One of Arkansas’s most beautiful recreation areas, Buffalo National River was created as a national park in 1972 after conservationists had lobbied extensively in Washington, DC, to prevent its flawless streams being dammed. Their efforts were certainly well worth it.

Tucked down into a 135-mile pocket of unsullied terrain at the confluence of the White River, the park offers one of America’s premier canoeing and whitewater locations. During the peak spring and summer seasons, kayakers and canoeists vie for water space on the upper Buffalo, making the river heavily congested.

All that aside, there are numerous nature trails embracing the steep limestone bluffs and caverns that trace the river’s serpentine shape. A favorite haunt for many locals is at Hemmed-in-Hollow, the highest waterfall found midway between Appalachia and the Rockies to the west.

Shaded by woodlands of oak, hickory, and pine, Buffalo National River nurtures an abundance of bird species. For fall visitors, the region is a profusion of color.

The main access to Buffalo National River is on the scenic byway along Hwy 7; its park headquarters are in Harrison. There is a scattering of privately owned farms around Boxley Valley, within the park boundary.

One of the oldest Buffalo River homesteads, dating back to the 1830s, is the Parker-Hickman Farmstead, just north of Jasper.

Several outfitters also offer float trips (floating down the river on an inflatable inner tube) at the lower river, and rent out canoes and kayaks.