America's first national river · 135 miles · checked October 9, 2026
Buffalo National River: camping, river levels, elk & maps
The Buffalo became the nation's first national river in 1972, and the Park Service describes it as 135 free-flowing miles, one of the few undammed rivers left in the lower 48. It runs east through the Ozarks to the White River in three districts: the upper river around Ponca, Boxley and Jasper; the middle river around Tyler Bend and St. Joe; and the lower river around Buffalo Point and Rush. There's no entry fee, and the park is open 24 hours. This guide covers campgrounds, river gauges, elk in Boxley Valley, visitor centers, dogs and maps. Every fact comes from the National Park Service, Recreation.gov, USGS or the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, checked Oct 9, 2026. Outfitters, rental rates and classic float sections are in our float-trips guide, and Lost Valley, Hemmed-in Hollow and Hawksbill Crag are in our waterfall-hikes guide.
Orange pins and badges are open this weekend, from each place's posted schedule.
The essentials
The basics
- Fees
- No entry fee, no day-use fee, and no fee or permit to float the river or camp in the backcountry. You pay only for developed campgrounds. A Senior or Access pass gets you half off a campsite; the Annual, Military and 4th Grade passes don't.
- Hours
- The park is open 24 hours. The visitor centers keep their own hours (below).
- Three districts
- Upper: Boxley to Carver (Ponca, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark, Pruitt). Middle: Carver to South Maumee (Woolum, Tyler Bend, Gilbert). Lower: North Maumee to the White River (Buffalo Point, Rush). From Harrison, the Park Service routes you down Hwy 7 or 43 for the upper river, 31 miles south on Hwy 65 for Tyler Bend, and Hwy 62/412 east to Yellville then Hwy 14 south for Buffalo Point.
- Maps
- The NPS maps page has the park brochure map (river mileage runs along the bottom), a PDF map for each campground, and a link to the free NPS app, whose maps work offline. For bluffs and topography the park points you to the Trails Illustrated Buffalo National River maps (West Half and East Half).
- Signal & GPS
- Cell service is unreliable, and the park warns that GPS has sent visitors the wrong way onto dirt roads. Carry a paper map, book campsites before you lose signal, and leave your plan with someone at home. The park's 24-hour dispatch is 1-888-692-1162.
- Dark skies
- The park was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2019, the first park in Arkansas to earn it. Rangers run night-sky programs at Buffalo Point and Tyler Bend in summer.
- Rentals & float trips
- The park rents nothing itself. Twelve NPS-authorized outfitters rent canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes just outside the park, each in its own district. Rates, outfitters and NPS mileages for the classic trips are in our float-trips guide.
Source: nps.gov
River levels: is it floatable?
- Where to check
- The USGS Buffalo River Guidance map (linked below) colors each gauge from Very Low to Flood using live flow. The Park Service also links a real-time gauge dashboard on its Paddling page. Readings change by the hour, so check the morning you drive.
- Ponca (07055660)
- USGS guidance in cubic feet per second: very low under 100 · low 100–200 · moderate 200–900 · high 900–1,600 · flood 1,600+. The Park Service calls anything over 1,600 cfs unsafe.
- Boxley (07055646)
- Very low under 200 · low 200–350 · moderate 350–1,500 · high 1,500–6,500 · flood 6,500+ (USGS guidance).
- Pruitt / Hwy 7 (07055680)
- Very low under 100 · low 100–200 · moderate 200–1,000 · high 1,000–2,000 · flood 2,000+. The Park Service calls over 2,000 cfs unsafe.
- St. Joe / Hwy 65 (07056000)
- Very low under 40 · low 40–200 · moderate 200–3,000 · high 3,000–8,000 · flood 8,000+. The Park Service's unsafe line at Grinder's Ferry (Hwy 65) is 8,000 cfs.
- Harriet / Hwy 14 (07056700)
- Very low under 60 · low 60–200 · moderate 200–3,000 · high 3,000–9,370 · flood 9,370+. The Park Service's unsafe line at Dillard's Ferry (Hwy 14) is 9,370 cfs.
