Missouri | Southwest Missouri

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch to Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville

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Today

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Today's conditions

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Quick facts

On-water distance About 7.9 mi Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch to Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville

Difficulty moderate This is a narrow Ozark creek with riffles, gravel bars, tree strainers, possible portages, and a steeper final riffle into Bradleyville. It can be a pleasant day float at ordinary levels, but it is not a beginner recommendation when high, rising, or freshly altered by floods.

Shuttle Car shuttle Use a rural two-car or campground-supported shuttle between Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch and the Highway 76 bridge area in Bradleyville. Inspect the Bradleyville take-out before launching because flood changes, gravel, private drives, and bridge-area access can make the landing less obvious than the route name suggests.

Permits None noted No route-specific paddling permit is known. Budget for the campground access or parking fee at Brownbranch, follow campground rules, obey posted signs at the Highway 76 bridge area, and follow Missouri boating and fishing rules.

Camping Options nearby Treat this route as a day float unless you separately reserve or arrange camping at Beaver Creek Campground. Do not assume private banks or bridge approaches are legal campsites.

Season Mar-Nov Beaver Creek is rain-sensitive and can swing from scrapey summer riffles to fast, muddy, debris-laden current after storms. Recent flood history and 2025 trip notes make the same-day trend and access inspection especially important.

Plan

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Access plan

Access, shuttle, and map

Launch at Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch and take out at the Highway 76 bridge area in Bradleyville for a 7.9-mile Beaver Creek day. Use the Bradleyville USGS gauge with MoHERP bands, and skip the route when the gauge is high, rising, or below the low-water floor.

Directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Start

Put-in

Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch Open map

Brownbranch is a private fee-access campground, not an MDC area. Confirm current access fees, parking, shuttle options, and launch conditions before counting on it.

Finish

Take-out

Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville Open map

MDC currently describes the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville as a launch option, but MoHERP trip notes flag post-flood degradation and past confusion around MO 76 access. Scout the take-out first and obey any posted private-property limits.

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Access caveats

Brownbranch is a private fee-access campground, not an MDC area. Confirm current access fees, parking, shuttle options, and launch conditions before counting on it.
MDC currently describes the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville as a launch option, but MoHERP trip notes flag post-flood degradation and past confusion around MO 76 access. Scout the take-out first and obey any posted private-property limits.
The Bradleyville coordinate is anchored to the USGS gauge / Highway 76 bridge corridor rather than a separate managed-ramp coordinate. Use it for navigation to the take-out corridor, then follow current on-site access conditions.

Watch for

Dragging, wading, slick riffles, and long shallow sections when the Bradleyville gauge is near or below 100 cfs.
High or rising water above the MoHERP high-water line, when this narrow creek can become pushy, muddy, and debris-prone.
Strainers, flood-deposited trees, braided gravel channels, and possible portages, especially after recent high water.
The final riffle into Bradleyville, bridge approaches, gravel-mining disturbance near the lower reach, and tight landing options.
Private land away from the fee campground, public bridge area, and lawful gravel-bar stops.

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Sources

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Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

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Outlook Tomorrow and weekend

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Data behind the score Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge site	Beaver Creek at Bradleyville, MO
Discharge	Checking
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Target band	200 cfs to 395 cfs
Low threshold	100 cfs
High threshold	727 cfs
Data confidence behind the range	Local route guidance
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Main source behind this score	Rivers.MOHERP Bradleyville gauge bands and Brownbranch-to-Bradleyville trip rows
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Notes What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

Public / fee access pair Brownbranch campground to Highway 76 bridge

MDC says most Beaver Creek floats begin at Brownbranch and downstream, and that visitors can pay a small fee to park and launch at Beaver Creek Campground in Brownbranch or launch at the Highway 76 bridge in Bradleyville.

Source
Route-specific trip rows Brownbranch to Bradleyville, 7.9 miles

Rivers.MOHERP lists exact Brownbranch-to-Bradleyville rows at 7.9 miles, including Good reports at 210, 241, 258, 276, 442, 496, and 532 cfs and Low / Poor reports in the mid-70 cfs range.

Source
Gauge bands 100 / 200-395 / 727 cfs

MoHERP rates the Bradleyville gauge as Poor around 50 cfs, Low beginning around 100 cfs, Good beginning around 200 cfs, High beginning around 727 cfs, and Flood around 1,610 cfs. The app uses those community bands conservatively.

Source
Direct live gauge USGS 07054080

USGS Beaver Creek at Bradleyville showed same-day May 31, 2026 observations during review, including 1,080 cfs and 5.26 ft at 10:15 CDT. That reading is above the app high-water caution line, not a current recommendation.

Source
Put-in coordinate 36.79540057, -92.83080082

The Dyrt publishes coordinates for Beaver Creek Canoe Rental, Campground & Cabins, and describes the private campground as river-accessible with boat-in access and canoe-rental context. MDC supplies the stronger access authority.

Source
Take-out coordinate 36.77963889, -92.90727778

USGS publishes the Beaver Creek at Bradleyville monitoring-location coordinate at the Highway 76 bridge corridor. MDC supplies the paddling-access authority for the Bradleyville bridge; this is not a separate managed-ramp coordinate.

Source
Access caveat Bradleyville / MO 76 can be rough or confusing

MoHERP notes include a 2025 report that the Bradleyville take-out continues to degrade after floods and a 2019 warning about MO 76 access confusion. Paddle Today keeps the MDC access wording but requires scouting the take-out before committing.

Source

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Quick answers

Beaver Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Beaver Creek?

Paddle Today watches Beaver Creek at Bradleyville, MO and treats 200 cfs to 395 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Beaver Creek route start and end?

This route starts at Beaver Creek Campground / Brownbranch and ends at Highway 76 Bridge at Bradleyville, about About 7.9 mi on the water.

Is this Beaver Creek route good for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

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