Missouri | Missouri Ozarks

Eleven Point River

Cane Bluff River Access to Highway 142 River Access

Check current paddling conditions for this Eleven Point River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 35.0 mi by Forest Service river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 12 hr to 18 hr total
ShuttleCar shuttle
A canoe rests beside the clear Eleven Point River with wooded Ozark banks rising behind the channel.
Route photoEleven Point River in MissouriPhoto by Charlie Llewellin via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Recent trend

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Hourly forecast

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Short-route forecast

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Quick facts and what's next

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

DifficultyhardThe water is still mostly Class I-style Ozark current, but the length makes this a much bigger commitment than the split sections. Expect upper-river shallows, Mary Decker Shoal, Halls Bay, cold water, weather exposure, and limited developed exits below Riverton.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow Mark Twain National Forest access rules, no-glass/no-polystyrene river rules, float-camp rules, Missouri boating rules, and posted parking signs.
CampingOptions nearbyThis corridor is long enough that the safer conservative plan is usually an overnight split using designated float camps or another clearly legal Forest Service option. The Eleven Point corridor includes float camps, but private banks and informal gravel bars should not be assumed to be legal campsites.
SeasonMar-NovThis route starts on the smaller upper river above Greer Spring and finishes at the last scenic-river access downstream. The Bardley gauge remains a conservative same-river estimate rather than a perfect on-reach reading for the Cane Bluff half.

Upcoming outlook

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Plan your trip

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

Access and shuttle

Launch at Cane Bluff and take out at Highway 142 / The Narrows for a full scenic-river continuation that spans the upper Eleven Point, the Greer-to-Turner trout water, and the last access above Arkansas. Use the Bardley gauge as a conservative low-water estimate and build a real overnight plan instead of improvising one on river.

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Start

Put-in

Cane Bluff River Access
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Cane Bluff and Highway 142 are official Forest Service accesses with published coordinates, but road, parking, and site rules can change after storms.

Finish

Take-out

Highway 142 River Access / The Narrows
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The Bardley gauge is downstream of the Cane Bluff half, so the upper miles can still feel shallower and slower than the gauge alone suggests near the 300 cfs floor.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Cane Bluff and Highway 142 are official Forest Service accesses with published coordinates, but road, parking, and site rules can change after storms.
  • The Bardley gauge is downstream of the Cane Bluff half, so the upper miles can still feel shallower and slower than the gauge alone suggests near the 300 cfs floor.
  • Highway 142 / The Narrows is the last access on the southern end of the Eleven Point National Scenic River Area. Missing it pushes the trip toward Arkansas and changes the route plan materially.

Watch for

  • Shallow riffles and occasional short portages above Greer Spring when the Bardley gauge is near the 300 cfs floor.
  • Mary Decker Shoal, Halls Bay, fresh flood wood, blind bends, thunderstorms, and cold-water swims on a long multi-section route.
  • Overnight logistics, fatigue, motorized users under the 25 hp limit, and the need to use legal float camps or another source-backed overnight option rather than informal stops.

Why this score

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

Read quality
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Today'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.

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Gauge, thresholds, and timing

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

Gauge siteEleven Point River near Bardley, MO
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Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor300 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
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Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRivers.MOHERP Bardley gauge rating and adjacent Eleven Point trip evidence
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What 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 shapeCane Bluff to Highway 142, about 35.0 river miles

    Forest Service river-mile notes place Cane Bluff at mile 9.3 from Thomasville and Highway 142 at mile 44.3, supporting this combined public route through Greer, Turner Mill, Whitten, and Riverton.

    Source

  • Public put-inCane Bluff River Access

    The Forest Service lists Cane Bluff as open and identifies it as the first public access below Thomasville, with a vault toilet, trailer parking, and coordinates 36.796246, -91.405675.

    Source

  • Public take-outHighway 142 River Access / The Narrows

    The Forest Service lists Highway 142 as open, developed, and day-use only, with a single-lane concrete boat ramp, paved parking, vault toilet, and coordinates 36.550194, -91.191532.

    Source

  • Gauge checkUSGS 07071500 at 514 cfs / 2.66 ft

    A same-day Water Services IV refresh returned 514 cfs and 2.66 ft at 2026-07-11 14:30 CDT for Eleven Point River near Bardley, the direct same-river gauge already used by adjacent Eleven Point routes.

    Source

  • Low-water floor300 cfs minimum-only

    Rivers.MOHERP rates the Bardley gauge Good beginning at 300 cfs, and exact adjacent Cane Bluff-to-Turner, Turner-to-Whitten, Whitten-to-Riverton, and Riverton-to-Narrows evidence supports keeping only that conservative floor. The app does not infer an ideal range or upper cutoff.

    Source

  • Route characterUpper spring-favored river into long cold lower corridor with float camps

    MDC says the first 17 miles from Thomasville to Greer are best in spring to avoid dragging, the next 14 miles from Turner Mill to Riverton are stocked trout water, and the Forest Service says the corridor has seven designated float camps for river users.

    Source

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Eleven Point River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Eleven Point River?

Paddle Today watches Eleven Point River near Bardley, 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 Eleven Point River route start and end?

This route starts at Cane Bluff River Access and ends at Highway 142 River Access / The Narrows, about About 35.0 mi by Forest Service river miles on the water.

Is this Eleven Point River route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.