spring floater landing; the separately listed Round Spring Boat Ramp is reserved for trailered motorboats.
Take-out
Round Spring river access / campground areaPulltite Ranger Station is closed for the 2026 season because of flood damage, but NPS still lists Pulltite as a river landing. Follow current signs and do not assume every campground facility is operating normally.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The 2026 NPS Superintendent's Compendium lists Cedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring (middle) as Current River landings. Use the signed Round Spring floater landing; the separately listed Round Spring Boat Ramp is reserved for trailered motorboats.
- Pulltite Ranger Station is closed for the 2026 season because of flood damage, but NPS still lists Pulltite as a river landing. Follow current signs and do not assume every campground facility is operating normally.
- The Akers gauge is upstream of much of this route. Treat it as a proxy and re-evaluate at Akers or Pulltite instead of forcing the full continuation if water, weather, or fatigue looks wrong.
- This route is too long for a casual scenic float. Daylight, pace, weather, and whether the group has a legal overnight plan matter before leaving Cedar Grove.
Watch for
- Shallow riffles, scraping, and dragging when the Akers gauge is near or below the 300 cfs floor, especially over a 26.2-mile route.
- High or rising water, fresh wood, cloudy water, and faster current after rain. NPS lists Akers at 4.00 ft, Pulltite at 4.20 ft, and Round Spring Bridge at 5.20 ft as flood-closure markers.
- Cold spring-fed water, crowding on warm weekends, motorized-boat interactions under park horsepower rules, limited cell service, and fatigue from treating a full-river continuation like a routine day float.
- Federal river rules: PFD requirements, children under 7 wearing PFDs, no glass or polystyrene, no vessel lashing, cave closures, and leash rules for dogs when on land.
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.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
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.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Current River above Akers, 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 |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Rivers.MOHERP Akers gauge trip evidence for full Upper Current continuations |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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.
- Official route shape26.2 mi / about 11 hr
NPS Estimated Float Times lists Cedar Grove to Akers at 7.7 miles / 3 hours, Akers to Pulltite at 9.6 miles / 4 hours, and Pulltite to Round Spring at 8.9 miles / 4 hours, which supports this 26.2-mile full Upper Current continuation.
- Upper Current access chainCedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring
The 2026 NPS Superintendent's Compendium lists Cedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring (middle) as Current River landings. It separately lists the Round Spring Boat Ramp as a motorized-vessel launch with no floater access.
- Live proxy gaugeUSGS 07064533 at 208 cfs / 0.86 ft
USGS Current River above Akers returned provisional same-day discharge and gage height at 2026-07-27 16:30 CDT, below the route's 300 cfs floor. Because the gauge sits upstream of much of this full route, Paddle Today treats it as a proxy and pairs it with a conservative low-water-only model.
- Low-water floor300 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP still ties exact Pulltite-to-Round-Spring reports and nearby lower-Upper-Current trip rows to the Akers gauge, which is the limiting downstream evidence for the full continuation. Paddle Today therefore uses the same conservative 300 cfs floor rather than the lower 230 cfs floor used on the shorter upstream-only routes.
- NPS high-water closure contextAkers 4.00 ft / Pulltite 4.20 ft / Round Spring Bridge 5.20 ft
The NPS river-level guidance and Superintendent Compendium still provide flood-closure context for the full Upper Current corridor and direct paddlers to check current conditions before launching.
- Camping supportAkers, Pulltite, and Round Spring campgrounds
NPS still identifies campground support along the Upper Current. Pulltite Ranger Station is closed for the 2026 season because of flood damage, while showers and restrooms remain available; paddlers should not assume all facilities are operating normally.
- Access rulesDesignated river access points only
NPS private-vessel guidance still tells paddlers to use designated river access points, unload promptly, and park only in designated areas.
- Endpoint coordinates37.42238, -91.6083 to 37.27996, -91.40792
Coordinates reuse the practical Cedar Grove and Round Spring access-area anchors already used on adjacent Current River routes. They are route-ready access anchors, not survey-grade ramp corners.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS Estimated Float Times
- NPS Paddle the Upper Current River
- NPS Floating in the Ozarks
- NPS River Levels
- NPS Ozark Superintendent Compendium
- NPS River Safety
- NPS 2026 Pulltite facility status
- NPS park brochure
- NPS 2025 campground and access repairs
- Rivers.MOHERP Current River Akers gauge
- USGS 07064533 Current River above Akers
- USGS 07064533 instant values
- Mapcarta Cedar Grove Boat Launch
- Mapcarta Round Spring Campground
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Current River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Current River?
Paddle Today watches Current River above Akers, MO and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Current River route start and end?
This route starts at Cedar Grove Boat Launch / access and ends at Round Spring river access / campground area, about 26.2 mi on the water.
Is this Current River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.