Quote:
Canoe camping is great.


That is so true!

Canoe camping is an age old tradition here in the Ozarks. The season starts sometime in March and runs as long as the creeks and streams have enough water to float.

Ticks and chiggers tend to stay away from the gravel and sand bars. We're lucky here because mosquitos are not much on an issue. Here, it can be a nearly bug free experience. Gnat hatches can change that, but they only last a few days, don't bite, and taste better than you might think when they get in your food.

By mid-April the water is chilly, but still warm enough to swim in.

We do have a lot of Cottonmouth Water Moccasins here so you have to be careful when walking the shorelines, especially at night when they are actively feeding.

The Buffalo River is the Crown Jewel of our float streams in the area. It's one of the very few "Wild Rivers" remaining in the continental U.S. There are a few paved low water crossings, but not a single dam from source to mouth, which is just a bit over 100 miles.

You can camp anywhere along the shoreline when canoeing (locally its called "Floating") and anywhere in the National Park that surrounds it when backpacking. Normal rules apply for toilet duties. Camp and cooking fires are allowed. Dogs on leashes (except maybe hunting dogs in certain seasons). Horses and pack animals are allowed in the Park as well.

My wife and I have snorkeled dozens of miles of the River by letting the current push us along with the canoe floating just ahead of us. The water can be nearly crystal clear at times and visibility can be as much as 25 ft. There are Gar that are over 4-5 ft. long, smallmouth bass, and big turtles, among lots of other critters in the river. There are Otters there too, I've had the opportunity to sit on a high bank in the Spring and watch a family of them play for about 20 minutes once, but they are extremely shy and rare to see.

Personally, I'd favor a week in May floating the Buffalo over a week in August hiking Yosemite. Not by much, but if it were a one or the other choice, I'd be in the Ozarks on the River every time.

I will add that applying the same "Lightweight" tools and techniques to the gear and food I bring has made my floats more enjoyable. Less weight is better when canoeing too. But you certainly can bring more stuff, like steaks and beer, than when backpacking smile

Bill
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"