Missouri whitewater, Little St. Francis River Madison county, Highway 72 to St. Francis River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I     15 miles   I paddled this creek in 1976 when I was going to university in St. Louis. My sister and I ran it from the waterfall above Highway E, on down to its confluence with the St. Francis. Most of the time it is not runnable owing to there being not enough water in it, but when there's been a big, long rain, or sometimes in the spring in years when there's been a particularly heavy snowfall that is melting off, it is not only runnable, but quite sporty. The     part above E is the best of it, but you have to portage in on a trail that is about 5 miles long. That's something that not a lot of people want to do when you can't be sure what the water level will be. I come from a part of Colorado where a lot of the most sendy white water is a hike in, and so that's not a big deal to me. Just be aware that if you want to run the creek above Hwy E, you will need to portage in, and if conditions aren't great, you may need to portage out again. You also may need to portage around some of the drops up there if you think they might be too difficult for them. Knowing how to read white water and find a line is essential up   there, and there are places there were swimming would be a little unpleasant. I recommend very sturdy decked kayak or canoe with good flotation bags in it. If you don't and you end up swimming, you may need to come back for your boat when the water drops back down. You'll probably find that the water and rocks got very creative with it and folded it into a very interesting shape, not usually associated with a usable kayak or canoe. I hope some of you get an opportunity to run this little gem of a creek! Keep stoked! Says Katherine Porterfield In July and August temperatures frequently hit the high 90's and occasionally low 100's; water levels in many stretches are below 1 (one) foot. Says Titus Groan Little St. Francis River, Highway 72 to St. Francis River 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 Little St. Francis River.   Whitewater Near Little St. Francis River: St. Francis River, Madison Wayne County, 4 miles away       Class I - 55.4 miles long (Silver Mines Recreation Area to Highway 67) Turkey Creek, Madison County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV - 2.6 miles long (Highway 72 to St. Francis River) Little St. Francis River, Madison County, 5 miles away       Class I - 15 miles long (Highway 72 to St. Francis River) Mud Creek, Madison County, 6 miles away       Class IV+ - 1.4 miles long (Highway D to St. Francis River) St. Francis River, Madison County, 6 miles away       Class II-IV - 2.3 miles long (Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines) St. Francis River, St. Francois Madison County, 8 miles away       Class I-II - 10.7 miles long (Highway H to Highway 72) St. Francis River, Madison County, 9 miles away       Class II - 3.2 miles long (Highway 72 to Millstream Gardens) Lower Rock Creek, Madison County, 9 miles away       Class IV - 3 miles long (Barren Hollow to Highway E) Little Rock Creek, Madison County, 9 miles away       Class IV+ - 1 miles long (Off of Highway E) Marble Creek, Madison County, 12 miles away       Class II - 3.8 miles long (USFS Marble Creek Camp Ground to CR 427)   Ski Areas Near Little St. Francis River: Hidden Valley, Missouri , 58 miles away, 250 foot drop, 6 lifts, 9 runs   Hotels Near Little St. Francis River: Plain Fancy Bed Breakfast, Ironton , 14 miles away Tradition Inn, Farmington , 14 miles away Holiday Inn Express & Suites FARMINGTON, Farmington , 14 miles away Quality Inn Farmington, Farmington , 14 miles away Super 8 Farmington, Farmington , 15 miles away   Campgrounds Near Little St. Francis River: Silver Mines, Knob Lick, 4 miles away Marble Creek, Annapolis, 12 miles away Coldwater Access, Lodi, 14 miles away   Public Lands Near Little St. Francis River: Ozark National Scenic River, Van Buren - MO , 51 miles away Sam A. Baker State Park, Missouri , 16 miles away St. Joe State Park, Missouri , 20 miles away Hawn State Park, Missouri , 20 miles away   Golf Courses Near Little St. Francis River: Crown Pointe Golf Club, Farmington , 16 miles away   Lakes Near Little St. Francis River Mine La Motte Lake, Madison , 8 miles away Newman Lake, Madison , 10 miles away