About Us

Ozark Mountain Paddlers was founded in January 1983 as a social organization by and for people who share a common interest in outdoor activities with an emphasis on paddle sports. In February 1983 OMP became an official not-for-profit Missouri State Chartered organization. As OMP evolved, so did its scope. Today OMP offers a wide range of regularly scheduled events in an effort to continuously promote Safety, Education, Conservation, and Sheer Paddling Fun!

OMP convenes regularly scheduled monthly meetings, hosted float trips, and periodic whitewater excursions to destinations both east and west to the country’s leading whitewater Mecca’s. Our monthly floats are leisurely trips down Missouri and Arkansas’ beautiful meandering rivers and streams and feature some of the finest outdoor camping, cooking, wildlife, and photographic experiences available for recreational boaters. Our whitewater trips offer exciting runs for every skill level on some of the most famous whitewater rivers in America today including our own local runs.

OMP is blessed with a number of American Canoe Association Certified kayak, canoe, and Swift Water Rescue instructors and takes full advantage of this by hosting a variety of educational clinics each year. As a member of OMP you will not only experience the camaraderie of people sharing a common love, but you can be assured of the opportunity to constantly upgrade your paddling skills, safety skills, camping skills, and knowledge. All of this is accomplished within a safe and extremely fun environment.

Whether OMP is teaching Girl Scouts how to kayak, canoeing handicapped children Floating for Independence, working with the Missouri Department of Conservation, running safety for triathlons, or planning a party, OMP is always looking for new ways to improve Conservation and Community. OMP’s members are consistently asked to instruct in programs associated with the local colleges, and Universities.

Participation in the Ozark Mountain Paddlers allows you to become involved in Safety, Conservation, Community, Education, and Recreation through paddle sports and the outdoors with people who share a common interest, and have a single-minded devotion to having fun with fun and clever people!

The paddlers in our community have a great respect for rivers in the Ozarks as well as those abroad.  In an effort to uphold our mission and make a lasting impact on our community, we facilitate many opportunities to learn how to have a fun and safe time on the river.

And….hopefully encourage others to do so as well.