Buffalo National River

Paddle, hike and camp along 135 miles of free-flowing Ozark river lined with tall limestone and sandstone bluffs.

Tyler Bend Visitor Center, off US-65 about 31 miles south of Harrison · Harrison, AR

About Buffalo National River

Designated in 1972 as the first national river in the United States, the Buffalo is one of the few undammed rivers left in the lower 48 states. The National Park Service manages 135 miles of it through the Ozarks, where you can canoe or kayak past massive bluffs, fish, camp and hike. The park is home to Arkansas's only elk herd. Tyler Bend Visitor Center sits off Highway 65 south of Harrison, and the park warns that GPS is unreliable here, so bring a paper map.

#national river
#canoeing
#kayaking
#ozarks
#hiking

Printable maps

What's around here?

The closest stops to Buffalo National River, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Blanchard Springs Caverns
Under $25
Take a guided walk through a living limestone cave of stalactites, columns and flowstone in the Ozark National Forest.
33 mi awayMore like this
Attractions
Family Favorite
Ozark Folk Center State Park
Under $25
Watch more than 20 artisans work in the Craft Village, hear live Ozark music and stroll the Heritage Herb Garden.
37 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Stay
Outdoor Adventure
Big Cedar Lodge
$50+
Lakeside Ozarks wilderness resort on Table Rock Lake with lodges, log cabins, golf, marinas and outdoor activities.
48 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
Sports & Outdoors
Table Rock State Park
Check prices
A lakeside Missouri state park near Branson offering water sports, hiking, biking, camping, and picnicking.
52 mi awayMore like this
Shopping
Family Favorite
Branson Landing
No admission fee
Waterfront shopping and dining district on Lake Taneycomo, with a boardwalk and a fountain show of water, fire, light and music.
52 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
$25–$50
A 10,000-acre Ozark nature park where you hike or bike past bluffs, waterfalls and trout streams, or ride a wildlife tram.
54 mi awayMore like this