2/4/2012 - Illinois River

2/4/2012 - Illinois River (Class I-I+), Oklahoma. Single day, 11mi floating trip.

Starting Out:

We left our house at approximately 6:45a.m. to meet a buddy for breakfast outside Tahlequah, OK. We were planning to shuttle our canoe back and forth from the take out to the put in so we decided to follow each other to help keep things together. I had not taken out at this spot before (Todd PA) but found it easily on Google maps beforehand. Fortunately the put in (Edmondson PA) was familiar and with the river being up we had no trouble meeting up with the group at the half way point (No Head Hollow PA).

Traveling:

The Illinois River is located just east of Tahlequah, OK off highway 10. It is very easy to get to and is paved up to all put-ins/take-outs. From the North you'll take I44 to Highway 69 to Muskogee and then over to Highway 10 or the Muskogee Turnpike near Muskogee and over to Highway 10. From East in Arkansas you could take either Highway 412 to Highway 10 or I40 to the Muskogee Turnpike and over to Highway 10. However you get there it's a nice drive and the river is well worth the efforts. 

Floating:

Water Level	River Conditions
2'	Slow moving, some dragging.
2'-3'	Slow moving, minimal drag.
3'-4'	Slower moving, good floating everywhere.
4'-5'	Good floating everywhere.
5.5'	Good current, good floating everywhere.
6.0'	Strong current, be careful if you are inexperienced.

The river was clear and flowing well. It was cold and overcast when we put in but that just made for an unique look for the river. The fog and slight drizzle did not dampen our spirits and we got to see and enjoy a beauty on this river I hadn't seen before. The river definitely has a different look in February than it does in the dog days of summer. I would encourage anyone interested to take the necessary precautions and float this river any time during the year, not just the spring/summer months.

The water level was right at 5.5' and with some recent rain in the area the water flow was significant. The first  5.3 miles of our trip flew by with our average speed of 4.1MPH. It almost seems like a different river in these conditions. By the next day the rain had washed down the river to the part we were floating which raised the water level to almost 7' which was somewhat dangerous because the water was extremely murky and at that level a lot of objects such as trees and rocks are covered and barely visible until you run right up on them.

Overall I would say this is a great class I-I+ river to float, very easy, enjoyable, and scenic. We've seen all sorts of wildlife including bald eagles, hawks, and even a beaver. Bring your camera or video camera, there's lots of opportunity for some wonderful pictures.

Public Access:
The public access spots are as follows:
Illinois River - Total 65.4 Miles:

• Watts Public Access - Mile 0.0
• US Hwy. 59 Bridge Public Access - Mile 3.1
• Carnes Ford Public Access - Mile 10.4
• Chewey Bridge - Mile 23.6
• Round Hollow Public Access - Mile 27.7
• Stunkard Public Access - Mile 28.0
• Peavine Public Access - Mile 32.4
• Combs Bridge - Mile 36.1
• Edmondson Public Access - Mile 36.2 (Put-in 2/4/2012)
• No Head Hollow Public Access - Mile 41.5
• Todd Public Access - Mile 47.0 (Take-out 2/4/2012)
• Elephant Rock Nature Park - Mile 50.0
• Echota Public Access - Mile 53.2
• Hwy. 51/62 Bridge - Mile 55.1
• Riverside Park Public Access - Mile 55.3
• Murrell Home Road Public Access - Mile 62.0

Gear:
Some of the more important gear we used:

• Canoe - Old Town Expedition (Discovery 169 re-badge for Bass Pro)
• Rain coat (Staying dry is a top priority)
• Stocking hat (hey it's Feb after all!)
• Map

Photos:

2/4/2012 - Illinois River, a set on Flickr.