Floating the Current River – Ozark National Scenic Riverway

My family is all about the outdoors. We love hiking and exploring our gorgeous state and national parks. This weekend, we did something a little different outside. We decided to float some of the Current River near Van Buren, Missouri. My parents camped down there the night before, and my brother and our spouses met up with them to spend the day on the river together.

The very first bit on the river, we were a little worried. August in the Ozarks is usually wicked hot and humid, but it was super chilly and crazy breezy! It felt more like autumn than peak-heat summer! 

I’m not an ocean person, but I love river adventures!

So, my family is super goofy, which means that laughs are a given for our activities. We had all six of us together, which meant we were getting into all sorts of trouble.

Matt rocked the GoPro for our trip! I love that he took so many accidental feet photos! Plus, look at how beautiful that river is! No wonder it’s a national scenic riverway.

The Current River is fed by many different springs which means the water is super clear and as it gets deeper is a deep teal color. It’s really beautiful!   

The crew, minus Matt, who’s photographing! 

Matt got separated from the pack in a section of strong current. He wanted us to let him go so we didn’t drag him too close to the bank, and then he proceeded to float straight to the bank! Ha! That’s what you get for not being a team player, right?   

Matt rejoined the group and my dad was trying to hold on to his tube with his feet, and kept rubbing his butt with his toes, which led to all these laughing faces. 

Then Matt broke away again! Ha! 

We went by this cave in the bluff line. Minutes later a canoe paddled up to explore! 

I love the gorgeous bluffs of the Ozarks. If we had had canoes or something easier to paddle, I would’ve totally jumped off this bad boy! 

Catching some wake from the prop boats along the river.

Cory, my big brother, often saved the day, pulling us away from obstacles or carrying one of us who had strayed from the pack back to the group. It was cracking us all up so much, so we had to capture this awesome move! 

So, my dad jumped out of his tube and then had a heck of a time getting back into his tube, which led to fits of laughter. (he’s the man flailing about in the background). 

The hilarity continued for several more minutes.  

It was seriously hysterical! 

Our trip had so many laughs and amazing memories. I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had here in the Ozarks with my family. We’ve really been making loads of memories together before Matt and I take off on our big trip!

Tips on Floating the Current River:

⋙ Don’t stress about getting everything organized. There are plenty of companies out of Van Buren who do that-day floating.

⋙ There are different types of floaties. If you’re going with a big group, I recommend the tubes with are handles and cupholders. (Like the lime green ones we used – pictured above.)

⋙ If you’re in a tube, I would recommend doing the 1-2 hour float or 3-4 hour float. We did the 3-4 hour and it was almost too much, and that was on a cool day. It wasn’t that we didn’t have fun, we just had to paddle quite a bit in places of low current and to avoid some obstacles.

⋙ If you’re looking to spend 5-6 hours on the river, rent a canoe or raft. That way you can float leisurely and still paddle when needed.

⋙ If you’re not a great swimmer, wear a lifejacket. There are loads of places along the river that are super deep.

⋙ Don’t forget a cooler (and throw your sunscreen in there). You can rent tubes for your coolers as well!

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