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Hillard Access
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
78Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 3 kn gusting 13, Air 16 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 28kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 13.3 mm
Wed 4 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 35 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 282, good
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 485, good
- Thu 588, good
- Fri 677, good
- Sat 793, good
- Sun 835, poor
- Mon 992, good
- Tue 1087, good
- Wed 1197, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 82, good | 6 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 23°C | 1.4 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 28kntoo gusty | 22°C | 13.3 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 85, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 88, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 77, good | 8 kn | 17kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 93, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 35, poor | 8 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 92, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 87, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 97, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Hillard Access on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hillard Access
A launch on the Black River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Poplar Bluff.
- River Black River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$980–US$1,730 each
about US$980–US$1,730 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 1460 km there and back, shared | about US$87–US$134 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$980–US$1,730 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Poplar Bluff
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Poplar Bluff its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 25m
About 8h 25m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 8h 25m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Poplar Bluff · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Poplar Bluff · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.