Meramec River
Float Trip Guide.

Upper Meramec — Maramec Spring to Onondaga

The headwaters reach near St. James and Steelville: narrower, scenic, and trout-tinged. The Woodson K. Woods-to-Scotts Ford stretch is a Red Ribbon Trout Area. Needs more water than the lower river, and rewards it with solitude and bluffs.

Middle Meramec — Onondaga to Meramec State Park

The finest water on the river: about 20 miles of towering limestone bluffs, cave mouths, springs, and wide gravel bars. Most Steelville-area outfitters run this stretch, with 5- and 9-mile options.

Lower Meramec — the park to the metro

Below Meramec State Park the river widens and gentles. The Meramec Caverns stretch draws big summer tube crowds; farther down toward Robertsville and Eureka it's a quieter, wider metro-edge paddle.

• PFDs (legally required — one per person, worn by anyone under 7).
• Dry bag for keys, phone, ID, and a layer. Riffles flip beginners.
• Drinking water (a gallon per person per day in summer) — there's no potable water on the river.
• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat — the lower river has long, shadeless stretches.
• Hard-soled water shoes, not flip-flops. Gravel bars are rocky.
• A cooler tied securely into the boat.
• Trash bag — the Meramec sees heavy use; pack out everything.

• It's rain-fed — check the gauge that morning. One of the flashiest rivers in the Ozarks. It can spike 5–10 ft after a storm and drop fast in a dry spell. There's no spring base flow like the Current's.
• Match the gauge to your section. Steelville (USGS 07013000) and Cook Station read the upper river, Sullivan (07018500) the middle, Eureka (07019000) the lower. Conditions differ a lot over 100+ miles.
• Upper for scenery, lower for tubes. Onondaga to Meramec State Park is the prettiest water; below the park is wider and better for big raft and tube groups.
• Book Steelville weekends ahead. The state park and Meramec Caverns stretches fill up. Reserve outfitter shuttles in advance for summer Saturdays.

Plan your Meramec River trip on Eddy