 It
wouldn't be completely accurate to describe the Mulberry
River as 50 miles of whitewater, but it would not be far
from the truth for several months of the year. The
stream is definitely one of the state's wildest rivers
during spring. From its beginnings deep in the Ozarks to
its confluence with the Arkansas River, the Mulberry
pours over ledges, shoots through willow thickets, and
whips around sharp turns. These "wild" characteristics
are what give the stream its class II/III rating, and
high marks from the floating public.
In drier times, the river takes on a completely
different personality. It's a good place to swim, wade,
skip rocks, and stalk the wary smallmouth bass. The
General Assembly, in 1985, officially declared the
Mulberry to be a "scenic river of the State of Arkansas"
and the Mulberry was named in 1992 a
National Wild and
Scenic River.
Canoeing/Kayaking
 The
Mulberry flows in a west-southwesterly course in its
rush to leave the Ozarks. Access points are fairly
common, particularly where the stream is within the
Ozark National Forest. Canoes and Kayaks can be rented
at one of the nearby outfitters.
The first major put-in point is at Wolf Pen
Recreation Area, which is off of Ark. 215 and about 2.5
miles downstream from the Ark. 103 bridge. Takeout for
this float is frequently
Byrd's
Landing, located 8.5
miles downriver.
Another float begins at Byrd's and concludes
approximately 8 miles downstream at
Turner Bend
Outfitters. There
is plenty of class II excitement along this route,
including some rather large boulders that tend to
influence the stream flow.
There are several other put-in points along the
river. Redding Campground, a Forest Service development,
is a good place to begin for a shorter trip. This float
covers approximately 4 miles of the scenic Mulberry
ending downstream at Turner Bend.
Scenery
 Visitors
to the Mulberry can expect beautiful Ozark Mountain
scenery--narrow canyons, tree-lined bluffs, and dense
woods. A good assortment of wildlife is found in the
immediate area, including one of the state's largest
concentrations of black bears. The stream itself is
clear, cool, and challenging.
Fishing
The Mulberry River is
a fine fishing stream provided you're on it at the right
time. In early spring, it's frequently too high and fast
for a "laid back" fishing trip. In late spring and early
summer, though, when things have calmed down somewhat,
the river is an excellent choice when angling for
smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass and green and longear sunfish. The potholes can be fished during drier
months but getting to them may require some hiking up or
down a slippery streambed.
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