See all 15 routes on Jacks Fork River
Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Jacks Fork RiverBuck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge Access to Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing
Full Buck-Hollow-to-Eminence Jacks Fork continuation that links the longest current upper-Jacks corridor into the classic Alley-to-town finish, using current NPS route rows, named public accesses, and the direct Eminence gauge conservatively.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
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 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.
Access map
Put-in
Buck Hollow / Highway 17 Bridge AccessBuck 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.
Take-out
Joshua T. Chilton Memorial Landing / EminenceBuck 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.
Road shuttle
Stage 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.
Additional access notes
- 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.
More route and safety guidance
- The direct Eminence gauge was below the 200 cfs conservative floor during this run, so expect repeated scraping, slow progress, and more walking or lining above Alley Spring.
- Buck Hollow is a remote gravel-road put-in and Joshua T. Chilton sits in the town-access corridor. Use only named public accesses and check current park alerts before leaving vehicles.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
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 Eminence, 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.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
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.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
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 Eminence, MO |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 200 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 Eminence gauge rating and lower-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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-09USGS 07066000 at 171 cfs / 1.89 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 Jacks Fork River
All 15Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.