Elk River's Call of the Wild

Sweet Initiations: Big Sugar and Little Sugar Creeks are undeveloped tributaries running through heart of the County's untamed wilderness; a natural habitat for wildlife on display while silently floating by in a canoe. Once these waterways converge into the Elk River, critters of the two-legged kind take over regularly migrating from nearby, and beyond Kansas City for primal rituals pitting man vs. elements.

The Buck Stops Here: These days, Campgrounds and Canoe Outfitters are dime a dozen in the County, accommodating herds of weekend warriors looking for outdoor adventures. Shady Beach has consistently led the way with almost a century's worth of distinction. Their comprehensive Website speaks volumes for what to expect. My years' worth of benefits back it up!

All or Nothing? Depending on which chaperoning environment you prefer, McDonald County is befitting for rowdy weekend crowds. But venture back on any weekday for "private parties"...camping, canoeing, driving through scenic countryside; perhaps backwards in superficial demeanor, but a real natural when it comes to everything else.

Quick Tips:

Highs and Lows of Adventure: Seasonal rains should play a big part in planning your floating excursions. Heavy Spring downpours may provide greater challenges, but should be taken seriously. Flooding washes trees from riverbanks, creating obstacles that can block entire passageways. Dry creek beds become raging waterways feeding additional currents which make the Elk much less user friendly for the unskilled.

Come August or later in the season, waters have often dried up in low-lying areas. Dragging canoes across gravel warrants a sturdy pair of sneakers or sandals. Most outfitters now run durable plastic models of canoes much lighter than metal ones. Request one when water levels are low.

Down in the Valley: Even after sultry summer days, temperatures quickly cool off of an evening so be prepared with appropriate clothing, bedding and camping gear.

Extra Incentives: In addition to necessary paddles, you can request seat cushions which double as life-preservers, and seat attachments providing lower back support. These items float should you have a mishap, but expect a hefty penalty if lost and not returned.

Holes in the Ground: The County has three caves open for tours; nothing impressive unless you've never been in one before.

Best Way To Get Around:

By-Pass in Progress: As part of plan for an interstate connecting Canada to New Orleans, current Highway 71 is under construction and half-way completed through McDonald County. Take the Anderson/Business 71 exit until coming to Highway 59 which heads for Noel if staying at Shady Beach.

Curves and Swerves: Highway 59 is a scenic drive to relax into while cruising with the windows down. But also familiarize yourself with the road if you have any intentions of driving after dark. It can be an accident waiting to happen.

County Mounties: Anywhere off the main highway, local police forces are waiting to personally greet you in form of moving violation tickets! Sometimes they're detectable in wide-open spaces; other times lurking in classic speed-trap hide-outs.

Hit the Brakes! When preparing to enter any wide-spot in the road from either direction, your first clue a town is ahead comes from roadside speed limit signs which drastically drop by 10-mph repeatedly within short distances...even when heading down steep inclines.

Staying Afloat: Canoes and inner tubes aren't the only watercraft you'll find jammed in river traffic. One/two-man kayaks, and six-person rafts are now part of rental fleets.

Best Things Nearby:
You're right on the Elk River - a great place for canoeing, camping or just enjoying Shady Beach on a day-pass

Best Things About the Resort:
It's had different owners and they've all maintained what I consider to be the best place for camping and canoeing in the county.

Resort Experience:
Two weeks of camping was a great way to see Europe the first time. Extended outings covering mid-Atlantic through New England were successful incentive awards for my Spanish Harlem Youth Center. Yet, Shady Beach accounts for majority of my adult camping excursiones.

Hemmed between a large hill and Elk River, this became a hot spot in the early 1900's for picnics and gatherings. Today, Shady Beach is still drawing crowds; what I consider the best campground and canoe outfitter in the County.

Opposition and criticism aren't rare in local headlines aimed at controversial methods of how locals enjoy their weekends - especially here in the Bible belt. Some campgrounds have even banned alcohol on premises. New owners consider their atmosphere at Shady Bean "middle-of-the-road". In my book that reads, "have the time of your life but know how to respect others." Class of the place apparently still works its unspoken magic come 11:00 p.m. quiet time.

Lawns for tents span the majority of campground with a well-shaded area for travel trailers and a row of cottages recently added. Every vehicle passes by the main office for checking in whether camping, canoeing, or just hanging out on a day pass. They're open year-round attracting families, local youth and retirees. Even in busiest seasons, week-days can still provide solitude, but don't even think about coming on weekends without reservations.

