Ouachita
3) Dragover
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 2.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 7 fpm |
| Gauge | Ouachita River Near Mount Ida, Ar |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 4.84 ftrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 2, 2025 |
River Description
Directions to Putin:
From Pencil Bluff, AR. take Arkansas Hwy 88 east for 7 miles; turn south on county road 97 for one mile. Follow signs to campground (and take-out). County road 97 is gravel and can get really dusty when it's dry. Please obey the signs and keep your speed to a minimum through here out of consideration for the locals who live along this road.
The Dragover Campground has an access on the West Side (upstream)and one on the East Side (downstream) which the River makes a 3-mile horseshoe bend around and requires no shuttle (hence the name).
Campground has seven sites (each accomodating about 6 campers)with picnic tables, lantern posts, and fire rings. No water or electricity is provided. Campground has a handicapped accessible vault toilet. This campground is currently maintained by the Montgomery County Parks Department after being abandoned by the USFS; and no day use or camping fees are being charged at the present time. (If you see an employee of the Montgomery Parks Dept - be sure to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts in keeping this place going.) River access is provided by stairs down the bluff, (rather steep) with rollers in the middle to aid launching boats. (See photos below)
Nearby, Mount Ida has stores, gas stations, motels and cafes. The area is also well known for it's quartz crystal mines and rock shops. Some of the world's finest quartz crystal clusters and points come from around here.
This section of the upper Ouachita is a favorite for most local paddlers, as there are more rapids and playspots in this section than on other parts of the river.The river is suitable for paddlers of any skill level and for any type of boat from small play-boat type kayaks to canoes and even rafts, at the proper flow levels. There are numerous small rapids in this stretch, with the three most notable ones listed below in the 'rapids' section.
This is a very scenic river, lined with high bluffs and be
...River Features
Put In
Diagonal Ledge
Pourovers and small rapids offer limited opportunities for play. Some of the small holes near the vertical pourovers can be a little 'grabbier' than they look, especially when sidesurfing.
Big Rock (House Rapid)
You can't miss this one when you are coming up on it. There is a big house on the bluff on river right overlooking the rapid. Also a huge boulder, and some smaller ones, right there too. Hence the names. Some folks call it House Rapid and some just call it Big Rock, but whatever you want to call it, all agree that it is the best rapid in the stretch. Good playspot at the right levels, which most agree would be between 3.5 - 5 feet on the gage. The most popular surfing spot is just below the big rock, but there are other good but smaller play spots in this area.
At the river right chute of the big rock there is a shallow rock right in the middle of that wave, so it is best not to be bottom side up there. Other than that hazard, any swims in this area will generally be pretty easy to recover from.
Hungry Hole
This rapid gets it's name from guess what? A hole that likes to keep paddlers who venture into it. At certain mid-levels it can be a keeper. The hole can be avoided by running next to the river left bank or also by running just right of center. There is a rock just right of that, and if you run to the right of the rock at levels over 500 beware of the strong eddy line caused by that rock. Some play in this area, just watch the hole. The hole however, at lower levels makes for good practice with hydraulics as it has the 'grab' of some of the bad ones seen on other waterways, but less consequence.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportNice view of the river from the campsites on the bluff at putin.
Along the trail from putin to takeout. Trail can be kind of steep in places. You can 'Drag' or carry your boat from the takeout to the putin, but most prefer to make the 1/3 mile hike to get a vehicle. Much easier that way.