A Wild and Scenic River

Buffalo River near Buffalo Point Ranger Station
Buffalo National River, Arkansas

David and I are old ‘river rats’ from way back.  David’s graduation present from college was an Old Town canoe and we have spent many hours paddling white waters, mostly in Texas and Missouri.  Although we haven’t taken the canoe on our RV adventures so far, it is something we are thinking about for the future.  When the knees can’t hike as well, maybe the shoulders can still paddle.

When we lived in Missouri we spent hours floating on the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in southern Missouri but never made it just a few miles farther south to the Buffalo River, America’s first national river.  Since we were going to pass right by Buffalo National River on our way to Kentucky, we thought we would stop a few days and investigate this river for future paddling trips. 

A rare moment of sunshine on the Buffalo River, near Buffalo Point

The Buffalo River has escaped dams, levies and other impoundments because in 1972 Congress designated it as America’s first national river.  This designation protects natural rivers from industrial uses and any other obstructions that “may change the natural character of the river or disrupt the natural habitat for the flora and fauna that live in or near the river.” 

Paddlers putting in the Buffalo at Dillard's Ferry

 

Because it has been such a rainy spring in much of Texas, Arkansas and the Midwest, the Buffalo was running high and swift when we arrived.  They were still letting people run the river but with the advisory that only experienced paddlers should attempt it.  We had thought about renting a canoe and taking a short section of the river, however we had never taken Maya in a canoe and didn’t have a life vest for her so we decided a high-water run was not a good idea.



Maya tries to bum a ride

 

As things turned out it rained a good portion of every day we were camped at Buffalo Point, one of the many campsites along the 135 miles of river that are administered by the National Park Service.  Watching drenched paddlers take out of the river near our campsite, slipping and sliding in the mud helped us feel better about not canoeing on this trip.  We entertained ourselves by taking a few of the trails around Buffalo Point between rain showers and then driving around the park and surrounding areas enjoying the beauty of the Ozark Mountains. 

One day we attempted to hike a section of the Ozark Highlands Trail, rated as one of the most scenic trails in the United States.  After a short drive we reached the trailhead.  By the time we had put our packs on rain drops were falling.  At ten feet from the car, I plucked the first tick off Maya.  An eighth of a mile into the trail and poison ivy completely covered it.  Any one of these things by itself might have been surmountable, but we decided we weren’t in the mood for all three together and so we turned back.  Maybe we just aren’t as tough as we used to be.  At any rate, reading in the rain in the RV was a more pleasant alternative.

 

Zebra Swallowtail

David’s Stats:

Days Hiked:  1

Rain Days:    3    
Total Miles Hiked:    2.95      
Total Elevation Gain:   351