- By season
- The Buffalo runs on rain, not springs. The Park Service says the upper river usually floats only in spring and early summer, while the lower river is typically floatable year-round. In dry years the season moves downstream fast.
- Flash floods
- The Park Service warns the river can rise more than a foot an hour at any time of year, and more than 25 feet in a day, from storms upstream you never see or hear. On a gravel bar, camp with an escape route to higher ground and pull your boats up.
Source: apps.usgs.gov
Camping: how it works
- Season
- Fees and reservations run mid-March to mid-November (the camping page gives Mar 13–Nov 16, 2026 for the upper river) while water and flush restrooms are on. In winter most campgrounds stay open free and first-come, with vault toilets only.
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov or 877-444-6777. In season, every campground with a fee needs a reservation except Buffalo Point's A and E loops and walk-in sites F–U. Most book same day up to 6 months ahead; Buffalo Point needs at least 3 days' notice. Group sites book up to a year out. From Mar 15, 2027, every Buffalo Point site will need a reservation.
- Fees
- $16–$20 a site at most campgrounds, $30 for Buffalo Point's electric sites, $50 for group sites. First-come sites are paid at self-pay stations, cash or check only, exact change.
- Rules
- Up to 6 people a site (10–25 at group sites). Check-in 1 PM, check-out noon. Quiet hours 10 PM–6 AM; generators 8 AM–8 PM only. Fires in the fire rings. No saving sites. Recreation.gov caps stays at 14 nights in a row and 30 nights a year.
- Hookups
- Buffalo Point is the only campground with water and electric hookups (30/50 amp; no sewer). Tyler Bend and Buffalo Point have showers.
- Gravel bars & backcountry
- No permit and no fee. No camping within half a mile of a developed area outside a campsite, or in Boxley Valley's fields (private land). No glass within 100 feet of any river or stream.
Source: nps.gov
Elk in Boxley Valley
- Where
- The easiest place to see elk, per the Park Service, is the six miles of Hwy 43 and Hwy 21 through Boxley Valley. Arkansas Tourism adds the fields around Erbie, the roads east and west of the Pruitt bridge, and the fields by the Carver bridge.
- When
- Before sunrise and after sunset, when the sun is off the fields. The Park Service says your odds are better than average in October and November, the rut. In summer elk shade up along the river; on an all-day cold spell in winter you might see them any time.
- How
- Pull completely off the highway, use the pullouts, and watch from the road. The fields are private land, so don't walk in. Elk can top 500 pounds and bulls have sharp antlers; if one changes what it's doing because of you, you're too close.
- The herd
- Arkansas Game and Fish released 112 elk around the Buffalo starting in 1981. The Park Service says the herd now numbers nearly 500.
- Hunting season
- AGFC's drawn-permit elk hunts include designated areas of the Buffalo National River. The rest of 2026: youth hunt Oct 24–25, regular hunt Oct 26–30. The Park Service suggests blaze orange for hikers during hunting seasons.
Source: nps.gov
Dogs
- Allowed
- In every campground, on the river and on gravel bars (leashed within 100 feet of the water), under physical control at all times. Dogs can float with you; the park suggests a dog life jacket and says never to tie a dog to the boat.
- Trails that allow dogs
- Only these: the Buffalo River Trail between Ponca and Steel Creek, Villines Homestead Trail, Mill Creek Trail (from the Pruitt access), the three Tyler Bend campground trails, and the three Buffalo Point campground trails.
- Not allowed
- Any other trail (Lost Valley included), wilderness areas away from the gravel bars, caves and government buildings. Don't leave a dog unattended. Service animals are the exception to most limits.
Source: nps.gov
On the water
- Life jackets
- Every boat needs a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person, and kids 12 and under must wear one. Forgot yours? Borrow one free at the Tyler Bend Visitor Center or the Buffalo Point Ranger Station.
- What you can bring
- No glass within 100 feet of the river, and no foam (Styrofoam) coolers, cups or plates on the river or gravel bars. Every boat needs a closeable mesh litter bag (rentals include one), cooler lids must be fastened, and loose drinks go in a floating koozie.
- Timing
- The Park Service plans on 2 miles an hour: take the miles between two accesses and divide by two. It recommends tube trips no longer than 1.5 miles.
