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Warning: My loop through the Eagle Rock loop in Arkansas got way harder because a bridge on the Little Missouri is washed out
I did the 26 mile Eagle Rock Loop near Langley, Arkansas last month and the ford crossing at the Little Missouri was chest deep after all that rain. A ranger at the trailhead said the footbridge has been gone since spring and probably won't be fixed until next year. I ended up adding about 4 miles by backtracking to the Athena trail junction instead. Has anyone found a cleaner detour around that section, or should I just plan to wade it again next time?
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rubyschmidt9d ago
Did you check the water level gauge before you went? The USGS has a real time station on the Little Missouri near Langley and it tells you the flow in cubic feet per second. That number matters way more than how deep it looks, because a drop from like 400 cfs to 150 cfs turns that chest deep ford into something you can cross in sandals. Next time pull it up on your phone at the trailhead and if it's cranking above 300 just take the extra 4 miles without thinking twice. The ranger might say the bridge is out till next year but the river itself gives you a yes or no answer every single day.
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