My Corner Online

 

Akers Ferry

 

Did you see the video above of us crossing Akers Ferry!? I've wanted to do it for a long time. I enjoyed watching how the steel wires were used to pull the ferry across the Current River and how safe it felt as the vehicles across between the ferry and the road. This is how they cross rivers 70 years ago without a bridge! How cool is that?

Akers Ferry is a well used and heard of canoe put-in location. You may have heard phrases such as "Akers to Pultight" or "Akers to Round Spring." These are put-in and pull-out locations along the Current River. Akers Ferrry is located at the interest of Highway K and Highway KK in Shannon County. It is accessible from Montauk State Park at the top of the Current River or from Highway 19 which leads through the Middle and Lower Current Rivers and the town of Eminence. Eminence is about 30 miles.

The ferry ride costs $4 for a car and $5 for a vehicle and a trailer. Stop at the sign and ring the bell and honk your own and someone will come from the Akers Ferry Canoe Rentals building. It operates during daylight hours except when closed due to unsafe high waters during times of flooding. The ferry has been in use for over 70 years since about 1949.

Crossing the ferry the drive continues on Route K. To get back to Eminence, you drive Route K and then take a short section of Highway 17 through Summersville, to Highway 106 which passes Alley's Springs back to the four-way stop in Eminence.

There is a visitor center on location as well.

Visit the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Map and download it for you trip. The above image is a snippet of this map showing the Upper Current River places to visit. Not all of these places are in Dent County as some are in Shannon County, along with the Middle Current River areas. Cedar Grove is just over the county line in Dent County. Welch begins Shannon County.