Float NWA

Built on a river.

The story behind Float NWA

I have lived in the Ozarks my whole life, and floating is the thing that has always cleared my head. Camping on a gravel bar, pushing off into the morning fog, letting the current set the pace for a day. When everything else gets loud, the river is the escape. It always has been.

The reaction that started this site

For years I recommended floating to friends and coworkers, and the reaction was almost always the same: curious, then hesitant. To a lot of people a river feels scary, or at least unknown. Where do you put in? How many miles is the float? How do you know where you are out there? What water level is actually safe?

Those are fair questions, and the dangers on a river are real. But every one of those questions has an answer. Education is what turns a river from intimidating into inviting: knowing the access points, the float miles, where you are on the water, the current level, and whether today is a good day to go. Give someone that information and they usually discover one of the best outdoor activities there is.

Who Float NWA is for

This site is built for two kinds of paddlers, because I have been both.

• If you already float: quick access to what you actually need. Live USGS levels updated every 15 minutes, gauge trends, access points, float miles, and offline GPS maps for the rivers you already love. No fluff between you and the answer.
• If you have never floated: a real starting point. Learn how water levels work, pick a river that matches how far you want to drive and how long you want to be on the water, and connect with an outfitter who handles the boat, the shuttle, and the know-how.

The Buffalo part of the story

My wife and I found floating to be the best escape there is, pure relaxation. When we started dating, a lot of it happened on overnight floats down the Buffalo. Gravel bar camps, no cell signal, nowhere to be until the take-out. Those trips are a big part of why this site exists, and why it will always be free.

The invitation

Our goal is simple. Give people who already have the passion the fastest path to the information they need, and invite everyone in Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding Ozarks to experience the bliss of floating down a river, in whatever way they want to experience it. Kayak or canoe, three hours or three days, a lazy tube in July or spring whitewater on the Mulberry. The river has room for all of it.

Where the data comes from

River levels come straight from USGS gauges and refresh about every 15 minutes. Access points, float miles, outfitters, camping, and hazards are researched and hand-checked. Conditions change fast out there, so always confirm with a local outfitter before you go. If something on the site looks wrong, send a note below and I will fix it.

See you on the water.
Brian & Laralee, Float NWA