De Roche Creek
Hwy 283 to Hwy 67 (4.4 miles)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 5.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 20 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | January 24, 2009 |
River Description
Beware of the low water bridge/dam at the rock quarry 2/3 of the way into the run. It comes below the first real rapid.
Most of the rapids are between the quarry bridge and the takeout. Some nice wavetrains to play on. The first couple of miles are flat moving water with some willows to dodge.
Higher water runs offer big waves and fast current with willow branches blocking some of the eddys.
Put-in: Can access from either Friendship (Exit 83) or Caddo Valley (Exit 78)from I-30 near Arkadelphia. From Friendship go West on Hwy 83 to Caney, follow Hwy 283 to the left (South) a couple miles to the bridge. Small parking area available on the South side of the bride. From Caddo Valley exit, go North on Hwy 7 for a couple miles and turn right (North) on Hwy 283.
Take-out: Hwy 67 bridge downstream (East) of I-30. From either exit, access Hwy 67 and park on the South side of the bridge. The take-out requires crossing part of a private field. Please be respectful to the property.
Alternate run is to put-in on Caney Creek at the Junction of Hwy 283 and 128 in Caney. This adds a couple miles to the run above the main rapids. Caney Creek is primarily flat moving water like DeRoche from Hwy 283 to the confluence with Caney.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportJust ran De Roche today (10-9-04). It was a little low but the scenery was still beautiful. The gate to the quarry which was locked a month or so ago has been jimmied open so thats where we put in. Upon arrival we notice the culverts are completely log jammed which means the water upstream is probably moving slower than usual. Maybe I'll be able to pull out some of the logs with my truck when I get a chance. About .25 miles from the putin a large pine tree has fallen across the creek making it neccesary to portage. After that though the creek is a pretty good run. Just watch out for the cow patties at the takeout.
the guage on hwy 283 can be a little off. there are a few creeks between there and the rock quarry that can pump up the volume a lot, especially during spring and summer thunderstorms. the rock quarry gate has been open to put in there most of the year (2004) be freindly so we don't ruin this access!