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See all 15 routes on Jacks Fork River

Missouri | Missouri Ozarks

Jacks Fork River

Blue Spring River Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing

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

Route location

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DistanceAbout 27.7 mi by current NPS segment totals
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 12 hr to 16 hr depending on level
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Jacks Fork River winds below wooded Ozark hills with a gravel bar along the clear channel.
Route photoJacks Fork River corridorPhoto by Chris M Morris via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Gauge

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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

On-water distanceAbout 27.7 mi by current NPS segment totalsBlue Spring River Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing
DifficultyhardThis is a very long mixed upper-lower Jacks Fork route with Class I-II moving water, wood, riffles, bluff pools, remote shuttle logistics, and the fatigue of linking the Blue-Spring-to-Eminence chain in one push.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the take-out at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing in Eminence, then drive to Blue Spring. Inspect the Blue Spring road and the Chilton landing first because this route combines remote upper-river access with a long lower-river finish.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific private-vessel paddling permit is known. Follow Ozark National Scenic Riverways rules, MDC/cooperative-area rules at Joshua T. Chilton, no-glass/no-polystyrene rules, and any current park closures, alerts, or advisories.
CampingOptions nearbyBlue Spring, Rymers, and Bay Creek all have primitive camping context and Alley Spring has developed campground context, but treat this route as an overnighter or exceptional long day only if you have checked current NPS rules and made a separate legal overnight plan.
SeasonMar-NovNPS says paddling is available year-round, but this continuation still depends on the seasonal upper Jacks Fork water above Rymers and Bay Creek before it reaches the spring-fed lower corridor. Dry periods can leave the upper miles scrape-prone, while storms can raise the whole route quickly.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Blue Spring and take out at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing in Eminence for the long Blue-Spring-to-town continuation. Use the direct Eminence gauge conservatively and expect the upper half to feel scrape-prone when conditions are near or below the 200 cfs floor.

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Start

Put-in

Blue Spring River Access
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Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, Alley Spring, and Joshua T. Chilton are all named public accesses, but the coordinates used here are practical access anchors rather than one official coordinate table. Follow signed access roads and current landing layouts on arrival.

Finish

Take-out

Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing / Eminence
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Blue Spring on the Jacks Fork is the river access across from the geologic feature, not the separate Blue Spring on the Current River.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, Alley Spring, and Joshua T. Chilton are all named public accesses, but the coordinates used here are practical access anchors rather than one official coordinate table. Follow signed access roads and current landing layouts on arrival.
  • Blue Spring on the Jacks Fork is the river access across from the geologic feature, not the separate Blue Spring on the Current River.
  • This route stays remote for much of the upper half before entering the developed Alley Spring area and the Eminence town corridor. Stay with signed public accesses and lawful stops rather than private banks.
  • The current park alerts feed showed no live closure naming these Jacks Fork endpoints on the review date, but same-day alert and road-condition checks still matter before you leave vehicles.

Watch for

  • Prolonged scraping, dragging, and possible short lining when the Eminence gauge is below the 200 cfs conservative floor, especially before you reach Alley Spring.
  • Fast riffles, wood, strainers, bluff ledges, and a very long mixed upper-lower river day with limited easy exits before Alley Spring.
  • Rapid rises after thunderstorms, cold spring-fed water, limited cell service, and the sudden shift from remote upper river to heavier traffic into town.
  • Fatigue, daylight management, and the temptation to continue when the upper corridor is obviously too shallow. Treat a below-floor reading as a reason to shorten the day.

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.

The Jacks Fork River winds below wooded Ozark hills with a gravel bar along the clear channel.
Jacks Fork River corridorPhoto by Chris M Morris via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0

Score & sources

Why this score

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

Read quality
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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.

Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

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

Gauge siteJacks Fork at Eminence, MO
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor200 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRivers.MOHERP Eminence gauge rating and lower-Jacks trip rows
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 shapeBlue Spring to Eminence, about 27.7 mi / 12 hr

    The current NPS float-times page still lists Blue Spring to Rymers as 6.6 miles / 3 hours, Rymers to Bay Creek as 9 miles / 4 hours, Bay Creek to Alley Spring as 5.8 miles / 2 hours, and Alley Spring to Eminence as 6.3 miles / 3 hours, which supports a combined Blue-Spring-to-Eminence public route of about 27.7 miles / 12 hours.

    Source

  • Public endpointsBlue Spring river mile 87 to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing

    The current NPS park brochure still lists Blue Spring on the Jacks Fork as a river access with primitive camping context, and the current MDC Joshua T. Chilton page still confirms the Eminence take-out.

    Source

  • Gauge checkUSGS 07066000 at 171 cfs / 1.89 ft

    A same-day Water Services IV refresh returned 171 cfs and 1.89 ft at 2026-07-09 09:30 PM CDT for Jacks Fork at Eminence, the direct gauge chosen for this continuation.

    Source

  • Low-water floor200 cfs minimum-only

    Rivers.MOHERP rates the Eminence gauge Good beginning at 200 cfs, and the adjacent implemented Alley-Spring-to-Chilton and Bay-Creek-to-Chilton routes already use that same conservative floor. The app keeps only the 200 cfs minimum-only model here.

    Source

  • Closure checkNo Jacks-specific endpoint closure in current park alerts JSON

    The current Ozark National Scenic Riverways alerts feed showed active notices for Akers Ferry, campground reservations, and unrelated area closures, but no live alert naming Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, Alley Spring, or Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing as closed endpoints for this route on the review date.

    Source

  • Coordinate supportBlue Spring River Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing

    This route reuses the same Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, Alley Spring, and Joshua T. Chilton access anchors already implemented on adjacent Jacks Fork routes, keeping the endpoint interpretation consistent across the corridor.

    Source

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Missouri

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More on Jacks Fork River

All 15
Alley Spring Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial LandingMissouri OzarksEasy · About 6.6 miBay Creek River Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial LandingMissouri OzarksModerate · About 12.1 mi by current NPS segment totalsBay Creek to Alley SpringMissouri OzarksModerate · About 5.8 miBlue Spring River Access to Alley Spring AccessMissouri OzarksHard · About 21.4 mi by current NPS segment totals

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Quick answers

Jacks Fork River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Jacks Fork River?

Paddle Today watches Jacks Fork at Eminence, MO and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Jacks Fork River route start and end?

This route starts at Blue Spring River Access and ends at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing / Eminence, about About 27.7 mi by current NPS segment totals on the water.

Is this Jacks Fork 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.

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