Meramec River

Fed by Meramec Spring and many smaller springs, the Meramec is floatable most of the year. The floated sections are those between Maramec Spring and Meramec State Park, although there is still much reasonably attractive river down to St. Clair or even Pacific. Beyond that point, however, real estate developments, railroads, and industry may make the river unattractive to some paddlers. For those who do not mind these distractions, the river is floatable right down to the Mississippi. Floats above Maramec Spring are recommended only for high-water periods.

Difficulty I, seldom II.
Gradients general (to Palisades) - 3.4; H . 19 to Hwy. M - 7.8; to Hwy. 8 - 5.3; to Hwy. 19 north of Steelville - 4.2; to Onondaga Cave - 3.2; to Moselle - 2.6; to Palisades - 1.6.
Counties Dent, Crawford, Phelps, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Louis.

Name Latitude Longitude Feature Type Description Ramp Camp
0 37.744323 -91.435524 Other Access Low-water bridge at Short Bend, just off Hwy. 19. No No
0.08 37.745703 -91.435284 Other Feature Hwy. 19 Bridge. No No
0.9 37.751476 -91.428093 MDC Access Short Bend Access. Good access for canoes/kayaks. No No
6.3 37.789832 -91.450234 Other Access Low-water bridge access on extension of Hwy. M. No No
8.7 37.803033 -91.432894 Other Access Low-water bridge access at Cook Station. No No
10.1 37.828953 -91.437487 Other Feature Hwy. M Bridge. No No
13.4 37.8573 -91.438817 Other Feature Low dam. Portage. No No
13.7 37.8605 -91.433056 Other Access Low-water bridge access at Wesco. No No
16.7 37.891567 -91.453976 Other Access Low-water bridge access on road between Wesco and Hwy. U. No No
18.7 37.894757 -91.480319 Other Access Low-water bridge access. Hwy. U 1.3 miles north. No No
20.7 37.891499 -91.506018 Other Feature Benton Creek on left. No No
26.1 37.950535 -91.511717 Other Feature Hwy. 8 Bridge. No No
26.2 37.951017 -91.50859 MDC Access Woodson K. Woods Wildlife Area and access on right. Reached from Hwy. 8. Usually the highest practical put-in. CBR Yes No
28.1 37.961717 -91.534374 Other Feature Maramec Spring branch, on left, is 0.7 mile long and is managed for trout fishing. The spring, with average daily flows of more than 90 million gallons. The park in the area of the spring and branch is owned and maintained by The James Foundation. No No
28.8 37.969561 -91.525291 Other Feature Dry Fork enters on left. Although this creek has a drainage as large as the upper Meramec, much of its water is thought to drain into the Maramec Spring system. Consequently, it is seldom floatable. Its gradient for the lower 23 miles from Hwy. F is 5.2. No No
32.8 37.98206 -91.487897 Other Feature Richart Spring on left. Not open to public. No No
35.1 37.978016 -91.456696 MDC Access Scotts Ford Access on northwest side of bridge. Gravel bar. No ramp. Private campground nearby. No No
41 37.978622 -91.430419 Other Feature Indian Spring and private lodge on right. No No
42.3 37.992367 -91.42543 MDC Access Riverview Access, off Hwy. 0. CBR Yes No
43.9 38.011627 -91.404096 Other Feature Pine Branch on left. McIntosh Spring is one of the springs feeding this branch. It has a flow of under a million gallons but once operated a water wheel. No No
44.4 38.00615 -91.393069 Other Feature Private cottages on left. No No
46.8 37.989536 -91.384511 Other Access Fishing Spring Road access. No No
47 37.9897 -91.37993 Other Feature Many private campgrounds in this area. No No
47.9 37.988998 -91.376233 Other Feature Hwy. 19 Bridge. No No
50 37.997314 -91.360596 MDC Access Bird's Nest Access (Crawford County) on right. St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. and county bridges. Good rift in river. City park and private campground. CBR Yes No
50.5 37.998815 -91.351866 Other Feature Whittenburg Creek on right. No No
55.3 38.014962 -91.321256 Other Feature Private campground. No No
58.3 38.041082 -91.304438 Other Feature Lick Creek on left. No No
59.1 38.045594 -91.299602 Other Feature Saranac Spring branch on left and private campground. No No
62 38.042054 -91.289477 Other Feature Spring branch on left. No No
65.9 38.031716 -91.227743 Other Feature Huzzah Creek enters on right. Section just above Huzzah Creek often has log obstructions. The Huzzah and its companion creek, the Courtois, are floatable and are described separately. Huzzah Conservation Area extends along right bank for next 1.5 miles. No No
66.2 38.035637 -91.220856 MDC Access Huzzah Conservation Area and access, off Hwy. E. No No
68.4 38.058284 -91.223635 Other Access Onondaga State Park, Hwy. H bridge. Public access upstream from bridge on west. Onondaga Cave, about one mile up road to left, is one of the outstanding commercial caves in the state. East side of low-water bridge private with camping. No No
70.4 38.06145 -91.195871 Other Feature Opossum Hollow Creek on left. No No
73.7 38.082977 -91.149979 Other Feature Campbell Bridge Access on Hwy. N. CBR Yes No
78 38.111244 -91.156682 Other Feature Private access canoe rental and campground. No No
