2022 Akers Ferry to Pulltite Gravel Bar Survey

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I have been wanting to document all of the gravel bars on the river for some time.  I know that these will change with time and I will update changes every one or two years.   The Akers Ferry to Pulltite stretch on the upper Current River was my first stretch to document in July 2022.   On the normal 4-6 hour float it took me 8+ hours to document them all.   I found 48 gravel bars along this stretch and I ranked them 1-10, with 10 being the best end of the scale.   The bars are labeled by two sets of numbers and 2 letters.  The first number set is the year surveyed and the second number set is the order at which they come while going down river.  The 2 letters on the end of the 2nd number set is the location (i.e.  AP means Akers to Pulltite, CA means Cedar Grove to Akers).  Some higher ranked bars will be given a name that I will denote, since I feel they are worthy of more than just a number, but also a name too.  I do not list any bars that are less than 10' wide, since I don't feel they are worthy for any extended stay.   Also, the composition of the bars can vary from gravel, rock (which is larger), sand, dirt or grass.  The one that I put first in order is the main content, and lesser will be after (i.e.  Rock/Gravel/Sand vs. Sand/Gravel/Rock).  All of my stop times have bene taken out of the below data, so what I state floating minutes that denotes how many minutes on the average the bar is located if you were to drift/paddle without any stops from the put in point.  On this trip I drifted about 30% of the time and paddled about 70% of the time.  In August 2022 I surveyed Cedar Grove to Akers Ferry and that can be found right here.   Check back for that!   I know the rivers will change every year, so I will update this data accordingly every year or two.

1st bar on the left ~12 floating minutes from the Akers Ferry north lot put in.  This gravel bar can not be camped on since it is within 1/2 mile of Akers (per ONSR regulations).  Size=120' long x 60' deep, Composition=Gravel/Sand, Water=Deeper with flowing current in front, Rank=3

Bar on the right directly across from bar 22-1 which is ~12 floating minutes from the Akers Ferry north lot put in.   This gravel bar can not be camped on since it is within 1/2 mile of Akers (per ONSR regulations).  Size=150 long x 30' deep to tree line, Wide Open (No Shade), Composition=Gravel, Water=Deeper with flowing current in front, Rank=2

Island bar in center of river ~17 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=120 long x 30' deep to tree line, Some Shade, Composition=Gravel, Water=Shallow with flowing current in front, Rank=2

Large bar on the right ~19 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=420 long x 100' deep to tree line, Wide Open (No Shade), Composition=95% Gravel / 5%Sand, Water=Shallow with flowing current in front, Rank=5

Bar on the left ~36 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=120 long x 40' deep, Some Trees (TREES FOR HAMMOCKS), Campsite about 20' above the water line, Composition=Gravel, Water=Shallow calm water in front, Rank=5

HUGE bar on the left ~44 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=800 long x 150' deep to tree line, Open (No Shade), Great for large groups of people to spread out,  River splits just before this bar, stay left, Composition=Gravel/Rock, Water=Medium deep water in front with flowing current, Rank=7 --- PHOTO

Island bar on the left ~57 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=150 long x 15' deep, Open (No Shade), Long and skinny, Composition=Rock/Gravel, Water=Shallow with current, Rank=1

Bar on the left ~1 hour and 14 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=100 long x 30' deep, Shaded, TREES FOR HAMMOCKS, wet weather creek splits it, Telephone line crosses the river just before this location, Composition=Gravel/Sand, Water=Shallow with current, Rank=4  --- PHOTO

Bar on the right ~1 hour and 28 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=180 long x 50' deep to woodline, Open (No Shade), Composition=Gravel/Sand, Water=Deep hole for fishing/swimming in front, Rank=7  --- PHOTO

Camp spot on the right ~1 hour and 31 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=140 long x 140' deep, Shady (TREES FOR HAMMOCKS), Located 20' above the water line, Accessible by river or vehicle (dirt road drive-in access is via an unnamed dirt road that branches off of Hwy K on the west side of the river on the OTHER side of the ferry at Akers. Only mostly locals know about the exact access road.), Picnic table, Composition=Sandy Loam/Grass, Water=Shallow water in front, Rank=6  --- PHOTO

Bar on the left ~1 hour and 34 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.   Size=150 long x 60' deep, Open (No Shade), Accessible by river or vehicle (dirt road drive-in access point via county road 359.), Composition=Rock/Gravel, Water=Shallow water in front, Rank=3 

Bar on right ~2 hours and 21 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 30 long x 30' deep, Open, Composition=Rock,  Water=Shallow water, Rank=1 