The campground has always been well maintained; bugs/mosquitoes never seeming to be a problem. Biggest change over the years is campfires are no longer allowed on lawns; fire pits have been replaced with small barrel grills. Bundled firewood is sold for $1.50 along with ice, snacks, camping/canoe gear, and common things forgotten.

Restrooms with showers are located between the office and highway; a toilet only set further into the campground, and johnny-on-the-spots along the river.

The new sand volleyball court looks tempting enough to return for next summer. That is, if I ever made it out of the chaise lawn chair once arriving. There's only good memories from Shady Beach; an outdoor spa stimulating the hayseed in all of us. Even with continued improvements or Mother Nature constantly reshaping lay of the land with every flooding rain, I'd still know this place like the back of my hand.

Open fires are permitted at the "beach" - beds of creek gravel that come and go with levels of the river. Even when not floating, this area's perfect with lawn chairs in the water while soaking up sun.

If you happen to be so lucky, plan your stay during the full moon cycle of a hot summer month. Come nightfall, don't let ferocious sounding bullfrogs scare you off. Wade into the waters after popping a cold one. Gradually submerge settling in for the Blockbuster previewing on Mother Nature's Drive-In screen. A car racing by on the nearby highway interrupts quiet time reminding there's still another world beyond. And don't be surprised if you happen to stick around for the Double-Feature sunrise...

• Campground Type: Private
• Campsite Type: Tent
• Price Range: $10 - $20
• Cleanliness: Excellent
• Campground Facilities: Excellent
• Recreational Facilities: Excellent
• Campsite Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

Putting in at Deep Ford along Big Sugar Creek adds an extra four miles to the standard Pineville-Shady Beach float. The website promised a more scenic, adventurous experience. Bluffs I remembered were further upstream departing from Cyclone, but this segment was far from disappointing.

The fact it's called a "creek" suggests a smaller tributary, less developed, and potentially swifter currents because of narrow width and shallowness. Floaters also need be aware of natural, maze-like obstacle courses under constant construction from Mother Nature. Considering this is hill country, any significant rainfall changes water flow whether shifting creek gravel underwater, or repositioning mounds of toppled trees washed away from major floodings.

Experienced oarsmen can avoid these potential pitfalls all together, or challenge themselves by navigating right through the middle of them. But when waterway narrows into a hairpin curve accelerating current, facing the challenge head-on is the only way through! The first half could present problems for the inexperienced, but otherwise proved rather exciting; even a self-uttered you go, boy! when successfully emerging without submerging under a clump of low-lying limbs.

By the time creek deepens into a more tranquil float, real highlights begin appearing and were ushered in by a sweeping shadow across waters of an expansive wingspan possibly eyeing the plethora of various sized fish below. Crows, hawks and other predatory birds are common in these parts, even a pair of skittish, bald-headed buzzards were perched overhead.

This secluded creek area is a popular nesting spot for blue herons. No matter how quiet I drifted along with camera ready, there was no sneaking up on much of anything; herons always lunging into flight playing cat and mouse heading further downstream.

Turtles baking on logs in the morning sun were heard plopping into waters long before ever seen. Troupes of dragonflies hovered in un-choreographed ballet across trickling waters; total relaxation further suggested from insect sounds along deep-wooded banks. As for how much the fish would've been biting? I couldn't tell you since not a single other person was encountered during this entire segment.

If you're here on a weekday, you're likely to have Deep Ford-to-Pineville as your own private float, but even on weekends don't expect to find this portion crowded. While a couple of small tributaries intersect with Big Sugar, gravel bars and convenient places to pull over were at a minimum actually working as a plus for keeping traffic down.

I'm not sure which caught my attention first for signaling end of this segment: hearing vehicles racing by on nearby Highway 71, or large dykes of hauled-in boulders to curb flooding at the county seat of Pineville. I effortlessly arrived just off the bridge in exactly two hours. Stopping where the Big Sugar meets the Little Sugar, is a great place to regroup before beginning the next leg. The Sugars combine to make Elk River; the hottest and most popular canoe locale in the 4-State area.

Regardless of which campground you stay at, chances are you'll still be making the most popular float departing from the bridge in Pineville and floating to Shady Beach; an 8-mile stretch averaging 4-6-hours. The bonus of staying at Shady Beach is once you arrive, you're home; it's finished without having to wait for pickup.

Whether from Mother Nature or ongoing development, this portion of Elk River definitely had taken on a more generic appearance over the last 12 years towards accommodating weekend masses. Land along the banks has been cleared losing its deep-wooded appeal. The river is wider and lazier. Clumps of trees and debris, as well as hair-pin curves are no more making levels of difficulty nonexistent even for the most inexperienced or intoxicated.

