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Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current RiverWaymeyer Access to Cataract Landing
Long lower Current River day from Waymeyer to Cataract. Current NPS mileage and float-time guidance support the section, and the direct Van Buren gauge gives a conservative 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 Waymeyer and finish at Cataract for a long lower Current River continuation. Use the direct Van Buren gauge as a conservative low-water check and expect the same busier, more motorized lower-river character as the adjacent split sections.
Access map
Put-in
Waymeyer AccessNPS has described Waymeyer as a non-commercial floater access while warning about erosion and limited safe unloading room on summer weekends. Follow current NPS signs and avoid blocking the access.
Take-out
Cataract LandingBig Spring is an on-route landmark and campground, not the finish. Keep downstream mileage, daylight, and shuttle timing in mind before leaving Waymeyer.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Cataract before driving back north to Waymeyer. This is a long lower-river shuttle, so verify roads, parking, daylight, and the signed landing before launching.
Additional access notes
- The Cataract coordinate is a topo-derived landing point already used in this lower-Current family, not an official NPS GIS table. Follow the signed landing, parking, and turnaround layout on arrival.
More route and safety guidance
- Treat Waymeyer-to-Cataract as a committed full-day route with motorboat wakes, slick landings, few easy exits, and limited cell service.
- Confirm Cataract landing, daylight, weather, current NPS rules, and a staged shuttle before launch; do not assume private-bank camping or bailout access.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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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
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
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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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 |
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| 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 lower-Current 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 shapeWaymeyer to Cataract, about 19.6 mi
Current NPS float-times guidance lists Waymeyer to Raftyard at 1.7 miles, Raftyard to Van Buren at 4.8 miles, Van Buren to Big Spring at 4.3 miles, and Big Spring to Cataract at 8.8 miles, which combine into an about 19.6-mile public lower Current route.
- NPS timing supportAbout 8.5 to 9 hr total
NPS lower-Current guidance lists Waymeyer to Van Buren at about 3 hours, Van Buren to Big Spring at about 2 hours, and Big Spring to Cataract at about 4 hours, supporting a long committed lower-river day.
- Public endpointsWaymeyer and Cataract Landing
NPS says Waymeyer remains a non-commercial floater access, and current float-times guidance plus the park brochure keep Cataract as a named downstream public landing on the lower Current.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-13USGS 07067000 at 1,020 cfs / 2.92 ft
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 provides route-family lower Current trip evidence. Paddle Today keeps only the conservative 700 cfs floor and does not infer an ideal range.
- Camping contextBig Spring campground on the corridor
The NPS park brochure lists Big Spring with campground, picnic, ranger-station, and river-access context, so this longer route still has a formal campground stop on the corridor even though the finish is farther downstream.
- Endpoint coordinates37.054302, -91.055459 to 36.8964418, -90.9073471
Waymeyer uses the existing published paddling-access coordinate and Cataract uses the existing topo-derived public landing point already accepted for the adjacent lower Current route family.
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 Current River
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