Ouachita
4) Remmel Dam to I-30 at Malvern
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 5.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Ouachita River at Remmel Dam Above Jones Mill, Ar |
| Flow Rate as of 21 minutes | 342 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 2, 2025 |
River Description
Nice paddle from Remmel Dam with easy shuttle on Hwy 270. Continuous release of 200-500 cfs is enough to make it down the river with some scraping. Normal generation is 3500-4000 CFS.
Put-in: Below Remmel Dam. Access from Hwy 270 at Jones Mill between Malvern (I-30) and Hot Springs.
Take-out: Near the I-30 bridge. Can take-out on river left just below the Rockport Ledge upstream of the I-30 bridge. Take the Malvern exit on I-30(East on Hwy 270). Turn right on River Creek Road, next to McDonalds. Follow the road as it curves right (between Wal-mart and strip mall) and crosses a small creek. Turn left onto South River Creek Road and follow to the stop sign at the end. Turn right and follow this road upstream and under the I-30 bridge until you see the boat ramp on the left.
Improvements to the River Park: A new boat ramp and parking area are provided downstream from the upper ledge on river left. Eventually the road and parking will be paved and restroom and changing facilities and additional trails will be provided.
Or take out on river right below the I-30 bridge at the Tanner Street access. It can be accessed by traveling (South)West on I-30 and take the first exit after the crossing the Ouachita River Bridge (you can see the Rockport Ledge upstream to the right). Turn left and cross over I-30 and take a left at the next intersection. Park at the end of the road at the concrete baricades where the old Tanner Street Bridge was. A short trail leads to the river.
The run is primarily moving class I water with some pools. The Rockport ledge is Class II and can be run about anywhere. However, some of the chutes may flip, pin or swamp a canoe.
Beware of the far river right side at the ledge. The narrow chute to the right of the house-sized boulder is home to the 'Lion's Den' aka 'Tiger'
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportit should be mentioned that the ledge is 100-200 yards wide and a kayak is only 2ft wide with a full mile straightaway upstream... a kayaker is hardly a problem.
We run this section in a 14' raft and was a cake walk, didn't expect it to be any different though, done some fishing and a great time.
The most hazordus part of this trip was at the ledge near the take out and the ledge was no problem, it was a kayaker not moving out of the way, almost took his head off with an oar. Folks rafts do not manuever like kayak's or canoe's so PLEASE give a raft some space.