Eminence, MO: Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Current River State Park will be offering free paddling clinics July 7-8, July 14-15, July 21-22, and July 28-29. The schedule for each weekend clinic will be the same, with dry land basic sessions conducted on Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m. at the Round Spring amphitheater. Paddle stroke instruction will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday on the lower lake at Current River State Park. Students will have the option to continue instruction on the river in the afternoon, paddling approximately 4 miles from Current River State Park to Round Spring on an interpretive float with an instructor.
Topics to be covered include canoe and kayak equipment, rescue techniques, basic paddle strokes and maneuvers, and river safety. Instructors for this clinic are certified by the American Canoe Association. Kayaks, paddles, and personal floatation devices will be supplied by Current River State Park and the clinics are free to all participants. Each session is limited to twelve participants, so pre-registration is required.
Significant natural and cultural points of interest will be discussed during the paddle from Current River State Park to Round Spring. Trees and plants along the river will be identified, as well as wildlife and signs of wildlife. Just downstream from Current River State Park, a spring and old home site on river left will provide an opportunity to learn about the Ozark culture. Further downstream, Merritt Rock will be on river right, and the trip will pause for a short presentation about caves in the Riverways. The guided float will also stop at Sinking Creek, which enters the Current River on river left one mile before the destination at Round Spring.
For more information or to register for one of the sessions call the Round Spring Visitor Center at 573-323-8093 or sign up in person at the Round Spring Visitor Center, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork Rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people. For more information about the Riverways and upcoming programs, call (573) 323-4236; visit the park’s Facebook page, or website at www.nps.gov/ozar.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
