Sulphur Creek
Rating: Classification IV+ (V)
Location:
Searcy County, USGS-Eula, Moore, Snowball & Witts Springs Quads.There are many Sulphur Creeks in the State, this is the one in the Richland watershed downstream of Bobtail Creek. Reach the put-in by going North on Hwy 377 from Witts Springs ~3 miles to the edge of the community of Magic Springs turn left on a dirt road. Take the first fork right and the second fork left (90 degree turns). Go ~3/4 mile look for a 4WD drive road to the right (should be on National Forest land now). Road ends very shortly at a small partial clearing with several burms. Park and drag down the ATV/Horse trail past the NF gate until the trail turns sharply to the left. Bushwack downhill, Due North, or follow the first rivulet from the trail. Put-in on the South fork of the creek 0.25 above the confluence with the West fork. (~elv 1300). Take out is at Lower Richland Creek access. If the water on Richland is high (very likely) may consider accessing from the East. Go North on 377 to Snowball and follow Point Peter road to Richland Creek.
Gradient:
Avg 320 ft/mile to junction with Richland. Middle mile at 400 ft/mile.Length:
1.5 miles to Richland creek, then 3.5 miles to normal L. Richland access.Season:
Local FLOOD (Fall through Spring)Gauge:
Gage at Richland Campground needs to be above 6 feet or headed that way.Look for 2" or more rain at the Tilly and surrounding rain gages, as posted on the
Hazards:
Undercut ledges and rocks, overhanging branches, strainers, waterfalls.With 500 and 700 ft/mile sections, this one is steep! Several portages are advised.
Description:
First known run was April 5, 1997.By Cowper Chadbourn, Lance Jones, Greg Churan and Nathan Kline. Sulphur Creek doesn't have any monsterly tall drops, just lots and lots of 3 to 15 footers. Very blind, very undercut, very tight and extremely beautiful. Several drops land on poorly padded shelf rock, and one funnels 90% of the water into a NASTY undercut cave.
Sulphur starts out with a very tight slot move leading to the only "waterfall". Run the tight slot in a right hand turn with boat on edge (won't go through flat) onto the shelf rock and hug as close to the large undercut boulder on the right to go over "Sulphur Falls". There is a rock in the middle of the pool at the bottom. (I know, because my bow found it!) A few more tight boulder jumbles follow until the confluence with the West fork.
Enjoy this shallow pool, because it's the only one you get. The pool feeds a two-step stair drop of about 6 feet. Scout the next drop from the right. Steep, tight boulder drop with wood in it. (at least during our run) After this, it's all a blur to me. My advice SCOUT everything you can't see. Some of the drops that stick out are "Pin-Rock", "The Cauldron", "The Cave", many good slots and boofs, a 8-10 foot drop onto poorly padded rock. One of the last big drops funnels around both sides of a 10-12 foot boulder into a hole in front of another 5-6 ft boulder. Past this one the creek funnels through an opening under two very large boulders. Enjoy a flush down the remainder of Lower Richland.
It is highly recommended to hike this creek before attempting a run.
Like other micro-volume creeks, meaningful ratings are difficult to establish on the accepted International scale. At lower levels, the creek will seem like a very technical Class IV-V, with much rock bashing, scraping, and many portages. At higher levels, most rapids are expected to become solid Class V.
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