Floating the upper Kings

[Devan S.]

I'm looking for information about the upper Kings specifically as it relates from the Arkansas 74 bridge to the Rockhouse access. I am wanting this year to float this specific stretch of water. 

Looks like there are about 5 access points. I know that I can park at Rockhouse and Marble access. Is there available spots close by at the others or are these best served by having someone drop me off and bushwhack my way in?

Is there any known rapids in this area or is most of it similar to the lower stretches? 

[Dan Kreher]

your best bet may be to call kings river outfitters near trigger gap at hwy 221 bridge  

an old map of his indicates access at 74 bridge then another spot to access river at 21 bridge at boatright creek about 7.5 miles down

then it is the marble public landing 6 miles below that

next public spot is marshall ford 11 miles below that

then is about 15 miles down to rockhouse

another private spot is about midway between the last 2 points  i think it was called rimkus or similar  

call ernie killman at kings river for more info

 

[Slowtime]

Floated the Kings last week and talked with Ernie for a few minutes. Seems there are always new and bigger rumors a each year. The Nature Conservatory is constantly acquiring new land along the river.  Just recently purchased a big section at the McMillan Farm takeout below TriggerGap. Cows are gone and all gates are open.  

Looks like their mission is to acquire as much river land as possible.  This is making the accesses more public than just parking along a dirt road and hoping your vehicle is there when you return.  

Kings is slowly becoming more commercialized like it or not.  Ernie also mentioned more hiking and biking trails in the future with the addition of a landing strip as well.  

It's my understanding that the Nature Conservatory is mainly backed and controlled with heavy Walton influence.  Anything is possible. 

[Al Agnew]

Nature Conservancy is not "controlled" by the Waltons or any other rich people, but they are good at working WITH people you wouldn't ordinarily think of as environmentally conscious, and sometimes getting funds from them. Their goal is land preservation and conservation but they work in partnership with corporations and landowners. They are a very good organization, and I am happy to support them.

[Slowtime]

Thanks for clearing up any misinformation on the conservancy. 

I have no ill feelings toward them whatsoever, and have noticed no real impact on the river as far as what they have or have not done so far.  I hope they are able to secure more properties along the river, particularly access points.  So far, they appear to have "be and let be" type motives. 

I am only able to visit 10-15 times a year.  My comments about the Waltons was based on every single, and I mean every single conservancy conversation with anyone associated with the Kings.  Those conversations always include mention of a Walton or relative and their recent visit and expression of their ideas and plans. 

[Al Agnew]

Could certainly be that they are getting money from the Waltons, but the Conservancy cares about land preservation and sound conservation principles first. And their default position is to allow all the public access that they can as long as it's consistent with their conservation goals. They like to buy what land they can and then work with the other landowners to further conservation over the whole watershed. Sometimes it doesn't work because the landowners want to keep doing things the way their granddaddy did them, but the Conservancy then simply does what they think should be done on their own land and then shows the other landowners how it worked. In my opinion, they are probably the best and most sensible of all the environmental organizations, because unlike a lot of them, they aren't working to make the government TELL people what to do with their land, they buy land and SHOW them the benefits of doing it.

Just to show how much my wife and I believe in them...we have them in our will.

[rhondafish]

On 4/2/2016 at 8:51 PM, Slowtime said:

On 4/1/2016 at 4:25 PM, Slowtime said:

Floated the Kings last week and talked with Ernie for a few minutes. Seems there are always new and bigger rumors a each year. The Nature Conservatory is constantly acquiring new land along the river.  Just recently purchased a big section at the McMillan Farm takeout below TriggerGap. Cows are gone and all gates are open.  

Looks like their mission is to acquire as much river land as possible.  This is making the accesses more public than just parking along a dirt road and hoping your vehicle is there when you return.  

Kings is slowly becoming more commercialized like it or not.  Ernie also mentioned more hiking and biking trails in the future with the addition of a landing strip as well.  

It's my understanding that the Nature Conservatory is mainly backed and controlled with heavy Walton influence.  Anything is possible. 

So is the Farm open to anyone now?  Can you post directions to it please? Thanks

 

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[Slowtime]

Contact Ernie at Kings River Outfitters. As of a few weeks ago, you still needed to be escorted by a KRO employee. We don't float that section often, so I'm not sure if/how access will change. 

[PigSooner]

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/arkansas/placesweprotect/kings-river.xml