Eleven Point River Overnight Trip – March 28-29, 2026.

After shuttling vehicles, we put on the water at about 10:15 am. There were total of 7 members.  The river was right at 2.75 ft. on the Bardley gauge. The river was lower than I have ever seen it. We had plenty of water for paddling, but you had to dodge a few rocks that are normally under water. Everyone handled it well and everyone stayed dry.

Then it was on to Whitten Access where we decided to stop for a break and stretch our legs. It was kind of eerie stopping there this time. It was the first time we had ever seen the campground completely empty. The weather was cold and it is a little early in the year for most campers.

It was early in the day, so we decided not to camp there and continue with our paddle. We continued  down the river for another 2.5 miles and camped at the location of the old Powder Mill Float Camp. The float camp is no longer there, but it is still a very good location to camp. Somewhere in the area is a spring called Powder Mill Spring. Its location can be found on Google Maps, but we did not search for it and decided we’ll save that exploration for warmer weather.

The next morning after breakfast we packed up and headed down river to Bose Mill Spring. This spring is one of the largest in Missouri and produces an average of 12-14 million gallons of water per day. It’s a beautiful spring but we decided not to stop this time. The main access was washed out, and it was too cold to wade in the cold spring water to enter through the lower access. Also, there was a very large group of paddlers behind us, and we wanted to get to the take-out before they did.

After leaving Bose Mill it is less than a mile to what is usually a fun little Class II rapid called “Halls Bay Rapids”. The rapid was more challenging than normal because of the lower water level. It was mostly rocks and barely enough water to make it through, but everyone made it without incident. Then we were off to take-out at Riverton. We made it there shortly after noon.

After loading boats and saying goodbye, everyone headed home. We did not do our customary celebratory dinner at Crumpie’s Eleven Point Smokehouse. They were closed for the winter and don’t reopen until after Easter. In retrospect, I believe the trip would be more successful in late April or early May. We would have had more water, warmer nights and probably more paddlers in our group. And we definitely would have fried pies with ice cream at Crumpie’s!!!

Trip Details:

      • River gauge at Bardley (USGS gauge number 07071500) – 2.75 ft.
      • Put In: Greer Crossing Recreation Area
      • Take Out: Riverton (East)
      • River Miles: 19
      • Campground: Powder Mill Float Camp.