For our first river trip we decided to try Spring River at Mammoth Spring State Park. We had heard that the river was calm and cool between Dam #1 (at the park itself) and Dam #3 (the fish hatchery). After talking to the staff at the park, we discovered that we had a couple of choices to make. After putting in at Dam #1 we could take out in one of three different spots dependent upon the length of trip we wanted. For a 1 mile (about 1 hour) trip, we could take out at Cold Spring Access which featured a boat ramp and parking area just off the highway. For a trip that is just over a mile, we could take out at Dam #3 at the fish hatchery . And finally, for a 4 mile trip (3-4 hours) we could portage over Dam #3 and take out at Bayou Access.

For this trip, we had our friend Khara with us and this was her first time in a kayak. With this in mind, and the fact that we wanted to have time to swim later, we opted for the Dam #3 option. We parked Khara’s truck at the dam and soon after we were in the water at the park.

Access at the park is off to the side of the parking lot through some trees and across a small creek which is very easy to get across with your kayak over your shoulder.  Additionally, the spot at which you put your boat in the water is solid ground and level with the river. All three of us were able to get in the water and push off within minutes. The aqua, blue water is not only breath-taking in beauty, but also in temperature. Around 56 degrees, it’s not what you would call a swimming hole.

Once in the water, we quickly noticed that the thing to watch for in this part of the river are rocks; huge rocks just beneath the surface of the water are a constant for the first half of the trip. Since the current here is moderately slow, we were able to easily navigate around the rocks as we came upon them. Once around the first bend, you have the option of going to the left or right around a small island of trees. We chose to take the right side since it looked to be the smoothest of the two. Daniel and Khara slipped on through, however, I was riding a bit lower in the water due to my…big bones. So, I had to get out 4-5 times and pull my boat over the rocks and vegetation.

One thing that surprised us was the amount of development along the river banks. We were expecting to round the bend after the park and feel as though we were all alone with the river. This wasn’t the case. There are homes, boat docks, people mowing their lawns, fishing sheds and lots of people fishing from the decks along both sides of the banks. It wasn’t until we reached Cold Spring Access, in the last half of the trip, that the houses faded into the distance.

Between the first bend and Cold Spring access you will encounter several spots with a lot of vegetation and rocks just beneath the water. The water is deep enough to continue, but the amount of obstructions in the water requires you to keep an eye out. You can easily get hung on a gathering of rocks and get turned sideways before you know it. Not that you are ever in danger of rolling over, but with a little planning you can avoid the need to push yourself along with your paddle.

Cold Spring access is easily recognizable from a distance due to a large stone bridge connecting one side of the river to the other. With large arches filled with bird nests, it’s a good place to stop and take some photos. As you approach the bridge the birds flee their nests and swirl into the sky above you. Once you are a safe distance away, they then begin to swoop back under the bridge into their mud-built nests.

This, I might add, is where we SHOULD HAVE gotten out of the river. More on that later.

After Cold Spring Access, the water is noticeable deeper and much calmer. We immediately noticed the buildup of pollen and leaves on top of the water and a rise in the temperature of the surface of the water. Up to this point, the river has been pushing you along at a decent speed, but the momentum from here to Dam #3 is controlled by you. You can chill out and go with the slow flow of the river or you can race to the finish line; depends on your energy level at this point. We decided to float along slowly since we were finally surrounded by trees.

After about 30 minutes or so and another bend to the left, the large warning signs atop Dam #3 come into view. We aimed for the gravel bar to the left as instructed by the staff at the park earlier in the day. This is where the trip turned a bit sour for us. We quickly noticed that the vegetation was really thick and the gravel bar was more or a “large jagged rocks bar” than a gravel bar. After what is akin to crawling through the vegetation, we came upon a small gap in the bank where the gravel bar was accessible. However, tt was very hard to get out of the boat and up the side of the gravel bar. Once we were all up on the gravel bar, it was a bit tricky to carry the kayaks around 100 yards to the paved drive and keep your footing on the large chunks of rock. On the hottest day so far in 2009, this was quite a task. By the time we got everything back to the truck and got loaded, we were all on our last legs.  Even on a cool day, this would be a task for us…borderline dangerous.

My suggestion to anyone who asks will be to take out at Cold Spring Access. Much safer and a much more relaxed ending for your trip.

More about Mammoth Spring State Park:
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/mammothspring/

More about Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery:
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2539