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See all 15 routes on Jacks Fork River

Missouri | Missouri Ozarks

Jacks Fork River

Buck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge 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 30.3 mi by current NPS segment totals
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 13 hr to 20 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

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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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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 30.3 mi by current NPS segment totalsBuck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge 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 whole Buck-Hollow-to-Eminence chain in one push.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the take-out at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing in Eminence, then drive to Buck Hollow on Highway 17. This is the longest current Jacks Fork continuation in the app, so inspect both endpoints, shuttle timing, and weather before committing.
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 full continuation still depends on the most seasonal upper Jacks Fork water above Blue Spring, Rymers, and Bay Creek. Dry periods can turn the upper miles into a scrape-and-drag slog, while storms can raise the entire corridor 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 Buck Hollow and take out at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing in Eminence for the full Buck-Hollow-to-town continuation. Use the direct Eminence gauge conservatively and treat below-floor readings as a reason to shorten or break up the trip, not force the whole route.

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Start

Put-in

Buck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge Access
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Buck Hollow, 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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Buck 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 and even more seasonal reach.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Buck Hollow, 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.
  • Buck 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 and even more seasonal reach.
  • This route passes from remote upper-river gravel roads into the developed Alley Spring area and finally 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

  • Repeated 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 Class I-II moving-water consequences over an extremely long mixed upper-lower river day.
  • Rapid rises after thunderstorms, cold spring-fed water, limited cell service, long rural shuttle friction, and busy lower-river traffic into Eminence.
  • Fatigue, daylight management, and the temptation to press on after the upper corridor is obviously too shallow. Treat a below-floor reading as a signal to shorten the objective.

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
Current bandChecking
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 shapeBuck Hollow to Eminence, about 30.3 mi / 13 hr

    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, 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 Buck-Hollow-to-Eminence public route of about 30.3 miles / 13 hours.

    Source

  • 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 full Buck-Hollow-to-town continuation is beyond a casual day-float posture.

    Source

  • Public endpointsBuck Hollow river mile 88 to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing

    The current NPS park brochure still places Buck Hollow where Highway 17 crosses the Jacks Fork at river mile 88, 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 full 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 Buck Hollow, 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 supportBuck Hollow bridge access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing

    This route reuses the same Buck Hollow, 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

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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 Buck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge Access and ends at Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing / Eminence, about About 30.3 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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