Courtois Creek
Float Trip Guide.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Pick your float
The Courtois Creek divides cleanly into character zones. Pick by how much time you have, who you’re paddling with, and what you want to see.
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.
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.
Springs & sights worth stopping for
Outfitters, campgrounds & lodging
Every active service that operates on the Courtois Creek. Tap a phone number to call; tap Reserve to book.
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.
Regulations
When to go
Drive times
Before you launch & on the water
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby attractions
FAQ