Remembering all too well how we used to carry on tainting the family environment, opportunities have only increased with expanded sections of creek gravel bars allowing floaters to constantly pull over for pit-stops while joining others in revelries. But for a Tuesday, the river was all but deserted so consider weekday floats if you're looking to avoid crowds and obnoxiousness.

Before departing, canoe representatives tell of any changes or trouble spots to look out for. Years later, there's still one potentially challenging spot where the river divides into three sections. When seeing the sign on the right advertising Munchies Snack Shack, keep to the right. Once passing here, it's time to relax!

We used to do this Egyptian thing stretched out like Antonys and Cleopatras on the Nile for maximizing sun exposure. Sometimes we'd tie several canoes together and endlessly drift like conglomerated party barge. The person steering already has a place to lean back on, but cooler will need to be shifted forward from middle position if person in front expects to recline. The question was, could it still be done?

And how! Driven only by current and stiff breezes, the suspended float of canoe and mind is almost enough for rocking you to sleep...drifting endlessly with eyes closed. Tranquility and leisure are greatly reduced come weekends when defensive paddling is needed for avoiding traffic jams and other obstacles that quickly topple vessels.

Towards end of this trip, waters become much more shaded with excellent conditions for sitting while anchored in the underwater creek gravel so current doesn't sweep you away. Eventually, you'll hear rushing waters suggesting rapids but conditions only push towards an overhead train trestle regardless of water levels. Just beyond is low-water bridge; a newer, raised version erasing need for lying down while trying to navigate under it.

Once passing, there's a campground doubling as popular spot for day-trippers. Use this place as a time-gauging piece. Shady Beach is less than 30-minutes downstream, and this is a great opportunity to stop and enjoy what's left of the day.

Unaccompanied, with plenty of stops along the way, I completed this segment in 5-half hours but have taken 10+-hours with large groups.

Anyone that's ever parked themselves on open water in canoe or kayak knows the probabilities for tipping over regardless of skill level. Taking on any kind of partner only increases inevitability. Back in the day, I realized how important it was to find a good floating partner up front cause the driver's seat was mine!

Often arriving in groups, predetermining your cohort for the day was sort of like choosing teams for dodge ball and hoping you didn't get stuck with the person no one ever picked. My standards were rather basic; try to use your paddle for something besides how far you can hit a rock; never get out of the boat without first saying you're going overboard, and when I say paddle, do exactly what I tell you!

Partners in shame...partners in blame. Sitting along crowded gravel bars come busy weekends is better than Reality TV when it comes to bickering, scheming and whatever it takes to make it to that fabled, bootleg divorice court that waits at river's end. It's all in fun, but another caution: Top-heavy girls may be great for camping but are high-risk float partners when all laid-out in the canoe!

I Like Cold Beverage
Regardless of river conditions or partner, the cooler is often biggest factor for spills of both kinds. If you take yourself seriously, find one that has a latch or risk chasing your things floating off down river. Glass containers are prohibited, but there's no shortage of folks discreetly sipping off various spirits.

Don't be obvious and bring bottled beer. Unload cases of cans so they'll individually float. Every canoe comes with a mesh trash bag. Tie it to a support bar in the canoe and regularly use it so your garbage doesn't also potentially float away.

Where ever you've placed the cooler, take ropes or small bungee-cords to securely fasten it to support bars or it will fully shift from side-to-side with every movement inviting an unplanned swim. After a few hours, dump melted ice water for maximizing balance. If there's enough water in the boat to keep your feet wet, take everything out and dump it, too.

High & Dry
Keeping things from water exposure isn't going to happen, so place anything of importance in zip-lock baggies and store these in air-tight food containers. It can be a hassle getting in/out, but waiting for a lighter to dry out is worse. Pack extras of anything separate, and never put so much in a container it won't float.

This last float was the first time I'd ever taken a camera and had no problem even with a mishap, but this wouldn't have happened with another person's presence rocking the boat.

The Obvious!
You'd be surprised how many don't, but leave keys, id, and anything you can't afford to loose in your car or at the canoe office. There's already quite the underwater collection.

And what ever you do, don't forget the limes!

Year-round tattered Christmas decorations have finally been replaced in the town of Noel with banners more appropriate. For as long as I can remember, the questionable 1,480 had promoted themselves as The Christmas City; an even bigger farce considering everyone pronounced it knoll.

Today, there's no shortage of lots containing trailers loaded with canoes, kayaks and watercraft. With surge of campgrounds and float companies, Where the River Runs is new slogan around town; basically last stop along waters before crossing into Oklahoma.

