Huzzah Valley Resort is a campground that offers various outdoor activities and is located in Steelville, MO. This is approximately a two hour drive away from the St. Louis area which made it a reasonable day trip for the weekend. We rented a tandem kayak which holds two people and are perfect for couples who want to sit together on one kayak or have one person do most of the work. They are harder to coordinate so if you prefer having all the control renting two separate kayaks may be preferred. We chose to float down the river which is the most popular activity they offer.
Floating Options Available
– Canoes
– Kayaks (including a Tandem Kayak we chose)
– Rafts
– Tubes
Great for Families and Beginners
Huzzah river is really calm and relaxing. Many families choose to rent big tubes from Huzzah Valley Resort and enjoy a nice float down the river with nobody having to do any paddling or strenuous work. For us, we enjoyed having a good workout so we chose to rent out a kayak and paddle down the river. The whole trip was about 3-4 hours and there are lengthier routes if you choose to do. We were comfortable with our trip length and it was a great workout. This river is very nice on beginners because it is shallow at almost every part of the river. There were maybe one or two moderate currents but for the most part you could float the entire way without a problem. The only downside for us was that our kayak was very low at some parts hitting the rocks which made us have to get out a few times and walk the kayak to deeper waters. This is a bigger problem when the water levels are lower or if you have a big family together on one raft that will weigh you down a bit. However, there are no problems walking your transportation besides a little hassle.
Clear Waters and Great Scenery
Above is a short clip of the front view of our kayak floating down a peaceful portion of the river. Sometimes you will bump into another group or two but the time we went did not seem that crowded. We enjoyed a peaceful stretch with nothing but the calm breeze and just enjoying nature. At the end is a very crowded area that kids love because there is a small rope swing into the pool where everyone is jumping off into river. Many gravel riverside areas are public and you can stop and rest for lunch or even just wade in the waters. The temperature was perfect in late August when we went and the waters are clear and pure. We saw a ton of fish swimming around and in one spot there was a huge catfish but we didn’t manage to get a picture of it. Overall, this was a fun outing and we would love to come back for another kayaking trip down the Huzzah River.