Bourbeuse River

Although the Gasconade has the reputation for being crooked, the meandering of the Bourbeuse is more extreme.  It winds for nearly 100 miles with an airline distance of only 27 miles, all of it within Franklin County!  This is a relatively small, slow river which is not as clear as many of the streams farther south.  Yet it provides some ratehr good bass fishing, has many picturesque features and is surprisingly little cut up by roads crossing it.  It is seldom floatable in summer above Bartel Bend on Hwy. H and becomes rather "civilized" beyond the first Union Bridge.

Difficulty I
Gradients general - 2.4; Hwy. 19 to Bartel Bend - 3.9; to Hwy. 185 - 1.7; to Happy Sock Creek - 2.3; to Meramec River - 2.1.
Counties Gasconade, Franklin.


Name latitude longitude Folder Description Ramp Camp
0.0 38.234720 -91.456490 Other Access Country Road Bridge off Hwy. 19 No No
1.1 38.223840 -91.447810 Other Access Hwy. 19 Bridge No No
4.1 38.247700 -91.424080 Other Access Low-water bridge on County Rod 530, off Hwy. 19 No No
6.5 38.262130 -91.432770 Other Feature Dry Fork enters on left. No No
11.0 38.298850 -91.397250 MDC Access Tea Access on left, on Tea Road off Hwy. T. Gravel bar.  No ramp. No No
24.5 38.318130 -91.332440 Other Feature Hwy. H Bridge. No access. No No
28.2 38.330980 -91.302230 MDC Access Mill Rock Access on right, on Mill Road Road off Hwy. H. Gravel ramp. No No
32.4 38.311290 -91.280090 Other Feature Hwy. CC Bridge. No access No No
35.4 38.323170 -91.256720 MDC Access Wenkel Ford Access on right, on Wenkel Ford Road off Hwy. 1185. Access at ford. No No
42.9 38.356140 -91.216510 Other Access Roaring Spring on right. No No
46.4 38.374380 -91.206670 Other Access Peters Ford, on county road off Hwy. 185 south of Noser Mill. No No
52.4 38.396180 -91.195590 Other Feature Greenstreet.  Cabins atop bluff on left. No No
53.5 38.391300 -91.189430 Other Feature Hwy. 185 Bridge at old Noser Mill.  Low mill dam. Portage. Private. No access. No No
75.0 38.381020 -91.074330 MDC Access Reiker Ford Access on left.  Private cabins on right. No No
86.0 38.425370 -91.047810 MDC Access Mayers Landing Access on left.  Hwy. UU parallels river on left. Yes No
88.0 38.433090 -91.023340 Other Feature Country Road Bridge. No access. No No
90.1 38.406400 -91.005660 Other Feature Happy Sock Creek on Right. No No
94.4 38.445010 -90.999910 MDC Access Hwy. 50 Bridge.  Union Access on right. Yes No
96.9 38.446750 -90.972540 Other Feature Chicago Rock Island R.R. Bridge. No No
97.9 38.463050 -90.969890 Other Feature Guths Mill Dam. Portage. No No
101.4 38.449220 -90.939490 Other Feature RR. recrosses river No No
103.4 38.442810 -90.910980 MDC Access Hwy. 50 and I-44 bridges.  Dr. Henry A. and Amilia Uhlemeyer Access on left.  Exit I-44 at Hwy. 0. Yes No
108.7 38.402170 -90.892310 MDC Access Chouteau Calim Access on right, off Hwy. AH. Joins Meramec River just past ramp. Yes No


Display in Google Maps
Download KML file for viewing in Google Earth (best display)
Download GPX file