Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Mulberry RiverRedding Recreation Area to Turner Bend
Short Wild and Scenic Mulberry River run from the Forest Service Redding Recreation Area to the private-fee Turner Bend landing. American Whitewater ties the exact reach to the USGS Mulberry gauge, but this is rain-sensitive Class I-III water with fast rises and fee-access logistics.
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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 the Forest Service Redding Recreation Area and take out at the private-fee Turner Bend landing for a short Mulberry River whitewater run. Use the downstream USGS Mulberry gauge as the Paddle Today scoring source, then make a same-day visual call at Redding and Turner Bend.
Access map
Put-in
Redding Recreation Area canoe launchRedding Recreation Area is an official Forest Service river access with a rock canoe launch and day-use fees, but road, parking, and flood cleanup conditions can still vary.
Take-out
Turner Bend private-fee landing (Highway 23 corridor anchor)Turner Bend is a private-fee landing. Private boaters need current access wristbands, parking permits, or shuttle arrangements; do not assume unpaid or after-hours landing use.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out only after confirming Turner Bend access, parking, wristband, and shuttle terms, then drive back to Redding Recreation Area. Inspect both landings before launching because high water, crowds, private-access rules, and rough forest roads can change the plan.
Additional access notes
- The route uses the USGS Mulberry River near Mulberry stage range published by American Whitewater. Turner Bend also publishes a local staff-gauge ladder, but Paddle Today does not treat that as the live product gauge.
- The take-out coordinate is a generalized Highway 23 / Turner Bend access-area anchor, not the landing toe. Turner Bend identifies the landing as load/unload only and requires private-boater access wristbands and any applicable parking permission; confirm current fees, hours, and loading rules before launching.
More route and safety guidance
- The Mulberry is rain-sensitive and can rise quickly after Ozark storms; use the USGS gauge, visual checks at both landings, and same-day weather before committing.
- Turner Bend is a private-fee landing. Confirm wristband, parking, shuttle, and loading rules before launch, and do not depend on informal private-bank exits.
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Conditions
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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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
Mulberry River near Mulberry, AR. 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 | Mulberry River near Mulberry, AR |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 1.55 ft to 6.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 1.55 ft |
| High threshold | 6.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Redding-to-Turner-Bend reach gauge range |
| 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 put-inRedding Recreation Area
The Forest Service says Redding Recreation Area sits next to the Wild and Scenic Mulberry River and offers a rock canoe launch and river access. The page lists the site as open all year with a day-use fee and official coordinates.
- Route shapeRedding to Turner Bend, about 3.6 to 4.0 miles
American Whitewater identifies Redding Campground to Highway 23 / Turner Bend as a 3.6-mile Mulberry reach. National Rivers Project lists Redding to Turner Bend as a 4-mile section managed by the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.
- Gauge check during route review · May 31, 2026USGS 07252000
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.
- Stage model1.55 / 1.55-6.0 / 6.0 ft
American Whitewater ties the exact Redding-to-Turner-Bend reach to USGS 07252000 and lists 1.55 to 6.00 ft as barely runnable to high runnable for Class I-III water. Paddle Today uses that as a conservative two-sided stage envelope without adding a stronger ideal subrange.
- Private-fee take-outTurner Bend landing
Turner Bend documents private-boater shuttles, access wristbands, parking permits, a loading/unloading landing, and the requirement to buy access for use of its landings.
- Local hazard contextFast rises, technical water, and beginner limits
National Rivers Project warns that heavy rain can quickly transform the Mulberry into a rampaging torrent. Turner Bend local guidance says 2.7-2.8 ft is challenging for beginners, 2.9-3.0 ft is not a casual picnic float, and 4.5-5.0 ft is too much water for most boaters on its local staff gauge.
- Coordinate anchorsRedding 35.68282778, -93.78651111; Turner Bend 35.671667, -93.829444
The put-in uses Forest Service Redding coordinates. The take-out uses the Turner Bend / Highway 23 bridge corridor coordinate from the Commons NRHP bridge record, backed by Turner Bend access pages that place the landing at the Highway 23 / Mulberry River junction.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Forest Service Redding Recreation Area
- American Whitewater Redding to Turner Bend
- American Whitewater Mulberry gauge information
- USGS 07252000 Mulberry River near Mulberry
- USGS 07252000 legacy current conditions
- National Rivers Project Redding to Turner Bend
- Turner Bend private boating shuttle and access
- Turner Bend water level guidance
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