Our Favorite Floats in the Missouri Ozarks
Float Trips Recommended By Local Land Agents
We Float These Rivers Ourselves
Floating is part of why people fall in love with the Missouri Ozarks — and part of why they end up buying land here. The five counties we work in are stitched together by some of the best float water in the country: cold-and-clear in some stretches, slow-and-shaded in others, and almost all of it underrated by people who have only ever heard of the Current River.
This page is our personal guide. We float these rivers ourselves, with our families, and the rankings reflect what we actually do, not what shows up first on Google. Most outfitters will rent you a kayak, canoe, or raft for a half day or full day — we have linked to a couple of well-known operators where it makes sense, but search any of these river names + “outfitter” and you will find local options.
The Meramec River — Crawford County
The classic Steelville float. The Meramec is the most popular float in our area for good reason: clean, accessible, scenic, and forgiving for beginners. The water is clear most of the year, the banks are mostly state-protected, and you can find sections that range from quiet flat water to gentle riffles. Great for families, beginners, and groups who want a no-stress half-day on the water.
Best for: Families, first-timers, mixed-skill groups.
Trip length: Half-day to full-day floats are easy. Multi-day options exist for the ambitious.
Season: May through September is prime. Spring floats are colder and faster after rain.
Huzzah Creek — Crawford County
Smaller, faster, prettier. The Huzzah is one of the most beautiful float streams in Missouri — gin-clear water, pebble-bottomed riffles, and limestone bluffs framing most of the trip. It is narrower than the Meramec which makes it feel more intimate, and the float passes through some of the prettiest country in the state. Best done as a kayak or canoe trip; rafts are awkward on the smaller stretches.
Best for: Couples, photographers, anyone who wants the “real Ozarks” experience.
Trip length: Half-day floats are most common.
Season: Late spring through early fall. Avoid late summer drought when water gets too low.
Courtois Creek — Crawford County
The locals’ secret. Smaller and quieter than the Huzzah, the Courtois has the same clear-water character but with even less crowding. If you want to see the Crawford County float scene without the float-party energy of the busiest weekends on the Meramec, the Courtois is where you go. Fishing the smallmouth bass holes here is genuinely world-class.
Best for: Fishermen, quiet floats, smaller groups.
Trip length: Half-day floats.
Season: Late spring through early fall.
The Gasconade River — Gasconade & Phelps Counties
The big quiet one. Long, winding, and wider than the Crawford County streams, the Gasconade is a classic Missouri river float — less rapid, more meander, with great swimming holes and some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the state. The lower stretches near Hermann are popular weekend floats. The upper stretches near Phelps County are quieter and more remote.
Best for: Fishermen, multi-day trips, slower-paced groups.
Trip length: Half-day to multi-day. Camping along the river is a tradition.
Season: Late spring through early fall.
Land along the Gasconade → · Land in Phelps County →
The Little Piney Creek — Phelps County
An underrated trout stream. The Little Piney is a small, clear, cold spring-fed creek with healthy populations of rainbow and brown trout in certain stretches. It is more of a fishing float than a party float, but for fly fishermen and people who like quiet water, this is a special little piece of the Ozarks. The Mark Twain National Forest land along the creek means lots of public access.
Best for: Fly fishermen, quiet half-day floats.
Trip length: Half-day.
Season: Spring and fall are best for trout.
The Bourbeuse River — Franklin County
The closest float to St. Louis. The Bourbeuse is a slower, more meandering river with fewer rapids than the Crawford County streams. It is genuinely good fishing water, especially for largemouth bass, and the proximity to the metro makes it the easiest weekend float for St. Louis-area paddlers. Less crowded than the Meramec.
Best for: Slow paced floats, St. Louis weekend trips, fishing.
Trip length: Half-day to full-day.
Season: Spring through early fall.
The Current River — Near Dent County
A national treasure. The Current River sits just south of Dent County and is widely regarded as one of the best float streams in the United States — cold, spring-fed, gin-clear, and protected by the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The Round Spring to Two Rivers stretch is iconic. If you have only one Missouri float in your life, this is the one. From Dent County properties, you are within an hour of putting in.
Best for: Anyone. Genuinely.
Trip length: Half-day, full-day, or multi-day.
Season: Year-round, though summer is busiest.
Float Trip Tips
- Book outfitters in advance for any summer weekend — especially Crawford County in June, July, August.
- Check water levels on the USGS gauge for your river before going. Too high = dangerous. Too low = dragging your boat over gravel.
- Bring sun protection. Cloudless Ozark days are brighter than people expect. Long sleeves, hats, reef-safe sunscreen.
- Pack out everything you bring in. The clear water in these streams is clear because generations of locals have kept it that way.
- Coolers stay in dry bags or strapped to the boat. A cooler in the bottom of an unstable canoe is the most common reason floats end early.
- Cell service is mostly nonexistent on the float itself. Plan accordingly.
Buying Land Along an Ozarks River?
River frontage is one of the highest-value features a Missouri property can have — and one of the most complicated to buy or sell well. Easements, riparian rights, flood zones, and the legal definition of the navigable waterway all matter. Justin has structured contracts on a lot of river properties; if you are buying or selling something with frontage, call us before you write the offer.
Justin Head · 573.308.7376 · justin.head@whitetailproperties.com
Ryan Record · 573.259.6360 · ryan.record@whitetailproperties.com