SECTION THREE
“ Each of these rivers offers breathtaking scenery and sporting pursuits most don ’ t expect to find in the Midwest ”
OZARK SUMMER
Story and Photos by Brandon Butler
Summer . What a wonderful time of year to be outside experiencing the natural resources and countless outdoor recreational opportunities of Missouri . Camping in our state parks , hiking , biking , bird watching and picnicking are just a few pastimes people enjoy during the season . But for me , the greatest outdoors enjoyment of summer is float fishing an Ozark river .
Little matters more to Missourians than our rivers . The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers were the cornerstones of our state ’ s settlement and early economy . Today it ’ s the float streams coursing through the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri drawing the annual attention of hundreds-of-thousands of paddlers and anglers .
The Current , Jacks Fork , Eleven Point , Black , Bourbeuse , Big Piney , Huzzah , Niangua , North Fork , James and Meramec are just a few of the many rivers and creeks flowing through Missouri ’ s wild and scenic landscape paddlers flock to each summer . Each of these rivers offers breathtaking scenery and sporting pursuits most don ’ t expect to find in the Midwest . Crystal clear spring fed waters teem with trout , smallmouth bass and goggle-eye . Wild turkeys and white-tailed deer abound along these riverbanks . Bald eagles , black bears , elk , wild horses and river otters all make frequent appearances . In my opinion , the rivers of the Ozarks are some of the most pristine and precious water resources found anywhere in the world .
The Ozark Scenic National Riverways ( OSNR ) was the first national park in America to protect a river system . The Current River and Jacks Fork River , comprise the 84,000-acre Ozark Scenic National Riverways ( OSNR ). The treasures of this region should draw people from all across the country , much like the way Yellowstone and
Volume 02 No . 03 | 2018