Having enjoyed the Black a couple weeks ago, Casey and I decided to camp and do a longer stretch. We took two cars so we could self shuttle. Loaded both kayaks on my car.
We camped at the Highway K. Campground. The campground is split in half. East side and West side. We camped on the East side at site C12, I think. Campground was pretty busy but not full. I liked that spot.
In the morning we packed up and drove over the the West side where the river access is. We couldn’t find a designated day use parking area there were no rangers to be found. Fortunately there was enough cell signal to reserve an RV spot and parked Casey’s car there.
Twin Rivers Landing is a private outfitter and campground. We paid to use their beach to launch and park my car for the day.
Since it’s is such a long drive from St. Louis, it was awesome to get a longer float.
There is one point in the river, just before Joe’s Canoe Rental Put-In where the river splits. I took the left side which was very narrow and fast through a canopy of trees. It was very nice but it could be dicey if there is a new obstruction. Casey took the right side which was wider, shallower, and slower.
It was a little scary because we weren’t sure how far until the river came back together. We were out of sight and earshot for a bit.
| Float Details |
|---|
| Launch Twin Rivers Landing (Private) |
| Landing Highway K Campground (MDC) |
| Shuttle 25.2 Miles/30 Min |
| River Distance 14.5 Miles (Map) 14.5 Miles (GPS) |
| Gauges Black River (East Fork) 3.97 ft @ 38.3 ft3/s Black River near Annapolis 3.72 ft @ 276 ft3/s |
| Start/Stop Time 11:22 AM – 5:33 PM |
| Notes Fast River, Clear Water |
| Crew Ben, Casey |