What the Elk is doing right now.

Live river data

The Elk drains 851 square miles. The downstream gage is at Tiff City — USGS station 07189000 — and the NWS forecast point is TIFM7. The numbers below come straight from those two feeds.

Fetched 15 September 2026 from waterservices.usgs.gov (NWIS IV, public domain) and api.water.noaa.gov (NWPS, public domain). Provisional; subject to revision. When the city or a county emergency manager publishes an evacuation notice, this page cites it.

Public river accesses

MDC's Elk River watershed inventory and the agency place pages are the source of truth for public accesses. Private campgrounds are not MDC accesses — they are listed in the outfitters section below.

1. Mount Shira Access

   26 acres, MDC. From Noel, take Highway 59 north 2 miles. Large parking lot and a gravel boat launch on the Elk River. MDC phone (417) 895-6880. mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/mount-shira-access.

2. Cowskin Access

   40.8 acres, MDC. From Southwest City, take Highway 43 north 8 miles. Concrete boat ramp. MDC phone (417) 895-6880. NWS flood-impact bulletins list this as the "Cowskin River Floating Public Access Area on the west side of Highway 43." mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/cowskin-access.

3. City of Pineville Elk River Access

   1 acre, jointly managed by MDC and the city of Pineville. From McDonald County on U.S. 71, take Route H east to Business 71, north across the Elk River, Route W east, Rhine Road south. City phone (417) 451-4158. mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/city-pineville-elk-river-access.

4. Deep Ford Access

   42.1 acres on Big Sugar Creek, not the Elk main stem. Parking lot and a gravel launch ramp for canoes or kayaks. MDC phone (417) 895-6880. mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/deep-ford-access.

Private take-outs include Noel City Park (Lazy Days describes a 7.5-mile float ending at the city park; city confirmation of take-out status is not verified from the city's own site) and the outfitter take-outs listed below.

Fetched 13–15 September 2026 from mdc.mo.gov. The MDC Elk River watershed inventory page is the parent document; each access has its own MDC place page. Re-fetch monthly.

Float trips and campgrounds

Outfitter phones and float distances below were re-fetched 15 September 2026 from each operator's own site. The Elk River Floats family (Wayside, Kozy Kamp, Eagles Nest, Trestle Park) operates as one fleet across four campgrounds.

1. Elk River Floats

   Hub for four campgrounds (Wayside, Kozy Kamp, Eagles Nest, Trestle Park). Noel River Float = 6 miles, open all season. Rafts $160–$500, kayaks $60–$100, canoes $110–$120, tubes $45–$50. Shuttle, day pass, and parking included. 417-475-3230. elkriverfloats.com.

2. Wayside Campground

   201 Minnow Springs Ave, Noel, MO 64854 (Highways 59 & 90). Gravel-bar peninsula campground. End point for the 6-mile Noel River Float from Trestle Park in Ginger Blue. Class I–II. 417-475-3230. waysidecamp.com.

3. Trestle Park / Elk River Campground

   435 Elk Springs Road, Noel, MO 64854 (Ginger Blue, between Noel and Pineville). 30 acres; launch point for the 6-mile Noel River Float, end point for the seasonal 6-mile Trestle Bridge Float. 417-475-3561. trestlepark.com.

4. Eagles Nest Camp & Canoe

   53 Eagle Nest Ln, Noel, MO 64854 (Ginger Blue, across from Trestle Park). 40-acre shaded family campground with two gravel-bar swim beaches. 417-475-3326. eaglesnestcampcanoe.com.

5. Kozy Kamp

   71 Elk River Road, Pineville, MO 64856. 10-acre grass campground; launch point for the seasonal 6-mile Trestle Bridge Float. 417-223-4586. kozykamp.com.

6. River Ranch Resort

   101 River Road, Noel, MO 64854. 5- and 8-mile Elk floats plus a 1-mile after-work float. Cabins, glamping pods, RV. 417-475-6121. riverranchresort.com.

7. Shady Beach Campground

   14332 State Hwy 59, Noel, MO 64854. 4- and 8-mile floats; cabins, RV, tent. Memorial Day to Labor Day: float required to camp. 417-475-6483. shadybeach.com.

8. Two Sons Floats & Camping

   15806 Hwy 59N, Noel, MO 64854. Open May–September. 4- or 8-mile floats. 417-475-4774. twosonsfloats.com.

9. Lazy Days Campground

   Just outside Noel, between Noel and Pineville. 7.5-mile float to Noel City Park. Cabins, RV, tent. 417-223-3498. lazydayscampground.net.

10. Big Elk Floats, Camping & Lodging

    5029 South Business Highway 71, Pineville, MO 64856. Open March through end of October. Canoes & kayaks on Elk River & Big Sugar Creek. 417-355-6037 (call) / 417-355-6076 (text). bigelkcampcanoe.com.

Fetched 13–15 September 2026 from each operator's own homepage. Phones appear exactly as printed by the operator (with or without hyphens). This page does not copy rates — they change every year.

Safety before you launch

• Wear a PFD.

  Missouri law requires a U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket on every boat for every person. The Elk is Class I–II in this corridor; even at low water, an ankle entrapment on a submerged rock can pin a swimmer.

• Check the live gage, then the forecast.

  If USGS has not posted a sample in the past 2 hours, treat the river as unknown — not as fine. NWS NWPS forecast hydrographs extend out 24 hours; a forecast crest is a hard signal to wait.

• Check the active alert bar at the top of this page.

  The alerts bar above the masthead carries the current NWS county-zone (MOC119) feed. Flash flood warnings override everything on this site.

• Missouri Revised Statutes 537.327.

  Under Missouri law, an outfitter is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participant in paddle-sport activities resulting from the inherent risks of paddle-sport activities. Every operator's site carries this notice.

• Call the outfitter, not this page.

  Rates, shuttle times, and whether a float is required to camp change every season. The phone for each operator is on their site and in the outfitters section above.

Safety copy is drawn from the operators' own waiver notices (RSMO 537.327) and the live feeds above. The McDonald County emergency-management office publishes flood-evacuation routes; when the city or county posts one, it will be cited here.