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Buffalo National River, Harrison, AR

Photo: OakleyOriginals, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree

Buffalo National River

Buffalo National River is an outdoor activity in Harrison, AR. Cost: free.

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

Why you should go…

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

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.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    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