The Ozark National Scenic Riverways protects 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri. These are spring-fed rivers — clear, cold, and flowing through a landscape of limestone bluffs, broadleaf forest, and over 300 caves. It is some of the best canoeing and kayaking in the Midwest.
The geology makes the place. The Ozark karst is riddled with sinkholes and springs — sixty per cent of the rivers' flow comes from underground. Big Spring, one of the largest in the United States, pumps out an average of 276 million gallons a day. The springs are worth visiting on their own, even if you do not get on the water.
Canoeing and kayaking are the main activities, with outfitters along both rivers renting boats and running shuttles. Swimming, tubing, fishing, and hiking are all good. Wildlife is abundant — over 190 bird species and enough snakes (25 species, four venomous) to keep you watching where you step.