This St. Francis River tributary is only floatable in spring and early summer. The Big Creek Shut-ins are one of the main features of Sam A. Baker State Park and are worth seeing by boat when there is sufficient water.
Difficulty: I to 111 in most runable srages. Some sections IV, in high water, to possible V in flood.
Gradients: general – 11.8
Counties: Wayne, Iron.
Big Creek – Mile-By-Mile Description
0.0 Hwy. K.
2.2 Hwy. 49 Bridge. Section to Des Arc is fast but has some shallow pools. This part is a high-water float only. A railroad parallels the creek to Vulcan.
7.9 Hwy. 143 Bridge. Good access.
10.1 Paved ford. Portage.
11.1 Shut-ins between two hills.
12.2 The Battery, a group of cottages at the site of an old bridge, 2 miles south of Brunot. Spring just above bridge.
12.9 Big Creek Shut-ins begin. Run is beautiful and not ordinarily dangerous. A couple of rapids require caution.
13.9 Crane Pond Creek on left.
15.9 Shut-ins open up.
17.2 Low-warer bridge in Sam A. Baker State Park. Portage. Good access bur there are a couple of fur runs below this access and other accesses downstream in the park.
19.2 Junction with St. Francis River.
This is an electronic reprint of a Missouri Department of Conservation document. More or updated information on this topic can be found at the Missouri Department of Conservation web site located at: mdc.mo.gov. Copyright 2003 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri.
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