- Motors
- Allowed only from Erbie downstream, 10 horsepower or less, and johnboats yield to everyone else (NPS rentals page).
Source: nps.gov
Kings River (not part of the park)
- Where it is
- A separate river west of the Buffalo; unusual for the Ozarks, it flows north (Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission). Much of it flows through private property, which may be marked with fences, signs or purple paint, so stay off the banks.
- Public access
- Arkansas Game and Fish maintains river accesses at Rockhouse and upstream at Marble (US 412). AGFC calls Rockhouse to Trigger Gap (Hwy 221) a popular year-round 7.7-mile float. The lower river has deep pools, occasional rapids, big bluffs and good smallmouth bass.
- Level
- USGS gauge 07050500, Kings River near Berryville. Kings River Outfitters (Trigger Gap) is in our float-trips guide; Kings River Falls Natural Area is in our waterfall-hikes guide.
- Overlook trail
- AGFC's Kings River Overlook Nature Trail on Madison County WMA is a moderate 1-mile out-and-back along a bluff, foot traffic only, with no camping or fires on the trail or overlook.
Source: agfc.com
Visitor centers & elk viewing
Stop here for river conditions, passes, maps and loaner life jackets. The Park Service runs three stations, one per district.
Main park visitor center
Tyler Bend Visitor Center
170 Ranger Road, St. Joe (about 2 miles off Hwy 65 between St. Joe and Marshall)
- When:
- Year-round; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus Nov 26, Dec 25 and Jan 1
- Hours:
- Thu–Mon 8:30 AM–4 PM · 870-439-2502
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- The park's main information desk: river conditions, America the Beautiful passes, lost and found for the middle district, and free loaner life jackets from infant to oversized adult. The Sod Collier Homestead nearby has a self-guided tour, and the Tyler Bend campground trails allow leashed dogs.
Ranger station & bookstore
Buffalo Point Visitor Contact Station
2229 Highway 268 East, Yellville
- When:
- Year-round; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus Nov 26, Dec 25 and Jan 1
- Hours:
- Thu–Mon 8:30 AM–4 PM · 870-449-4311
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- The lower river's ranger station, with a small bookstore, passes, loaner life jackets and current floating conditions. Call ahead for lower-river levels.
Upper-district ranger station
Steel Creek Ranger Station
Steel Creek, off Hwy 74 east of Ponca
- When:
- Staffed seasonally; no regular hours posted
- Hours:
- Call first: 870-861-2570
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- The Park Service's contact for upper-river paddling conditions and the upper district's lost and found. Hours vary with park events, so the park asks you to call before you stop by.
Open this year, but the details above aren't all posted for 2026. Check their site before you drive.
Free elk nature center
Ponca Nature Center (Arkansas Game and Fish)
4642 AR Highway 43, Ponca
- When:
- Year-round; closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
- Hours:
- Wed–Sat 10 AM–4:30 PM · closed Sun–Tue · 501-710-6347
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- AGFC's center on Ponca Creek, with full-body elk mounts, a black bear, hands-on hides and skulls, an aquarium and a bird-feeder window. Stop in for the latest elk sightings. A shady deck, a short creek trail, picnic tables and a pavilion are outside.
Roadside wildlife viewing
Boxley Valley elk viewing
Hwy 43 and Hwy 21 through Boxley Valley (about six miles of highway)
- When:
- Year-round; best in October and November (the rut), per the Park Service
- Hours:
- Best before sunrise and after sunset
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- The herd grazes the open fields of the historic valley. Use the pullouts and pull completely off the road; it's a through highway. The fields are private land, so watch from the fence line. Arkansas Tourism says to arrive early on fall weekends to get a spot.
Campgrounds: upper district (Ponca to Carver)
Reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter with vault toilets only. No hookups or showers anywhere on the upper river.
Walk-in tent campground + horse camp
Steel Creek Campground
About 3 miles east of Ponca off Hwy 74
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $20 a site per night in season
- What's there:
- 26 walk-in tent-only sites under the bluffs, plus a separate horse camp for campers with stock. No RVs, trailers or camper vans. Water and flush restrooms in season; no showers or hookups. Register at the station with your confirmation number. The Buffalo River Trail from here to Ponca is one of the few trails that allow dogs.
