Missouri has long been a destination for outdoors enthusiasts who enjoy leisurely floats on our clear streams as the current propels them along in canoes, kayaks, rafts and innertubes. The Current and Jack’s Fork Rivers in Southern Missouri are two of America’s clearest and most beautiful spring-fed streams. They make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which is the first national park area to protect a wild river system.
Other popular Missouri rivers include the Huzzah, Meramec and the Courtois rivers.
Lesser-known but equally scenic and floatable are the Gasconade and Big Piney Rivers in Pulaski County, about a two-hour drive southwest of St. Louis on Interstate 44.
Terry Primas, a Pulaski County resident and author of many books and articles on the area, says the Gasconade and Big Piney became popular with wealthy St. Louisans in the early 1900s. “They would take the Frisco Railway to local stations in Dixon, Crocker and Richland. Then they would have to endure a bumpy wagon ride to the resorts,” he writes.
When Historic Route 66 was commissioned, it conveniently passed close by several resorts, making the journey easier.
“There are 15 businesses in the communities of Devil’s Elbow, Dixon, Duke and Richland offering camping, lodging and floats on our rivers,” says Beth Wiles, the executive director of the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau. “Several include RV parks as well. The Gasconade Hills Resort is only a mile off Historic Route 66 and is the last surviving original resort.”
A two-bedroom cottage at Gasconade Hills Resort is one of several that date to the 1930s, and which have been upgraded with cable television, Wi-Fi, central heat and air conditioning.
Larry Helms, owner of Boiling Spring Campground, says “our resorts are likely one of the few places in the country to be able to say the number of visitors is just now approaching the record levels of tourists we had during the pandemic. People came in record numbers during COVID because of this being an outdoor destination where they could be away from other people, but have an enjoyable vacation.”
He is also executive director of the Missouri RV Parks and Campgrounds, and president of the Pulaski County Outfitters Association, and has plenty of knowledge about who visits the Gasconade and Big Piney rivers.
“Most guests are from all over the state and the surrounding states of Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Illinois,” he says. “However, an increasing number of visitors are those discovering the Pulaski County rivers after years of floating the better-known streams in Missouri.”
“We are appreciated for our family-oriented campgrounds and the fact that our streams are not what I call ‘party streams,’” Helms says. “We do not attract large groups of floaters that can become rowdy and crowd the rivers.”
On Memorial Day, Helms says half the campers in his campground were new to the area. “After years of floating other rivers in the state, they were looking for something new,” he reports.
While the Gasconade has 250 floatable miles and the Big Piney has 80 floatable miles, most floats are three, five and eight miles.
Kayaks and canoes are ready and waiting to take guests on a leisurely float on the Gasconade River at the Gasconade Hills Resort. Barbara Winnerman photo.
People report they enjoy the clarity of the water, as well as the fact that both rivers are spring fed and water temperature remains cool throughout the summer.
According to Helms, the Boiling Spring and the Roubidoux Spring, which feed the rivers, pour 95 million gallons of cool water into the streams every day.
Today the owners of the Gasconade Hills Resort are Shelia and Jim Cook. “We were living in California searching for a business after retiring and spending 20 years in the military,” Shelia says. “When we saw this resort for sale on the internet, we fell in love with it. We had never been to Missouri, and it was not on our list of places to visit, but we sold our house, cars and furniture and moved here after closing on the purchase within a few months of discovering it.”
For the Cooks, the history of the resort was part of the allure. “Of course, we are business owners, but we also know we are caretakers of a historic property dating back to the early years of Historic Route 66,” Sheila says. “Our mantra is that we are helping people create lifelong memories with their families, and that gives us a tremendous amount of pleasure.”
For some guests that have been returning to the 1930 era cabins at Gasconade Hills for 30 years, that adds up to a lot of memories.
“Of course the cabins have all been modernized and include private baths, electricity, Wi-Fi and cable television,” Sheila says.
Like many of the area resorts Gasconade Hills also includes several pull-through RV sites, campgrounds with bathhouses, boat launch access, grills, firepits and picnic tables.
“We also have a swimming pool and an activity pavilion, basketball, volleyball, badminton and horseshoes,” Sheila says, adding there is a small store that sells food and supplies.
After they purchased the resort, the Cooks discovered the property has a historic tie to American history. The Trail of Tears, the path followed by the Cherokee people from 1838 to 1839 when they were forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), passed directly through the resort’s campground.
Angelica Sanchez-Clark, acting deputy superintendent of National Trails for the National Park Service, says the route is well documented. “She is working on erecting National Park signage on our property that recognizes the history of this ground,” Sheila says.
Portions of the Gasconade and Big Piney rivers in Pulaski County have a national reputation as outstanding rivers to fish for small mouth bass. P
While the Gasconade and Big Piney are not as well known for floating as other, more popular Missouri streams, they do have a national reputation as outstanding rivers to fish for small mouth bass. Both have several miles designated as a “trophy area” or “management area,” where small mouth bass under 15 inches must be released.
Tommy Bench has been a full-time local fishing guide on the two rivers for 15 years and can be found guiding anglers to where the fish are biting every weekday throughout the year. “I catch more in the winter than any other month,” he says, “but I take the weekends off to be with my family.”
Among fishermen he is well-known for his expertise through a strong social media presence on Facebook (Gasconade River Guide) and a weekly radio show he hosts.
“The rivers here are unique because they are not stocked,” Bench says. “The fish thrive in our spring-fed water.”
Proof of his claim is his personal catch of a 6-pound, 23 ¼-inch small mouth bass. “That is almost twice the size needed to be recognized as a ‘master angler’ by the state,” he says.
“Bass Pro Shop in Springfield has it on display. Because it was not a lake fish, catching a small mouth bass that size on a river is equivalent to catching a unicorn.”
“But there are other fish in our rivers, too,” he continues, naming white bass, crappie, spotted bass, freshwater drums and green and longear sunfish.
While those who float the rivers come from throughout the Midwest, 85% of Bench’s clients come from the St. Louis area, and 70% of his clients return.
According to Bench, they come back not only for the fishing but also because the entire drive is on Interstate 44 and no backroad driving is needed. “Everyone comments on how easy it is to get here,” he says.
“Plus, they like that these are family-oriented rivers and not party rivers where you can walk across the river hopping from one boat to another.”
The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau has an extensive inventory of brochures on all attractions in the area. The “Welcome to Pulaski County” booklet has a list of all 15 river resorts and campgrounds, as well as an extensive list of area attractions and restaurants. 1-877-858-8687; VisitPulaskiCounty.org
