Big River

The Big River is a slow, scenic Ozark float stream that rises in the St. Francois Mountains near Irondale and Leadwood and winds roughly 140 miles north and east through St. Francois, Washington and Jefferson counties before joining the Meramec River near Eureka/Byrnesville. It is a classic beginner (Class I) float of long pools, gravel-bar riffles, bluffs and historic mill sites; Washington State Park — noted for its CCC-built stone architecture and Native American petroglyphs — is the most popular float base and runs a summer canoe/kayak/raft concession (a ~3-mile trip). The watershed drained Missouri's historic 'Old Lead Belt,' and lead and heavy-metal mine tailings still affect river sediment, so MDC maintains a fish-consumption advisory in St. Francois and Jefferson counties; avoid disturbing or ingesting bottom sediment. The lower river carries several old mill and low-head dams (Morse Mill, Cedar Hill, Byrnes Mill) that must be portaged. The entire main stem is a Smallmouth Bass Special Management Area.