Canoe The Ozarks

When people ask me about camping on the river, most of them look a little puzzled when I tell them we sleep on rocks.

I certainly thought it was a strange notion the first time I camped on an Ozark river.  It just seemed so implausible that you could transform a beach of gravel into a decent campsite, let alone a comfortable surface to sleep on.

But I was so excited my first night on the river, I was in that realm of being open to new experiences and I had a great river guide to impart the ways of this new mode of camping.

With the aid of a good sleeping pad laid over the flattest area on the beach, a little raking out of the bigger stones, I soon discovered this was not only a comfortable place to sleep, but it was clean and free of bugs.

WOW!  No bugs, no dirt, no weeds.  This gravel bar camping is done in a virtually sterile environment.  For a newbie, this was a huge revelation.

And I soon came to realize and appreciate the art and science of selecting a good campsite.  I  look at two different sets of criteria when I’m evaluating a campsite.  One that assesses the practicality/functionality of the site and one that considers the aesthetics of the site.

Functionality:

* Good gravel/ bar – size and the consistency of the rocks; the larger the rocks are, the less likely you will have a good surface for camping and especially sleeping.  Stating the obvious here, but I’m starting with the basicsJ
Also, there may be times when camping on larger gravel might be your only choice, but removing and raking out the largest rocks will usually suffice for your sleeping area (bring your zen rake just in case J)

* Good landing – a good place to park your canoe that’s as close as possible to the actual camping area to ease the task of unloading and hauling your equipment/supplies.  This can be a big plus.

*Good supply of firewood that’s easily accessible – if it’s summer time, you probably won’t be as concerned about the amount of firewood you can find. (but of course, it’s always nice to have at least a small fire for effect)
When larger amounts of wood are needed, we look up and down gravel bars to see if there’s wood washed ashore from flooding.  And hopefully there are woods immediately behind your gravel bar where you can often find wood on the edges.  Being tired toward the end of the day is a prime motivator for choosing a campsite with wood that is:  plentiful; close by; and easy to find.

(just a few of the “basics” to consider when you’re evaluating/selecting a campsite; more in later posts)

Aesthetics:

* Please read my earlier posts that speak to this topic.

There are many other variables to consider when selecting a campsite, especially as they relate to the seasonal changes on the river.
I look forward to sharing more about experiencing the Ozark Rivers throughout all of the seasons.

by William Hughes.