See all 15 routes on Jacks Fork River
Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Jacks Fork RiverBuck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge to Alley Spring Access
Full upper Jacks Fork continuation from Buck Hollow to Alley Spring, backed by current NPS float-time support, named public accesses throughout the corridor, and the direct Alley Spring gauge used conservatively.
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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 Buck Hollow and take out at Alley Spring for the full upper Jacks Fork continuation supported by the current NPS float-time rows and the legacy NPS Hwy 17-to-Alley timing line. Use the direct Alley Spring gauge conservatively and expect scrape-prone travel when conditions are near or below the 100 cfs floor.
Access map
Put-in
Buck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge AccessBuck Hollow, Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, and Alley Spring are official NPS river accesses, but the coordinates used here are practical access anchors rather than an NPS coordinate table. Follow signed access roads and the current landing layout on arrival.
Take-out
Alley Spring River AccessBuck Hollow is the Highway 17 bridge access north of Mountain View. Do not confuse it with the upstream Prongs / Highway Y section, which is a separate, more seasonal reach.
Road shuttle
Use a rural two-car or authorized outfitter shuttle between Buck Hollow / Highway 17 and Alley Spring. Stage the Alley Spring take-out first, then inspect the Buck Hollow launch because this route commits you to the longest current upper-Jacks continuation in the app.
Additional access notes
- This is an all-day remote corridor with long gaps between easy exits. Plan the shuttle, food, and timing before launching and do not assume you can improvise mid-route on 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.
More route and safety guidance
- The direct Alley Spring gauge was below the 100 cfs conservative floor during this run, so expect prolonged scraping, dragging, and slower-than-normal progress if you attempt it at similar levels.
- Use only the named public accesses and check current park alerts before leaving vehicles. Remote gravel-road shuttle time and storm runoff matter as much as the river mileage here.
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Conditions
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Weather
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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
Jacks Fork at Alley Spring, 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.
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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 | Jacks Fork at Alley Spring, 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 |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 100 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 Alley Spring gauge rating and adjacent upper-Jacks trip rows |
| 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.
- Official route shapeAbout 24.0 mi, all-day upper Jacks continuation
The current NPS float-times page still lists Highway 17 to Blue Spring as 2.6 miles / 1 hour, Blue Spring to Rymers as 6.6 miles / 3 hours, Rymers to Bay Creek as 9 miles / 4 hours, and Bay Creek to Alley Spring as 5.8 miles / 2 hours, which supports a combined Buck-Hollow-to-Alley route of about 24.0 miles and 10 paddle-hours before stops.
- Legacy NPS timing rowHwy 17 to Alley, 16 hr
The NPS Paddle Jacks Fork River page still directly lists Hwy 17 to Alley as a 16-hour float, reinforcing that this is an all-day upper-river planner rather than a casual split.
- Public endpointsBuck Hollow river mile 88 to Alley Spring river mile 69
The current NPS park brochure still places Buck Hollow where Highway 17 crosses the Jacks Fork at river mile 88 and Alley Spring at river mile 69 with campground, ranger-station, and river-access context.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-09USGS 07065495 at 91.9 cfs / 1.44 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 floor100 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP rates the Alley Spring gauge Good beginning at 100 cfs, and the adjacent implemented Bay-Creek-to-Alley and Rymers-to-Alley routes already use that same conservative floor. The app keeps only the 100 cfs minimum-only model here.
- 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 Buck Hollow, Blue Spring, Rymers, Bay Creek, or Alley Spring as closed endpoints for this route on the review date.
- Coordinate supportBuck Hollow bridge access to Alley Spring River Access
This route reuses the same Buck Hollow and Alley Spring access anchors already implemented on adjacent upper Jacks Fork routes, keeping the endpoint interpretation consistent across the corridor.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
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