Hi all! Getting the ball rolling on coordinating the 2025 Fall Rendezvous… We’ll be heading back to Pulltite Campground on the Current River in southeast Missouri, as usual. The tentative dates are Wednesday, October 15 through Sunday, October 19 (sticking with our traditional third weekend in October).
Pulltite recovered well after last year’s flooding and remains our go-to campground. Keep in mind that it now requires reservations. Campsites are $20/night on/before Oct 15 (peak season) and $10/night after. Most of us camp, but you’re welcome to stay in nearby towns like Salem or Eminence, MO. If you’re new to the Rendezvous or thinking about joining for the first time, read on to get a feel for what to expect:
All paddlers are welcome: canoes, kayaks, solos, tandems, you name it. This is a very laid-back, community-organized gathering with no official leader or agenda. People come and go as they please, paddle at their own pace, and hang out around the campfire in the evenings. If you’ve never been to a Rendezvous before, it’s a great way to meet fellow paddlers in a relaxed setting.
The Current River is gentle and scenic, especially in the fall. Since it’s spring-fed, the water level stays steady, so we rarely have issues. The weather tends to be pleasant, and it’s a great river for both new and experienced paddlers. Feel free to come solo, there’s always someone to paddle with!
There are no formal shuttles, but we typically coordinate among ourselves to make sure everyone gets on and off the river. We generally paddle together as a group, though folks are also welcome to split off and explore different sections if they prefer.
Help us keep this tradition going strong! Hope to see some fresh faces this year. Let us know if you’re planning to come or want to know more.
Meredith, thank you for posting and getting the conversation going. Rob and I will be there on Wednesday, October 15 but will not paddle until Thursday, we will depart on Sunday. I reserved site 23. I’m not sure about everyone else but I’m done with summer and can’t wait to start fall paddling! Look forward to seeing “old” attendees and hopefully some new folks!
Sure thing! And same here-- planning to get there Wednesday and paddle Thursday through Saturday. For anyone new: Wednesday and Sunday are usually travel days, but folks sometimes paddle Sunday morning if they have time. You’re also welcome to come earlier, just be sure to arrange your own shuttle. And if you can only make it for the weekend, that’s totally fine too. Come when you can!
Thanks for putting this up, Meredith. I was growing concerned that this might be the end of the 'vous what with the damage to the campground and the radio silence that has thus far prevailed. Thought it might be lack of interest. Never been happier to be wrong. Linty and I are planning to be there on the 12th at site 25.
Great to hear you and Linty will be there, Pat! I was a little behind in getting the post up this year, but I’m glad the 'vous spirit is still going strong.
Thanks for posting this, Meredith. Last year I moved from north TX to far southeast KS and I was planning to attend but had issues with my trailer lights and couldn’t get them fixed in time. It’s been several years since I’ve paddled on the Ozark Scenic Rivers and I’m definitely interested. Looking forward to making some new paddling friends, and I just booked my site.
Thinking about trying to go to this but not sure how many of the days I can do yet.
Also, it’s been a long time since I camped at Pulltite, are there any particular sites to avoid? Does the group generally like to be in adjacent sites because the campground fills up, or is it often empty that time of year and people prefer to spread out a bit?
My husband and I and our friend JoAnne will be in 23, Pat is in 25 which is right next to 23 and I know Brad from Alaska is it site 21 which is also right there. Most sites are pretty good size, some of the ones that are on the “river” side can be smaller. But the ones on the “river” side across from 23 are good size. In October the campground will not fill up but since we now have to make a reservation I reserve my favorite site. Off season used to be first come, first serve but that changed this year. You can certainly get there look at sites and then go find a signal and make your reservation as you must do it online. Hope this helps. If there is any particular site you have a question about let me know as in June I did make a list of what I considered to be my #1 and #2 choice of sites, since there was some change since the flood back in November.
I am site 22, arriving Tuesday the 14th, and leaving Sunday the 19th. Most likely it will just be myself ,maybe another person but doubtful, so if someone wants to share the site they are most welcome. I shared my site with Dave R from Kansas in the spring. It will be nice to see everyone and lets hope there is “No hiking!”
Well, after a sidebar with Pam I have gone ahead and reserved site 27. At minimum I can do Thursday night through Saturday evening, but might end up being able to do the whole thing.
I don’t post/participate as much here as over on CanoeTripping.com, but have been interested in the Rendezvous for a little while now. A lot of that has come from the historical posts of a couple of Ozark paddlers that used to be active here: the Bob and WildernessWebb. I am in MO and paddle the Ozarks frequently, so their experiences/posts have been very helpful to me in researching canoes. I understand they are unfortunately no longer with us, but their posts also referenced this gathering from time to time so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.
Thinking of joining y’all if that’s ok, was planning on doing the Jacks Fork but the water flow doesn’t look promising. Would be arriving the 16th and it looks like it’s going to be 7 of us. How does it work, do y’all paddle a section of the river then come back to camp then paddle a different section each day or do you camp out on the river?
There have been a few occasions in the past when we’ve river camped but, due mostly to the size of the groups we used to have, the tradition is to camp at Pulltite and paddle sections of the river from there. (Can’t always count on finding a large enough unoccupied gravel bar for the 25 or so boats we used to have.) We’ve always tried to keep it “friendly” for beginners or families with kids so having campground bathrooms and showers is also a plus. Which section we do on any given day is usually decided around the campfire on the night before. If a few of us want to, say, start early and do two sections of the river or take a day off to hike or such, that, too, can be planned for around the campfire. Hope you can join us. New faces are always welcome. We all know each others stories by now so we look forward to hearing fresh material.
I’m on my way just way early - tonight I’m in Arco, Idaho, looking at a 300 mile day tomorrow and just into Wyoming. I’ve helped celebrate my brother-in-law’s 80th birthday (scary - I’m only 18 months behind him), spent half a day with my son in Kuna, Idaho, and now off to who knows where between now and the 14th of October at Pullltite campground on the Current with all you paddling folks (I have two boats with me). I have paddled once so far this trip, a couple hours on East Lake in the Newberry Caldera National Volcanic Monument in Oregon’s Cascade Range.
Brad
What is the average temperature on the River so I’ll know how to dress, a pair of shorts and a long sleeve shirt is good enough for here in Texas but I’m sure MO. is a little different, lol. Also what number campsite should I be looking into getting, it will be 7 of us
I want to say high 50s-60’s in the morning and then pleasantly warm in the afternoon (70s). That said, weather is unpredictable so pack layers. Night temps have gotten into the low 40s before. There is WiFi at the outfitter shop on the edge of the campground, so you can check the forecast the night before.
I have a friend from Lawrence, KS coming with me and we’ll be in site 14. This is our first Rendezvous, is there a potluck or anything we need to be aware of in order to plan ahead of time? I’m guessing with a big crowd that might be problematic, but just thought I’d check.