Walk-in tent campground
Kyles Landing Campground
Off Hwy 74, about halfway between Ponca and Jasper
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $20 a site per night in season
- What's there:
- 33 walk-in tent-only sites at a classic take-out. The gravel entrance road is steep and very rough; the Park Service strongly recommends a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Water and flush restrooms in season, no showers.
Drive-in, walk-in & group campground
Erbie Campground
About 7 miles down a gravel road off Hwy 7 north of Jasper
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $20 a site · group sites $50
- What's there:
- 13 drive-in sites (tents or RVs), 13 walk-in tent sites and 5 group sites for 10–25 people (bookable up to a year ahead). No showers, hookups or dump station. Arkansas Tourism lists the fields around Erbie as an elk-viewing spot.
Riverside campground
Ozark Campground
3 miles down a graded gravel road off Hwy 7 north of Jasper
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $20 a site · pavilion $25 a day
- What's there:
- 30 sites by a river swimming hole; some fit primitive RV camping and some are walk-in tent only (Recreation.gov shows which). No showers, hookups or dump station.
Small walk-in tent campground
Carver Campground
By the Hwy 123 bridge over the Buffalo
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $16 a site per night in season
- What's there:
- 8 walk-in tent-only sites. Water in season, vault toilet only, no showers, no RVs. Arkansas Tourism says to look for elk in the fields near the Carver bridge.
Campgrounds: middle district (Tyler Bend area)
Tyler Bend is the only middle-district campground that charges a fee.
Drive-in, walk-in & group campground
Tyler Bend Campground
2 miles off Hwy 65, about 6 miles south of St. Joe (past the visitor center)
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November. In winter only the drive-in loop stays open, free, with water and showers.
- Admission:
- $20 a site · group sites $50 · pavilion $50 a day
- What's there:
- 27 drive-in sites for tents or RVs (no hookups), 10 walk-in tent sites, 5 group sites and a pavilion. Showers and flush restrooms; dump station by the Hwy 65 entrance, mid-March to mid-November. Three campground trails allow leashed dogs, and the visitor center lends life jackets.
Free first-come gravel-bar & field camping
Free primitive camping: Mt. Hersey, Woolum, Grinders Ferry, Shine Eye, Gilbert, South Maumee
River accesses between Mt. Hersey and South Maumee (GPS for each on the NPS camping page)
- When:
- Year-round, first-come
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- Pack-in, pack-out with vault toilets and no drinking water. Mostly no designated sites; South Maumee has 6 sites with tables and fire rings, and Woolum allows horse camping. The river floods these bars regularly, so drive-in spots can be too soft for vehicles. South Woolum Road is closed for erosion; reach Woolum by North Woolum Road (SC 15) from Hwy 65 near Pindall.
Campgrounds: lower district (Buffalo Point area)
The park's largest campground, with hookups
Buffalo Point Campground
Hwy 268 East off Hwy 14, about 16 miles south of Yellville
- When:
- Mid-March to mid-November with hookups; in winter only B Loop stays open, free, without hookups. Every site will need a reservation from Mar 15, 2027.
- Admission:
- $30 electric sites · $20 walk-in tent sites · group sites $50 · pavilions $50 a day
- What's there:
- Over 80 drive-in sites with water and 30/50-amp electric (no sewer), 21 walk-in tent sites, 5 group sites and 3 pavilions. Showers and flush restrooms; dump station 1.5 miles away. B, C and D loops book 3 days to 6 months ahead; A and E loops and walk-ins F–U are first-come (cash or check). Three campground trails allow dogs. The road to the river launch is closed, so you'd carry boats up a steep gravel bar; the Park Service suggests Dillards Ferry, just upstream, instead.
Walk-in tent campground
Rush Campground
End of County Road 6035, about 5 miles off Hwy 14 between Yellville and Buffalo Point
- When:
- Open year-round; reservations required mid-March to mid-November; free and first-come in winter
- Admission:
- $16 a site per night in season
- What's there:
- 12 walk-in tent-only sites by the old Rush zinc-mining district. The road crosses Rush Creek, which can cut the campground off in high water; never drive a flooded crossing. Water in season, vault toilet only.
