The White River

Riley's Station - at the Confluence of Two Great Rivers

Riley's Station bills itself as an 'Outfitter & Hide-away', they offer clean, air conditioned, cabins, guided fishing and rentals of canoes, motor boats and two kinds of Malibu SOT kayaks. More importantly, they offer a location to-die-for, right where the bone-chillingly cold White River meets the scenic Buffalo River!

They have several cabins, but we chose the one closest to the water, directly facing the confluence. Since the rooms are underground, you get no cell phone signal or Wi-fi, but the view of the mist slipping down the river and wrapping around the trees is simply breathtaking. Even in the ninety plus degree heat, the cold waters of the White River produce ghostly clouds that skim the surface of the water and cool the bodies of the boaters lucky enough to find themselves there.

Kayaking on the White River

We left Riley's at 7:30am and put the kayaks in at a boat ramp about 15 minutes from our cabin called Rim Shoals. The current was running at about 4 mph, so Dianne and I figured we could paddle the eight miles down river to Riley's Station before the rest of the family got restless. I assumed that I would catch some good kayak photography light by launching early, but the mists fooled me! At the Rim Shoals launch, we could only see about 6 feet in front of our boats due to the thick mist that rose about four feet over our heads. Smarter paddlers might have waited for the mists to clear, but we paddled right out into it with nervous giggle.

The feeling of paddling blindly through these chilling mists in our kayaks, knowing the water below is too deep and too cold to stand, was thrilling. Although the temps were well into the mid-eightees already, at water level it felt like 71 degrees in full sun! The water was deep for the entire trip and the current never slacked up. It was a real 'float trip', as we only paddled enough to control our course and stay away from the sides of the river. Since the White River was rather high, you could hear is whispering through the trees on the banks.

Dianne rented a huge Malibu X-Factor Fishing Kayak which came loaded with great features. We have rented SOT kayaks before but we have never gotten such high-end gear. At nearly 14 feet long, this was a much larger craft than either of us have ever paddled. The Riley's supplied the X-Factor with a top-notch high-back seat and a very nice paddle from Crack of Dawn. You ride very high and dry in this kayak, even in waves and boat wake. A true anglers kayak, the X-Factor is stable enough to climb all over and can carry about 600 lbs!

Riley's Station:
Outfitter & Hide-away
129 CR 640
Mtn Home, AR 72653

888-533-2151
870-425-4221

rileysstation
@centurytel.net

This Ain't The Buffalo River

Speaking of boats, this part of the White River (near Buffalo City) is loaded with them. The motorized jon-boat appears to be the vehicle of choice for fisherman chasing the large numbers of rainbow and brown trout that hunt these cold waters. Although we saw a few other kayaks on the river later in the afternoon, we only shared the water with motor boats. The small motor boats don't make much in the way of wake compared to the ski boats and bass boats that I am used to avoiding on Oklahoma's lakes. They struggle upstream slowly and then fish their way down. This is a big change from the Buffalo River paddling trips Dianne and I have enjoyed in the past.  Also, it feels much colder than any river that I have ever dipped my toes into.

I must admit that Dianne and I were pretty nervous about the sound of boat motors coming toward us in such a blinding mist, but we didn't have any close calls with the dozen or so fishing boats we met.  Of course, we were cautious enough to brace for the boat wakes and we chose conservative paths through the water.  Don't let the green trees and butterflies fool you, I'm told the water is about 50 degrees.  That is dangerously cold water so don't wear cotton, don't paddle it alone and DO wear a PFD... every time.

Kayaking on the White River is a great way to escape the blazing heat of the Oklahoma Summer.  I would love to return to this area for more paddling in the future.  It must be a vision in the autumn and I really need a chance to photograph Cotter bridge from my kayak!

Also, I think Dianne might want to come back and buy one of those fishing kayaks.  Got some tips about paddling the White River?  Drop a comment on our Oklahoma Road Trips Blog.

Sylamore Scenic Byway

The Sylamore Scenic Byway is made up of a 26.5 mile portion of Arkansas Highways 5 and 14, and Forest Service Road 1110. Runners are instructed to keep a lookout for waterfalls as they dash along the North Sylamore Trail.

The route goes through a park-like portion of the Ozark National Forest which leads visitors to Blanchard Springs Caverns. The Byway is also a major link to Mountain View to the south and the mountain community of Calico Rock to the North.