Buffalo National River

[jpurdy]

The Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas features over 100 miles of free-flowing river, massive sandstone and limestone bluffs, and excellent opportunities for a variety of outdoor activities in a scenic setting. Here are some suggestions to help you plan a visit.

Did you know that there are no dams found on the Buffalo National River. In fact, a number of people realized this and fought to keep the river untouched by dam builders. On March 1, 1972, Congress established Buffalo National River as the country's first national river.

Know which way is "up." The Buffalo River flows from west to east, beginning in the Boston Mountains and flowing for 150 miles through the Ozarks to the White River. Key areas are commonly described as the "Upper River" (western, or upstream end) "Middle River," and "Lower River," (eastern, or downstream end). Understanding those terms will help you plan your trip.


Float the river. There are 22 river access points along nearly 100 miles of navigable waters, but confirm water levels before your trip. This is a natural river, and water levels vary considerably with seasons and rainfall. In general, spring and early summer offer the best floating conditions. The Buffalo is narrow and fast near its headwaters, and gets wider and lazier the farther downstream it flows. Experienced boaters generally prefer the Upper River in spring; the Middle and Lower River are better choices for beginners.

more details at:
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...national-river

get you map at:
http://www.nps.gov/buff/planyourvisit/maps.htm

plan your visit:
http://www.nps.gov/buff//planyourvisit/

[Christn2000]

I live in West Tennessee, and I have made trips to the Buffalo. It is great camping there, from one end to the other. The lwer end is floatable even in the driestti, from Rush on down, though you may have to do some dragging here & there.

[markkee]

Re: Buffalo National River

I know this is an old thread. I plan on visiting the Buffalo River in May of 2016. Anyone here visit the park? We are traveling cross country in a van from California to Kentucky.

[JoeN]

Re: Buffalo National River

It has been a lot of years since I was on the Buffalo River but would love to go back. It is a beautiful area with lots to see. If you are planning to float the river do some planning and check out the river levels. May is the tail end of our rainy season and the upper end of the Buffalo has some world class rapids when the levels are high. I floated the 22 miles of the mid/lower section of the river and we paddled all the way but we went the last week of July. Do a Google search on the Buffalo River and you will find lots of information to help you plan. It is likely that things have changed a lot since I was there. There are a lot of trails in the area from day hikes to about the length of the river. Elk have been reintroduced in the area and the last I heard the elk herd was thriving. There are 500' bluffs along the river and several water falls.

Not far from the lower end of the Buffalo River is the Ozark Folk Center near Mountain View. It is dedicated to preserving the ways and history of the early years of Arkansas. They have a lot of displays of the way the settlers did things and most of it was hands on when I visited but that was about 35 years ago. The furniture maker would allow you to operate the foot operated lathe, and you could join in with the quilt makers, candle makers, and others. It is a fascinating place if you like that kind of thing. Also they have a lot of music and concerts demonstrating the music of the times with a lot of Irish influence.

That is a beautiful area of Arkansas and well worth a visit.

[markkee]

Re: Buffalo National River

Joe, thanks for the response. We are making preparations for the trip. We have a general idea of where we are going such as Eureka Springs, Mountain View, Jasper, and then whatever we can find in between.

Our final destination before turning back to California is the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

[in-tents]

Re: Buffalo National River

We would love to go the Creation museum. Sounds like a fun trip. If you have time, I highly recommend the Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, Mo. I'm not a drama kind of person but we saw Jonah and it was awesome. Not for certain but I think they are playing Moses now. It was definitely worth it.

[markkee]

Re: Buffalo National River

Branson may be one of our stops. We enjoy drama and I know the kids will enjoy Moses. We are studying the book of exodus.

[JoeN]

Re: Buffalo National River

I am not familiar with the Creation Museum but it sounds like a good place to visit. You mentioned you are going to Eureka Springs so I suppose that means you will see the Great Passion Play. If that is not on your agenda you should really try to make time to attend the play. It is well worth the visit.