Free tent campground
Spring Creek Campground
End of County Road 99, about 3 miles off Hwy 14 (about 20 miles south of Yellville)
- When:
- Year-round, first-come
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- 12 tent-only sites with tables and fire rings, a vault toilet, and no water. The landing is closed to vehicle launches: carry boats to and from the parking area.
Call ahead
These come up in older roundups, but nothing official confirms a 2026 season yet.
- Steel Creek Ranger Station. Staffed seasonally with no posted hours. Call 870-861-2570 before counting on a ranger there. For river questions, Tyler Bend (870-439-2502) is open Thu–Mon.
- Upper-river floats this fall. The Park Service says the upper river usually floats only in spring and early summer. Before booking a fall trip from Ponca or Steel Creek, check the Ponca gauge and ask the outfitter; the lower river is the section that usually has water late in the year.
Quick answers
- Is there a fee to visit the Buffalo National River?
- No. The Park Service charges no entry fee and no day-use fee, and you don't need a permit to float the river or camp on a gravel bar. You pay only at developed campgrounds: $16–$20 a site at most, $30 for Buffalo Point's electric sites, $50 for group sites, from mid-March to mid-November.
- Where can I camp on the Buffalo River?
- Upper river: Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark and Carver. Middle: Tyler Bend, plus free primitive areas like Woolum and South Maumee. Lower: Buffalo Point (the only one with hookups), Rush and the free Spring Creek. Most fee campgrounds need a Recreation.gov reservation mid-March to mid-November, and most are free and first-come in winter. Gravel-bar camping needs no permit.
- How do I check the Buffalo River level? Is it floatable?
- Use the USGS Buffalo River Guidance map, which rates each gauge from Very Low to Flood using live readings. At Ponca, USGS calls 200–900 cfs moderate and under 100 very low; the Park Service calls anything over 1,600 cfs at Ponca unsafe, over 2,000 at Pruitt, over 8,000 at Hwy 65 and over 9,370 at Hwy 14. Check the morning you go, since storms upstream can raise the river more than a foot an hour.
- Where and when can I see elk at the Buffalo River?
- Along the six miles of Hwy 43 and Hwy 21 through Boxley Valley, near Ponca, before sunrise or after sunset. The Park Service says your best odds are in October and November, during the rut. Use the pullouts, stay on the road (the fields are private), and stop at AGFC's free Ponca Nature Center (Wed–Sat) for recent sightings.
- Are dogs allowed at the Buffalo National River?
- Yes, with limits. Leashed dogs can go in any campground, on the river and on gravel bars. Only a few trails allow them: the Buffalo River Trail between Ponca and Steel Creek, Villines Homestead, Mill Creek, and the Tyler Bend and Buffalo Point campground trails. No dogs on Lost Valley, in the wilderness away from the river, in caves or in buildings.
- When is the best time to float the Buffalo River?
- Per the Park Service, river use peaks April through August. The upper river (Ponca to Pruitt) is busiest in April and May and usually floats only in spring and early summer. The middle and lower river peak in June and July, and the lower river is typically floatable year-round. To dodge crowds, go on a weekday or early in the morning.
- How long is the Buffalo River?
- The Park Service's park description says the Buffalo flows freely for 135 miles. Its river mileage chart runs 131.4 miles from Boxley to Buffalo City, the last access before the river meets the White River. The Park Service says most visitors float 8 miles or less.
- Is the Kings River part of the Buffalo National River?
- No. The Kings is a separate, north-flowing river to the west, near Berryville and Eureka Springs, and much of it runs through private land. Arkansas Game and Fish maintains public accesses at Marble (US 412) and Rockhouse, and calls Rockhouse to Trigger Gap (Hwy 221) a popular year-round 7.7-mile float. The USGS gauge is near Berryville (07050500).
Dates, hours and prices are as each business posted them on October 9, 2026, and they change. Spot something out of date, or run one we missed? Tell us.
Nobody paid to be on this list. Inclusion is editorial.