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See all 6 routes on Current River

Missouri | Missouri Ozarks

Current River

Pulltite to Round Spring

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Today

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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.

Today's conditions

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Quick facts

On-water distance 8.9 mi Pulltite to Round Spring
Difficulty easy NPS lists Pulltite to Round Spring as a standard four-hour canoe/kayak float. It is generally easy at ordinary levels, but cold spring water, weekend crowding, limited cell service, shallow riffles, and high-water closure thresholds still matter.
Shuttle Car shuttle Use a two-car or authorized outfitter shuttle between Pulltite and Round Spring. Cell service is limited in the park, so stage the take-out and confirm the pickup plan before launching.
Permits None noted No route-specific private-vessel paddling fee is known inside Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Follow NPS rules, posted signs, designated access layouts, parking limits, no-glass/no-polystyrene rules, and any current river closure notices.
Camping Options nearby Treat this as a day float unless you have a separate legal camping plan. Pulltite and Round Spring have developed NPS camping areas, and gravel-bar camping has park rules and location limits; do not assume any bank is public just because it is reachable from the river.
Season Mar-Nov The Upper Current is spring-fed and NPS lists private paddling year-round, but low summer levels can still make shoals slow and scrape-heavy. Heavy rain can raise the river quickly, add floating wood, and trigger NPS non-motorized closures.

Plan

Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.

Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.

Access plan

Access, shuttle, and map

Launch at Pulltite and take out at Round Spring for the NPS-listed 8.9-mile Upper Current River day float. Use the upstream Akers USGS gauge as a conservative same-day low-water check, with the app using only a 300 cfs minimum floor.

Directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap
Start

Put-in

Pulltite river access / campground area Open map

Pulltite and Round Spring are standard Ozark National Scenic Riverways access areas, but flood repairs, construction zones, parking, outfitter traffic, and temporary closure notices can change the practical launch or landing.

Finish

Take-out

Round Spring river access / campground area Open map

The coordinates are practical access-area anchors from Mapcarta / GeoNames / OpenStreetMap records paired with NPS route and access confirmation, not official ramp-coordinate tables. Follow current NPS signs and ramp layout on arrival.

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Access caveats

  • Pulltite and Round Spring are standard Ozark National Scenic Riverways access areas, but flood repairs, construction zones, parking, outfitter traffic, and temporary closure notices can change the practical launch or landing.
  • The coordinates are practical access-area anchors from Mapcarta / GeoNames / OpenStreetMap records paired with NPS route and access confirmation, not official ramp-coordinate tables. Follow current NPS signs and ramp layout on arrival.
  • The Akers gauge is upstream of this route. It is supported by MoHERP Pulltite-to-Round-Spring reports, but it should still be treated as a proxy and paired with a visual check at Pulltite.

Watch for

  • Shallow riffles, scraping, and slower travel when the Akers gauge is near or below the 300 cfs floor.
  • High or rising water, fresh wood, cloudy water, and faster current after rain. NPS lists Pulltite at 4.20 ft and Round Spring Bridge at 5.20 ft as non-motorized closure levels during flood conditions.
  • Cold spring-fed water, crowding on warm weekends, motorized-boat interactions under park horsepower rules, and limited cell service.
  • Federal river rules: PFD requirements, children under 7 wearing PFDs, no glass or polystyrene, no vessel lashing, cave closures, and leash rules for dogs when on land.

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

The clear Current River flows below wooded Ozark hills with gravel bars along the channel.
Current River corridor near Welch Spring Photo by Kbh3rd via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 3.0

Sources

Check the data behind today's call.

Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.

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Why this score Today's data confidence is checking

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

Why
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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 Current River above Akers, MO
Discharge Checking
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24h trend Checking
24h change Checking
Current band Checking
Rain last 24h Checking
Rain last 72h Checking
Air temp Checking
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Wind Checking
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Ideal range Needs paddler reports
Known low-water floor 300 cfs
High threshold Not calibrated yet
Data confidence behind the range Local route guidance
Gauge observed Checking
Paddle Today updated Checking
Main source behind this score Rivers.MOHERP Akers gauge bands and Pulltite-to-Round-Spring trip rows
Gauge source Checking
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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.

  • Official route shape Pulltite to Round Spring, 8.9 mi / 4 hr

    NPS Estimated Float Times lists Pulltite to Round Spring as an 8.9-mile Upper Current River float with an estimated four-hour canoe/kayak time.

    Source

  • Upper Current route context NPS standard access pair

    NPS Paddle the Upper Current River names Pulltite and Round Spring among popular Upper Current locations and lists Pulltite-to-Round-Spring as a four-hour route.

    Source

  • Public access context Pulltite RM 82 to Round Spring RM 71

    The NPS park brochure lists Round Spring at river mile 71 with a campground, picnic area, boat ramp, and ranger station, and Pulltite at river mile 82 with campground, picnic area, ranger station, and hiking.

    Source

  • Live proxy gauge USGS 07064533 at 311 cfs / 1.09 ft

    USGS Current River above Akers showed same-day discharge and gage height at 06:30 CDT on May 31, 2026. The gauge is upstream of Pulltite, so it is used as a proxy rather than a precise route gauge.

    Source

  • Low-water floor 300 cfs minimum-only

    Rivers.MOHERP rates the Akers gauge Good beginning at 150 cfs and includes exact Pulltite-to-Round-Spring Good reports at 321 and 336 cfs, plus nearby lower-Upper-Current Good reports around 288-346 cfs. Paddle Today uses 300 cfs as a conservative floor and does not infer an ideal range.

    Source

  • NPS high-water closure context Pulltite 4.20 ft / Round Spring Bridge 5.20 ft

    The NPS Superintendent Compendium lists Current River closure levels for Pulltite and Round Spring Bridge during flood conditions. Use this as high-water caution, not as a scoring high cutoff for the Akers cfs gauge.

    Source

  • Flood-repair caveat Pulltite landing repair priority

    NPS reported 2025 flood-repair work at Pulltite and asked visitors to watch for construction zones and closures. Verify current access conditions before leaving a take-out vehicle or launching.

    Source

  • Endpoint coordinates 37.33505, -91.47959 to 37.27996, -91.40792

    Mapcarta / GeoNames / OpenStreetMap place Pulltite Campground and Round Spring Campground in the named NPS access areas. These are practical access-area anchors; current NPS signs and ramp layout should control on arrival.

    Source

Verify it yourself Check the source links

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Reports

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Keep exploring

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Quick answers

Current River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Current River?

Paddle Today watches Current River above Akers, MO and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Current River route start and end?

This route starts at Pulltite river access / campground area and ends at Round Spring river access / campground area, about 8.9 mi on the water.

Is this Current River route good for beginners?

This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.

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