The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and it was formally dedicated in 1971.

Other activities include horseback riding, hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, birdwatching, nature photography, and sightseeing.

The park service promotes the Current River as one of the midwest's best float streams, in part due to the contributions of some of the nation's largest springs.

The park contains the United States' largest concentration of first magnitude springs (which are defined as having average flow of more than 100 cu ft/s (2.8 m3/s)) in dolomite rock.

There are also a number of less developed primitive campsites, and there are group sites at Akers, Round Spring, Alley[2] and Pulltite.

Communities surrounding the Ozark National Scenic Riverways include Eminence, Licking, Salem, Van Buren, Ellington, Bunker, and Mountain View, Missouri.

Local residents opposed NPS plans that included eminent domain acquisition of private property.