78.6 38.123781 -91.156158 MDC Access Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area and access on Thickety Ford Road. Low-water bridge removed, but pilings still present. No ramp. Must carry canoe/kayak to river. No No
83.2 38.158534 -91.109378 MDC Access Sappington Bridge Access. CBR Yes No
85.3 38.179713 -91.095585 Other Feature Hamilton Creek on right. No No
85.8 38.180546 -91.092094 Other Feature Green Cave and picnic shelter on right in Meramec State Park. No No
86.2 38.186909 -91.097253 Other Feature Stater Creek on left. No No
88 38.203314 -91.098656 Other Access Meramec State Park boat ramp from Hwy. 185 at state park entrance. No No
88.2 38.210313 -91.09285 Other Feature State park picnic ground along left bank, from bridge to Camper's Spring. Stores for supplies 2.5 miles up road on left or in Sullivan 1.5 miles beyond. No No
88.5 38.213615 -91.088979 Other Feature Camper's Spring on left at base of bluff. No No
89.5 38.218239 -91.077488 Other Feature Panther Cave, in bluff on right. The "lower" state park campground extends along the left bank in this area. No No
90 38.222045 -91.079167 Other Access Boat ramp in Meramec State Park on left. Watch for rock dike on left. No No
90.2 38.226986 -91.081214 Other Feature Fisher Cave 0.2 mile from river on left is operated as a park concession. No No
91 38.234888 -91.067106 Other Feature Silver Hollow Creek on right. 92.0 Private canoe park on left. No No
92.1 38.243586 -91.067242 Other Feature Private concrete boat ramp on left. No No
92.3 38.243901 -91.071231 Other Feature Private pavilion on left. Bluff on right. No No
94.3 38.241818 -91.091137 Other Access Meramec Caverns and LaJolla Springs. Access. This cave is one of the commercial ones in the state. The management provides a park and picnic area for the public along the left bank, below the cave. No No
95.4 38.252603 -91.07995 MDC Access Sand Ford Access off Hwy. W CBR Yes No
98 38.273143 -91.065655 Other Feature Twin Springs and private club on left. No No
98.7 38.276986 -91.070324 Other Feature Roaring Spring, on left. No No
101.7 38.256794 -91.027783 Other Feature Pickle Ford (Huff Ford). Poor access on left bank. No No
104.4 38.277959 -90.997923 Other Feature Plum Ford. No No
112 38.276647 -90.944647 Other Feature Hwy. K Bridge. No No
112.2 38.274845 -90.939623 Other Feature Indian Creek on right. No No
112.3 38.27689 -90.937551 Other Access Private access at beach on right. No No
112.6 38.282703 -90.932283 MDC Access Red Horse Access on right, off Hwy. K, Old Hwy K and Project Road. CBR Yes No
117.3 38.322606 -90.921864 Other Access Hwy. 30-47 Bridge. Private access.
123.8 38.348299 -90.882329 Other Feature
127.2 38.356103 -90.87265 MDC Access River 'Round Conservation Area and access, off TT to Mill Hill to Old Cove Road. CBR Yes No
131.4 38.383018 -90.88635 Other Access Hillcrest Park private access. No No
132.4 38.394436 -90.888244 Other Access St. Louis-San Francisco R.R. Bridge. Access. No No
132.8 38.399186 -90.889456 MDC Access Chouteau Claim Access at junction with Bourbeuse River. County road and bridge 0.4 mile up Bourbeuse. CBR Yes No
136 38.4363 -90.818342 Other Access Robertsville State Park access. No No
142.7 38.450625 -90.764415 MDC AccessMD Catawissa Conservation Area and access on right.
145.3 38.467181 -90.735689 Other Access Hwy. F Bridge. Private access. No No
147.3 38.477008 -90.715381 MDC AccessMD Pacific Palisades Conservation Area and access on right, on English Road off Hwy. F. CBR Yes No
154.2 38.474603 -90.660083 MDC AccessMD Allenton Access on left, off 1-44, at Allenton-Six Flags Road, go east on Main Street, south on Brown Road to Huntersford. CBR Yes No
161 38.50204 -90.591453 MDC AccessMD Hwy. 66 bridges. Times Beach Access on left, at Lewis Road exit off 1-44. CBR Yes No
169 38.544767 -90.532417 Other Access Castlewood State Park off Kiefer Creek Road.
172.5 38.546228 -90.48437 MDC AccessMD Valley Park City Access (Valley Park). CBR Yes No
173.5 38.558211 -90.447819 MDC AccessMD Green Tree Park Access (Kirkwood), off Marshall Road. CBR Yes No
176 38.5438 -90.434115 Other Feature Ackerman Access at 1-44 Bridge. No ramp. No No
180.4 38.503304 -90.421564 Other Access Winter County Park with ramps on right, off Corisande Beach Road. No No
192 38.417272 -90.347328 MDC AccessMD Flamm City Access on right below H 231 Bridge. Ramp. Last access above Mississippi River. CBR Yes No
Spring 37.96182 -91.540111 Other Feature No No
Spring 37.972823 -91.420799 Other Feature No No
Spring 37.987353 -91.491 Other Feature No No
Spring 38.017437 -91.407675 Other Feature No No
Spring 38.040442 -91.248957 Other Feature No No
Spring 38.047014 -91.287251 Other Feature No No
Spring 38.218167 -91.094345 Other Feature No No
Spring 38.281078 -91.072599 Other Feature No No

This is best viewed in Google Earth (download kml file), as Google Maps does not support all the kml features (see documentation).

Display in Google Maps
Download KML file
Download GPX file