From Shady Beach, Elk River continues downstream towards Noel; a non-eventful stretch perfect for using inner tubes.. During Junior High years, brave parents took groups of us kids for all-day adventures. When using tubes as a group, consider renting a canoe for transporting coolers and possessions.

First memories of Noel were rather devastating - literally! Late 60's, a train passing through town had exploded leveling everything like from a natural disaster. Those same tracks still slice through the middle north-to-south, but Main street heading east-to-west has its own identity boundaries.

Tyson built a large processing plant in town for the region which leads Missouri in poultry farms. Migrant workers from south of the border began pouring into a County known for extremists and supremists. Returning from NYC, there was opportunity to work on a couple of projects for youth of illegal immigrants. Long-time locals, grossly outnumbered, have eventually accepted and now live/work together with everyone.

A variety of Hispanic stores, eateries and churches now line both sides of Main street unlike three years ago when there was still a very obvious division line. Harp's Hometown Grocer is probably the legitimate excuse for coming into town with more selections, better prices than convenient store plazas closer to the river.

Shadow Lake is on the left after crossing into town. Elk River widens into a serene setting that's been a popular gathering place for decades. At some point in the 70's, picnic area, which included platforms with trapeze bars, disappeared to become the open-air nightclub still here today. Sand volleyball courts we used to rule on Sunday afternoons have washed away. Sex on the Beach and other tropical libations served in glass fishbowls for $8.00 are also no longer on the menu.

Otherwise, it's still business as usual opening during warmer weather for evenings; longer on weekends. My boys and their college friends hang out sometimes sharing familiar tales of drunken brawls over jail bait - now, with a Latin twist. If nothing else, use this as a head's up Highway 59's curves and swerves are even more dangerous after dark.

If you'd like to try some authentic local food, Rosa's Mexican Restaurant on the main highway across from Tyson's, has a daily buffet with drink for about $6.00. They're open for lunch and dinner. I've never had a bad meal here and the store of Hispanic goods is always a good browse.

If you think about it...those early stages of awareness towards the world beyond us, is that not birth of the travel bug? Growing up in middle America's 4-State region, I recall frequently crossing borders to Kansas and Oklahoma. Trips to Arkansas were fewer and more special; usually a family drive including grandparents through foothills of the Ozark and Boston Mountains-(molehills!) chains. However, it took several years to figure out the grown-ups' disguised comments always before crossing into Arkansas.

They Came By It Naturally
Pinned in the southwestern corner of Missouri two counties from where I lived, McDonald County was always epitome of a Hoot and a Holler, backwoods hill people living by a code of their own. Don't I know it from stories my father eventually discussed forthright from early days on the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and ongoing feuds and fiascos dealt with after becoming zone commander for the entire region.

Often lawless and more derelict than a barrel of drunken monkeys on moonshine, there were plenty of Mc-County jokes to go around based on factual trivia. More than once they filed to secede from the State; out to reform their own Republic of Redneck, and well-defended from stockpiles of arsenals continually seized. And town water systems in the centralized metropolis of Anderson (population 1,845), used to be cursed with sulphur water...that rotten egg taste/smell that permeated every public place entered.

There's one High School for the County which became my teenage Close Enounters with the Inbred Kind through athletics. As a conference member, we dreaded games in McDonald County no matter how easily beaten regardless of sport. Frequent 0-? football seasons during those earliest stages of civilization might've been enough to get a local fan riled up, but they still had other priorities; like varsity basketball players showing up half-way into games cause the rodeo, hoe-down whatever in the barn out back ran late.

Walking back to the bus later was often a more heated rivalry than actual competition. The old sign along the main highway inferring "don't let the sun go down on you in our County if you're black" had long been gone, but mentalities hadn't changed. No matter how many parents, fans stuck around to escort us out, we could still count on trouble because of teammates, uppity cheerleaders, and any unjustified conflict scenario you care to imagine.

That's not saying we didn't have our "own kind"; perhaps twice-removed cousin types that migrated north to Carthage, population 12,886...with a big ol' Hee-Haw saaalute! But perceived wealth and culture still hadn't tamed little hairs on back of necks, and more than once buses pulled out with us mashed against windows like Garfield-cat dolls trying to see who's daddy kicked who's daddy's ass?

Between school and north to County line were two speed-trap towns surviving on revenues generated from tenacious police forces; Real McCoy's portrayed by bumbling Barneys and Cletus Einsteins stereotyped in every classic script. They were ruthless in performing duties lining up cars, trucks, even our buses along the road's shoulder until personally greeting and ticketing all that passed through their fair municipality.

There was always that hesitation of playing stupid; keep right on heading towards the County line. But even if they didn't unleash hot pursuit, one harbored deep-seeded fear they'd burned license plate number into deviant minds for next time passing through. About the only thing more frightening than truth-based County jokes were sordid rumors about getting locked up in the local hoosegow.