Bar on right ~2 hours and 28 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 200 long x 100' deep, Some shade (TREES FOR HAMMOCKS), Can put tents 20' above water line, Composition=Gravel/Some Weeds,  Water=Medium calm water, Rank=5

Bar on right ~2 hours and 32 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 300 long x 60' deep, Open with no shade, directly across from the popular Cave spring which you can float into, Composition=Gravel,  Water=Shallow water, Rank=5

Cave Spring on the left ~2 hours and 32 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  This is the main site that makes this stretch the most popular stretch to float.  You can float into the cave.     The spring rises a short canoe paddle into a large cave opening on the Current River, from a vertical shaft 140 feet deep. During and underwater survey, a Native American dugout canoe was discovered on the bottom of the spring.    One of the recharge areas for Cave Spring has been traced to Devil’s Well which is located off Route KK near Akers.  Cave Spring is among the 20 largest springs in Missouri.   An estimated 32 million gallons of water from this spring are emptied into the Current River each day.  Leo Drey, Founder of the L-A-D Foundation, purchased this area as he was assembling Pioneer Forest beginning in 1951. In 1970 Leo and Kay Drey donated Cave Spring to the Foundation. The area surrounding Cave Spring is part of a larger area along the Current River, established by the U.S. Congress in 1964 as America’s first national river and named Ozark National Scenic Riverways. --- VIDEO

Island bar  ~2 hours and 37 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 35 long x 30' deep, Open with no shade, Composition=Gravel on tip of island,  Water=Shallow current stay left, Rank=2

Bar on left  ~2 hours and 42 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 200 long x 40' deep, Open with no shade, Composition=Rock,  Water=Shallow current, Rank=1

Neat wet weather creek on left just a minute past 22-6 @  ~2 hours and 43 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Stop here and do a short hike up the wet weather creek to see some small boulders and to imagine what the flow of water through here would be like during a heavy rain.  --- VIDEO

Just after the wet weather creek @ ~2 hours and 44 floating minutes from Akers Ferry are these minor rapids with some sub-surface & exposed rocks/boulders that can sneak up on you and flip your watercraft if you lean wrong.  Going left around the full weeded island here is the deepest, but beware of what is below the water.  Going right you will likely drag and it will not be as much fun.

Bar on left  ~2 hours and 49 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 300 long x 40' deep, Open with no shade, Composition=Rock,  Rank=2

Bar on left  ~2 hours and 51 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 200 long x 30' deep, Lots of washed up wood, sporadic weeds and trees sprouting, Composition=Rock/gravel,  Rank=2

Bar on left  ~2 hours and 53 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 30 long x 20' deep, fallen tree splits bar in half, Composition=Gravel,  Rank=1

Bar on right  ~2 hours and 54 floating minutes from Akers Ferry.  Size= 300 long x 20' deep, Composition=Rock,  Rank=1

Bar on left at hard bend to the left in river  ~3 hours and 38 floating minute from Akers Ferry.  Size= 60 long x 20' deep lower area, 75x50 upper area, Composition= Gravel lower with upper area that Open,9 is shaded & TREES FOR HAMMOCKS.  Upper area is gravel/sand.  Nice set up.  Big slanted rock in river just below this spot, Water=DEEP HOLE, Rank=9 --- PHOTO OF UPPER SECTION.  PHOTO OF LOWER SECTION.

Bar on left  just past 22-43  ~3 hours and 40 floating minute from Akers Ferry.  Shade, Size= 50 long x 50' deep, Composition= Sand/Gravel, Water=DEEP HOLE, big slanted rock in river, Rank=7

Bar on left ~3 hours and 42 floating minute from Akers Ferry. Open (No Shade)Size= BIG 800 long x 100' deep, Composition= Rock/Gravel/Sand, Water=Medium water, Rank=4

Bar on right ~3 hours and 44 floating minute from Akers Ferry. Some shade, Picnic table,  Size= 400 long x 50' deep, Composition= Rock/Gravel/Sand, Water=Medium water, Rank=5

Bar on right ~3 hours and 48 floating minute from Akers Ferry. Open (No Shade),  Size= 400 long x 100' deep, Composition= Rock/Gravel, Rank=3

Bar on right ~3 hours and 52 floating minute from Akers Ferry. Open (No Shade),  Size= 100 long x 40' deep, Composition= Rock/, Rank=2   CAN'T CAMP HERE SINCE WITHIN 1/2 MILE OF PULLTITE.

On left at ~4 floating hours from Akers Ferry is Pulltite campground access.   Current River Canoe Rental is located here (related to Carrs Canoe)

The plan is to do the Pulltite to Round Spring stretch in July 2023.

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