Missouri whitewater, Hinkson Creek Boone county, Hinkson Creek Road to Reactor Field section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     10.75 miles   We ran the Hinkson in kayaks about 2 days after one of the big flood events in July 2010. We put in by croosing twin lakes to the corner of the lake next to the lake overflow then portaged over the levee and down the bank into the creek just below the MKT trail bridge.  Of course, following flood everything was a huge muddy mess. We had to get out twice to portage arund some colossal log jams. Got out out a Scott Blvd. Easy to get out there     as there is a ''ladder'' under the bridge to provide access to some university automated water monitoring equipment. A very fun trip close to home. Took about 4 hours total plus an hour to clean off all the mud! Says Martin I want to kayak Cedar Creek this weekend.  Tell me anything you know about Cedar Creek or Hinkson! Preferably Cedar Creek and if it is a possibility with the current water levels.  Thank you very much. Says Jeff I've run the Hinkson many times, mostly from the Broadway bridge to the low water crossing at the practice fields. It's biggest draw to me is that I can be on the water in 15 mins and almost forget that I'm in town (except for   all the floating trash). It's become my pet creek, so I try and pick up a load of plastic bottles and bags when I'm out. As mentioned there is a gauge at the USGS site. In my opinion 6 ft gauge height is the minimum runnable depth for me in my 13 ft canoe. Any less you'll be walking/dragging. This creek really heats up when the gauge gets around 10-12 ft. The standing wave down from the old 63 bridge can be huge. 14 feet on the gauge is the highest I've run it and the wave was big enough I was a bit nervous to be running it alone. I would not float the hinkson above 9 ft without a whitewater boat with flotation! There are some crazy cross currents and turbulence from drainage pipes under the surface. It is very flashy and goes up and down very quickly as it drains lot of concrete. Things happen fast! I know one lady has died trying to kayak the Hinkson when it was up. There are low head dams, and some re-bar so use caution. There's also not a lot of eddys to hide in, even along the bank.  I've seen it hit 24 ft several times at which point it nothing but a huge sewer with trees floating in it. It floods the MAC and crosses Scott blvd at 23 ft. We need to get a email list together of people who enjoy running it so we can do it safely. I'm all for hearing more about Cedar creek too! Says Nathan Pierce Let's get some data on Cedar Creek.  I just canoed it on 10/10/09,  and it was a hell of a fun ride. There is a gage at Providence Rd, you can check water levels at this link: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=06910230&agency_cd=USGS My unladen solo canoe can scoot by at 30cfs, any less than that and I'm dragging.  Says Scott H As of 6/18/2008, there is nowhere near enough water in the stream at the put-in (or much of the rest of the stream) for any kind of paddle-craft. Says MRK This is a fun, after work run when the water is moving. There are no defined rapids, although there are several modest playspots: 1)S-Turn, near the back of the Walmart site, and 2) The Ultimate Surfing Wave which is downstream from the Old 63 bridge. Hazards include two low water crossings in the Stephens Golf Course. Portage is highly recommended at high water as the crossings act as low head dams. Water quality in the Spring can be an issue and several boaters in years past have contracted leptosporosis (aka lepto) from involuntarily ingesting the water. Mostly the Hink' is a fun float on moving water with enough wave action and eddys to keep things interesting. Suitable for canoes and kayaks. Says John Hinkson Creek, Hinkson Creek Road to Reactor Field road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Hinkson Creek.   Whitewater Near Hinkson Creek: Hinkson Creek, Boone County, 4 miles away       Class I-II - 10.75 miles long (Hinkson Creek Road to Reactor Field)   Hotels Near Hinkson Creek: Best Western Plus Columbia Inn, Columbia , 0 miles away Ramada Columbia, Columbia , 0 miles away Residence Inn Columbia, Columbia , 0 miles away Super 8 Columbia Clark Lane, Columbia , 0 miles away Suburban Extended Stay Hotel Columbia - Hwy 63 & I-70, Columbia , 0 miles away   Campgrounds Near Hinkson Creek: Pine Grove Village MHP, Columbia, 1 miles away Cottonwoods RV Park, Columbia, 2 miles away Three Creeks Camp, Ashland, 7 miles away   Trails Near Hinkson Creek: Cedar Creek Hiking Trail, Boone , 14 miles away   Public Lands Near Hinkson Creek: Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Missouri , 4 miles away Finger Lakes State Park, Missouri , 8 miles away   Golf Courses Near Hinkson Creek: University of Missouri-Columbia Gustin Golf Course, Columbia , 3 miles away Lake of the Woods Golf Course, Columbia , 4 miles away L A Nickell Golf Course, Columbia , 4 miles away   Lakes Near Hinkson Creek Tri-City Lake, Boone , 14 miles away