You'd think by the time I left home for University of Arkansas, there'd have been a lesson learned; especially since Dad's position with the State had no influence with County boys. Shall we say I bought more than one pair of shoes for barefoot kids through local "taxation"; the County's version of subsidized public assistance.

Coming of Age in the County
Moving back from Kansas City in '86 to finally finish my first degree, luck would have it I'd fall right into a group of friends that were camping/canoeing enthusiasts. They'd outgrown childhood stigmas about McDonald County being a potential trouble spot to avoid, and personal introductions to Shady Beach Campground and Elk River ushered in a whole new local recreation.

There's nothing like apprenticing under hard-core veterans for acquiring ultimate levels of skills and thrills while throwing caution to the wind. After those initial two rowdy nights of camping sandwiched around my first all-day float trip, I purchased tent and full accessories of camping gear.

Popularity of camping and canoeing were increasing in the County, but we faithfully stuck with what we knew - Shady Beach, and the standard trip putting in at Highway 71 bridge in Pineville and eventually floating home...an average 4-6-hour float easily stretched into 10 or more stopping to regroup and "refuel" at every gravel bar waiting just beyond next bend in the river.

Turns out, I was a natural with oar in hand...sitting at helm in back of canoe for stearing through whatever watercourse challenges were before us. Every now and then, County Conservation officers drifted by looking for glass containers or other contraband; thankfully not as merciless as roadside coworkers.

There were no speeding tickets or PWI's (paddling while intoxicated), but we always questioned suspicious look in their eyes; no trip ever complete without a recap of the movie Deliverance in comparison with backwoods environs.

We likely scared off any squint-eyed, bucked-tooth, banjo-pickin' kids with our renditions standing in back of canoes...crooning while paddling like Venetian gondaliers. But in film, there were no mentions of sisters, and when you always least expected it, some Daisy Mae-type appeared from the woods; vamping flirtations with undeniable looks and skin-tight skivvies.

Talk about redefining live bait! Perhaps she was another "Jane" or "Stella"...names of local hickville-towns not mentioning across the border in another county was "Purdy"...as if inferring the local "look but don't touch" code. Bubba and whatever menfolk might be waiting just beyond the trees based on real-life skirmishes repeatedly unfolding at Shadow Lake; the County's cross-cultural brawl magnet in form of open-air bar attracting assorted fools from the 4-State region.

Self-independence and knowledge supposedly gained during mid-20's life can be deceiving; unaware of how much there's still yet to learn. New owners took over Shady Beach around 1990 and all but panicked when sun was going down and we'd yet to return. A few weeks later, they remembered us but still sent out search party come dusk. By our third trip back, they knew our names, and marathons on the river were just how things went. They never searched for us again.

Somehow we always managed to survive the combined elements...faithfully making that one-hour drive even if only camping for the night. Before moving to NYC in July '92, it was only fitting my most memorable good-bye party was about 20 regulars for one last County adventure.

The More Things Change...
...the more they stay the same. Returning nine years later, there were major hints of progress. A new 4-lane highway system allows travelers to whiz right by former speedtraps denting local revenues in Goodman and Anderson. With Tyson and Wal-Mart World headquarters just across the border in booming northwest Arkansas, laborers have found less expensive, country living in McDonald County evident by housing developments erasing endless pastures.

Infusing new life into the County while reviving the gene pool must be working. The Mustangs are now winning conference championships...including hot-shot athletes from the exploding Hispanic population drawn by poultry plants; I even saw a black guy walking along side the road likely unaware of potential lynching in decades gone by.

Over three years had slipped away trying to coordinate others' schedules with weather for re-experiencing this ritual. Determined not to let another summer pass me by, an early August day with heat index over 100-degrees proved perfect setting for rediscovering my local favorite past-time only now on a first-time solo adventure.

When later speaking with family, Dad may have long-retired from the State Patrol but turns out still has stories I guess the entire 4-State area is aware of. Huh? He asked if I'd seen new signs posted along the river prohibiting nudity?

Turns out just a few weeks before, ladies had taken children to swim in the river when a pair of canoes approached with passengers butt-naked! One grabbed camera for collecting hard evidence. The floaters pulled over; confrontation ensued including camera getting tossed into the water. As only local fate would have it, the lady attacked happened to be wife of the County sheriff!

One has to laugh at probability and bare facts! No matter how progressive in population and appearance things continue moving forward, one's got to believe McDonald County will always be a local showcase for outdoor adventures...of course, anchored with a Hoot and a Holler!