Live conditions, the best day-float sections by mile marker, Bass River Resort and the Berryman Trail, the shared Steelville gauge, and a built-in trip planner — your complete guide to floating Courtois Creek.
Length
28 mi
Difficulty
Class I
Region
Ozarks
Season
Apr–Jun
Type
Rain-fed creek
Typical distance
6–9 mi day floats
Best for beginners
Bass River → Scotia (~6 mi)
Primary gauge
Steelville (Huzzah proxy) · USGS 07017200
Recommended outfitter
Bass River Resort
Live conditions
Today on the Courtois Creek
Eddy reads the gauge, the trend, and the forecast and writes a fresh take a few times a day. Use it as one input alongside your own judgment, the outfitter you’re renting from, and the most recent NPS advisories.
The pitch
Why the Courtois Creek is different
The Courtois is the locals' creek. A clear, secluded tributary that joins the Huzzah near Scotia (and the Meramec just beyond), it offers the same gravel-bar-and-bluff day floats as its better-known sister with noticeably fewer people. It's rain-fed and small — the upper creek is usually only floatable in spring — and it has no gauge of its own, so you read it off the Huzzah. (Locally it's said 'CODE-a-way.')
Quieter than the Huzzah. Same clear water and gravel bars, fewer crowds. When the Huzzah is busy on a summer Saturday, the Courtois is the locals' escape.
Hub
Steelville
A secluded day float. Short 6–9 mile sections through Mark Twain National Forest country, with the Berryman Trail nearby for hikers and mountain bikers.
No gauge of its own. The Courtois reads off the Huzzah's Steelville gauge. When the Huzzah is low, the Courtois is too — they're the same water, not alternatives.
Pairs with the Huzzah. Both creeks share the Steelville hub and meet near Scotia. Float one Saturday and the other Sunday — or run the Courtois straight into the Huzzah.
Float sections
Pick your float
The Courtois Creekdivides cleanly into character zones. Pick by how much time you have, who you’re paddling with, and what you want to see.
Segment · upper
Upper Courtois — Brazil to Blunt
Secluded, clear, and floatable mainly in spring or after rain. The quiet upper creek runs scrapy in summer — caught early, it's the locals' hideaway.
The secluded upper creek, from the Brazil low-water bridge (mile 0.1) to the Highway 8 bridge (mile 6.9). Clear, quiet, and tight against the forest — but it usually needs spring runoff or a recent rain to float, and runs scrapy by mid-summer.
Best for: Spring paddlers, solitude
Segment · lower
Lower Courtois — Bass River to the Huzzah
The main outfitted creek below Highway 8: easy Class I day floats past Bass River Resort down to the Huzzah confluence at Scotia. Quieter than the Huzzah, same clear water.
The scenic middle creek past the Blunt low-water bridge (mile 11.5), with limestone bluffs and wide gravel bars down to Bass River Resort (mile 15.4). A reliable half-day when the gauge has water.
Quiet limestone bluffs and clear gravel bars on the secluded upper creek — the scenery that makes the Courtois the locals' pick.
mile 15.4
Bass River gravel bars
Wide, clear gravel bars around Bass River Resort — prime swimming and wading when the creek is up, and the practical hub for Courtois floats.
mile 21.2
Courtois–Huzzah confluence (Scotia)
Where the Courtois joins the Huzzah near the Scotia bridge. Float one creek straight into the other for a longer day.
Directory
Outfitters, campgrounds & lodging
Every active service that operates on the Courtois Creek. Tap a phone number to call; tap Reserve to book.
USGS data
Water levels & gauge
Check the gauge before you load the truck. The trend over the last week matters more than today’s number — a falling river after a flood is fine; a rising river isn’t.
Park rules
Regulations
Shared gauge with the Huzzah
The Courtois has no real-time USGS gauge. Conditions are read off the Huzzah Steelville gauge (USGS 07017200). When the Huzzah is low, the Courtois is too — they are not alternatives to each other.
PFDs (legally required — one per person, worn by anyone under 7).
Dry bag for keys, phone, and ID.
Drinking water — there's no potable water on the creek.
Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat.
Hard-soled water shoes — shallow, rocky, lots of in-and-out.
A light boat — kayak or canoe over a raft on this small water.
Trash bag — pack out everything; keep the locals' creek clean.
Plan
No gauge of its own — use the Huzzah's. The Courtois reads off the Huzzah Steelville gauge (USGS 07017200). When the Huzzah is low, so is the Courtois — they're the same water, not alternatives.
Quieter than the Huzzah. Same quality, fewer people. The locals' pick when the Huzzah is crowded — but it's the same gauge, so it's not a low-water backup.
Upper creek is spring-only. Brazil to Highway 8 needs spring runoff. By summer, float the lower creek from Bass River instead.
Base at Bass River or Steelville. Bass River Resort is the on-creek outfitter; Steelville has gas, food, and lodging for the whole watershed.
A 24-mile loop in the Mark Twain National Forest near the upper creek — popular with mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians, with primitive trailhead camping.
Safety first: Eddy is a planning guide only. Always consult local outfitters and authorities for current conditions before floating. Water levels can change rapidly. Wear life jackets and never float alone.
Busy summers
The popular outfitted stretch around Bass River Resort, past the Huzzah Conservation Area's Courtois access (mile 20.4) down to where the Courtois meets the Huzzah at the Scotia bridge (mile 21.2). Many floaters keep going straight into the Huzzah from here.
Best for: Families, day-trippers
Outfitters
2
Huzzah Valley Resort
Steelville, MO
Family-run resort since 1979, located on Huzzah Creek east of Steelville. Offers 2.5 miles of riverfront camping, canoe/kayak/raft rentals, cabins, restaurant, and shuttle service. Serves Huzzah Creek, Courtois Creek, and Meramec River.
Full-service outfitter on Courtois Creek, also serving Huzzah Creek and Meramec River. Family-run for 50+ years. Canoe/kayak/raft rentals, shuttle service, camping, cabins, and horseback riding.
