Ozark Wilderness Waterways ClubKansas City · Est. 1956

On the water and on the trail

Trips & schedules

Every trip is planned and led by a member. Pick one, call the leader, and come along.

Two schedules a year

Far afield, and close to home.

Each year the club publishes two trip schedules, mailed with the newsletter in late winter. Between them there is something nearly every weekend from March through November, with meetings and the occasional winter outing in between.

The Ozark schedule

Weekends in the hills

Float trips and campouts on the spring-fed rivers of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, plus backpacking and multi-day paddles. Expect a Friday-night drive, a gravel-bar camp, and two days on the water.

  • Canoe and kayak floats, one to several days
  • Backpacking and base-camp hikes
  • The annual river clean-up weekend

The Close-to-Home schedule

Day trips around Kansas City

Shorter outings that fit in a Saturday: paddles on nearby lakes and streams, bike rides on area trails, and local hikes. A good place to start if you are new to the club or new to paddling.

  • Evening and day paddles near the metro
  • Rail-trail and back-road bike rides
  • Hikes within an easy drive of the city

How a trip works

No experience required. Curiosity is.

  1. Pick a tripFrom the schedule, the newsletter, or an announcement at the Second Saturday meeting. Trips are rated so you know what you are getting into.
  2. Call the trip leaderEvery trip has a member in charge. They will tell you the plan, the meeting spot, and what to bring, and answer any questions.
  3. Sort out a boatMembers often have a spare seat in a tandem canoe or a boat to lend. Ask. Outfitters on most Ozark rivers rent canoes and kayaks too.
  4. Show up and floatCarpool from Kansas City, camp with the group, paddle at your own pace, and eat well. Bring a life jacket, dry bag, and a sense of humor.

Coming up

Next on the calendar

The full list lives in the newsletter and gets announced at each meeting. Here are the next few.

DateTripTypeNotes
Second Saturday Monthly club meeting Meeting Trip announcements, reports, and a program. Details
Date TBA Annual river clean-up weekend Float & campout River to be announced at a meeting. About the clean-up
Date TBA Next scheduled trip (edit me) Float See the current newsletter.

Photos

Proof that we actually go.

About thirty club members of all ages, many in green club shirts, posing together at a wooded campsite beside a tent
The club at a summer campout.

Members share trip photos at meetings and in the newsletter. Online albums from recent trips will be linked here as they are added.

Album links coming soon

Before you go

Resources we actually use