Buffalo
Location: Northwestern Arkansas (about 110 miles northwest of Little Rock).
Length of trip: 25 miles in two days.
Season: January through May. The water flow usually peaks from late March through April. Heavy spring rains can cause the Buffalo to rise as much as 30 feet in less than a day.
Weather: Wet suits are recommended in winter and early spring. Average daytime highs range from 49°F in January to 72° in April to 93° in July. Nights are frosty in January (average of 27°), chilly in April (46°), and warm in July (66°). It rains about three inches a month in January, February, and March; five inches in April and May. Ticks and chiggers can be a nuisance in late spring for river runners who insist on scampering through the brush. While most snakes are harmless, a few poisonous species live within the watershed.
Lodging: Riverside campgrounds, as well as cabins at Buffalo Point.
Boats: Kayaks, paddle rafts.
Rapids: Class I and II. The water is clear except during heavy runoffs. The water temperature averages 42° in January, 60° in April, and 77° in July.
Special features:
- Narrow, winding river with many sharp turns.
- High stone bluffs alternate with low banks covered in oak and hickory.
- Excellent fishing (bass, catfish, perch, sunfish).
- Stunning spring displays of wildflowers, redbuds, dogwoods, serviceberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas.
- Great swimming in summer (and for the hearty in late spring).
- First-rate hiking along the Buffalo National River Trail, which parallels the river.
- Black bears, white-tailed deer, elk, beavers, bald eagles, great blue herons, wild turkeys.
- Solitude in winter and weekdays in spring; spring weekends sometimes approach a carnival atmosphere.
- Suitable for families and first-time floaters, especially during summer, but less challenging for white-water kayakers.
Nearby excursions:
- Superb hiking trails in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness and the Ponca Wilderness.
- Numerous commercial caves.
- Civil War battlefields at Prairie Grove State Park and Pea Ridge National Military Park.
- Historic Victorian town of Eureka Springs.
- Branson, Missouri.
For a list of outfitters and more information:
- Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism, One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201; +1 501 682 7777 or 800 628 8725, fax +1 501 682 1364. Try to book at least a month in advance. Ask for the Arkansas Floaters Kit and the Arkansas Vacation Planning Kit.
For more information:
- , P.O. Box 1173, Harrison, Arkansas 72602-1173; +1 501 741 5443, fax +1 501 741 7286.
- Branson story in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, September/October 1993. To order a copy, please click here.
Buffalo National River
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