The last 14.5 miles of the Marais des Cygnes River that flow through Kansas meander through the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge and Marais des Cygnes State Wildlife Area. This long river segment is easily broken into two completely distinct parts. This section is upstream of US-69 and holds enough water at any time of the year for a good float. A natural limestone dame located below the US-69 bridge creates a big pool that extends beyond the end of the wildlife area. This calm piece of water is nice for paddlers, bird-watchers, photographers, anglers, and hunters. It is well protected from the wind and has spectacular scenery.

This short float on Dragoon Creek above Pomona Lake offers beautiful scenery, takes you over gravely riffles, and through narrow channels that are nestled in hills of hardwoods. The stream is sheltered by a rocky valley and large trees that provide excellent protection for windy days. Bald eagles frequent the area and are easy to spot soaring above the river and signs of other wildlife are also present. The river is best at levels of 100 CFS or higher. A series of S-turns, pools, and gravelly riffles down this narrow passage make this route exciting.

The last 14.5 miles of the Marais des Cygnes River that flow through Kansas meander through the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge and Marais des Cygnes State Wildlife Area. This long river segment is easily broken into two completely distinct parts. This section contains a series of Class II pools, riffles, and rapids. It is surrounded by hills, bluffs, and mature trees and is well protected from the wind. It is a very beautiful and relaxing place to paddle and enjoy nature.

This is a gorgeous, secluded section of river found above Melvern Lake. Arching trees shade the water and create a pleasant tunnel of green. You can expect to see plenty of wildlife such as deer, fox, coyotes, wild turkeys, bobcats, and especially beavers as the river flows through the center of the Melvern Wildlife Area. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful wildlife and nature. The minimum recommended flow is 50 CFS.

The Fall River is very diverse and has a little bit to offer for all types of paddlers. It is blessed with one of the longest and most beautiful natural pools in the state as well as two of the most beautiful, publicly accessible and runnable rapids in the state. For wildlife enthusiasts, the whole river is set within a wildlife management area and crosses through a waterfowl refuge. The two rapids, Mossy Ford and Twin Falls, are at a Class II-II+ level. At Mossy Ford, the river widens and accelerates over a washboard of steeply slanted rock shelves and Twin Falls splits around a tall island.

This is a wonderful destination for paddlers, anglers, hunters, and birders. You will paddle through a gorgeous forested corridor in the Flint Hill Wildlife Refuge. Because of the backwater from John Redmond Reservoir, there is always enough water to paddle through these wetlands. Wildlife is abundant and most apparent during the migratory season but you can spot herons, egrets, pileated woodpeckers, kingfishers, and wood ducks all year long. The scenery includes wetlands, croplands, old fields, and tallgrass prairie. There are a couple access points at different pump stations along this route. Leaving from the Maxwell Pump Station provides a great full-day round trip. If you wish for a half-day excursion, consider leaving from the Hartford Boat Ramp.

This charming little stream is surrounded by wooded hills and rocky ledges and is one of the local paddling hot-spots. There are two good access points, but of the two the Munkers Creek Boat Ramp is preferred, especially under wet weather conditions. From the ramp, paddle upstream along low limestone bluffs and meander with the creek through hardwood forests in the headwaters of the most scenic arm of Council Grove Lake. The channel becomes narrower and more interesting the farther up you go. The return trip can be extended down to the lake.

This segment of the Big Blue River offers great fishing, and abundance of wildlife, and beautiful scenery through the Tuttle Creek Lake State Wildlife Management Area. The flow is mostly dependable and the banks are steep and often muddy. It is common to see anglers on the river banks. The area around the Tuttle Creek Lake also has nice hiking and mountain bike trails. Canoe and kayak rentals are available and Tuttle Creek State Park.

The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw River, flows past the majestic Flint Hills, across wide plains, and into the limestone hills of eastern Kansas. The entire river is rated as Class I difficulty. It is a shallow, sandy-bottomed river with many big sandbars and islands, wild beauty, and gentle nature. Wildlife is plentiful and many native bird species can be spotted on the river banks.

The Grouse Creek is a paddler’s delight. It is a small creek with gravel bars, rocky ledges, cliffs, bluffs, shaded canopy, and an abundance of wildlife. It reaches its confluence with the Arkansas River about 4.5 miles after the put-in and then you will float on the Arkansas River, through the Kaw Wildlife Area, to Trader’s Bend. The scenery is great and this is a very pretty and relaxing float.