Boss Hollow
Headwaters to Hurricane Creek (3.8 miles)(Buck Branch)
| Difficulty | III-IV+ |
| Length | 3.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 140 fpm |
| Gauge | Richland Creek Near Witts Spring, Ar |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 2.41 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 23, 2018 |
River Description
Note: The combination of Steep banks and lots of deadfalls tend to clog the creek with wood from time to time, so keep look out.
This is a very small creek. Tight slots, fast slides, waterfalls, undercuts. Highlight is 'The Boss'.
Gradient per mile: 190, 170, 90, 90 ft/mi. The Boss and steepest gradient is in first half of second mile.
Put-in: Turn West from Hwy 7 at the 'Who Would Have Thought It Gift Shop' North of Lurton. Take the left-hand fork (Newon County Road 7080) ~1.2 miles to the 6th 4WD road to the left. Park and carry or drive 0.75 mile (4WD only) to a cable/gate. An ATV trail leads downhill just before the gate. Drag downhill about 0.5 miles to put-in (elevation ~1560).
Take-out: Reach the take out by taking the right fork (Newon County Road 7050) at the gift shop down the hill to Hurricane Creek. At the bottom of the hill the road forks. The left fork (7050) fords a creek. If creek is high (which is needed for the Boss to be at a good level) park here and plan to carry boats out 0.5 mile after the run. Please park on the side of the road and not on any private property. If crossable, drive 0.5 mile to gate near remnents of a burned house. Turn right in front of gate and park near the creek. Alternate is for a long paddle on Hurricane Creek at big water to the Hwy 123 access on the Big Piney.
Description
The creek starts out fast and narrow dropping over several small slides and ledges. Approximately 0.25 miles there is a small ledge into a small pool. Now the tight and technical section starts. Lots of pin possibilities here. This is where the 'Toilet Bowl' and 'Baby Boss Slide' are encountered. These are followed shortly by 'Face Slap Falls' and 'Sycamore Slot
...River Features
Entrance Slide
Put-in is bedrock and a continous slide for 400 yards ending in a small eddy/pool.
Confluence
Tight slot moves with lots of pin potential. A feeder creek with a 20+ ft waterfall enters from the left. The waterfall lands in a small and shallow pool.
Baby Boss
Small steep slide with pin potential on both banks and a sticky hole at the bottom. Another small eddy/pool at the bottom is followed by fast tight creeking for the next couple hundred yards.
Face Slap Falls
The fast shallow channel narrows between the willows and leads to a horizonline. Brace for the slap from the willow branches at the lip and drop over the ledge and into a fast flume. The creek turns left at the bottom of the flume to the next drop.
Sycamore Slot
A large Sycamore tree in the middle of the creek separates a steep rocky drop on the left from the slot boof move on the right. More slides and fun slot moves continue for next .3 miles.
The Boss
Look for a slide ending in a small ledge into a small eddy/pool. This signals 'The Boss'. Consists of three sections as the creek drops 40+ in the next 150 yards. First is 'Performance Evaluation', a couple boulder slot moves into a narrow slide. Second is the sharp turn onto the big slide 'Broken Paddle'. Third is the bottom ledge into a sticky hole, 'Half a Paddle'.
The Undercut & Cheesegrater
Shortly after the pool below The Boss, the water funnels to the left and drop beside and partially under a large undercut. The next 1/3 plus miles is a shallow and continuous slide that is likely to reduce the weight of your boat hull.
Buck Branch
The confluence with Buck Branch. The volume doubles and the creek opens up a bit, but still lots of good class III-IV action to come. An old road bed follows the creek from here on down incase it is needed.
Alligator Rock
Noteable undercut. This undercut is a huge flat rock facing upstream like an open mouth. The main current flows directly into and under the rock. Large eddies are above it on both sides and it is avoidable and noticeable, but it will gobble up wayward paddlers.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThis is a Beautiful creek. Bring a camera. There's more waterfalls coming in all around you, than you can count!
Bottom of the first slide.
Top of the first boulder rapid below the entrance slide.
Runout of Face Slap Falls.
The big slide portion of 'The Boss'