Towering bluffs, gurgling riffles, timbered hillsides, pools where schools of fish scatter at the sight of an advancing canoe — that’s the Ozarks at its best.

Each year, thousands of people launch their canoes and paddle into the most beautiful scenery southern Missouri offers. If you’re looking for a peaceful, get-back-to-nature experience, plan on floating midweek. If you’re looking for plenty of company and a party atmosphere, hit the weekends.