Buffalo River Paddle Trip

Experiencing the local customs is an important part of every trip

I’ve been twice. Great trip.

A little too, bring one ice chest filled with ice. Only open it in the morning to ice down your drinks for the day. Keep it closed the rest of the day.

Late June is getting late. Better hope for lots of rain leading up to the trip. We used to go over Memorial Day weekend for 5-6 years and there were a lot of years when the river would be too low and you had to drag canoes till you got to the next deep hole.

No canoes for us. Two Jackson Kayaks that should be able to handle more shallow water that a canoe can not. Late June is not set in stone. May have to bump it up and go earlier

What about places to stay the night before we get on the river?

I went on that same exact trip. It was a lot of fun but I didn’t notice that part of the packing itenary was that we were told to bring a paddle :/

It turned into more of just a float trip, but still a nice time.

Great trip. We lived in Mt Home for 3 years and floated the Buffalo at least once a year. If there has been adequate rainfall, the trip will be a good one. Look at Harrison for an overnight stay before starting the trip. If you are using a canoe service to carry you up river from the take out point, ask them. Like others I would say June is late in the float season for the upper part of the river.

I appreciate yours and others advice. We're used to trips in WNC were water levels aren't an issue. You just go whenever you feel like it. I'll call some of the outfitters tomorrow and see what they recommend.

I've done the Buffalo in Ponca during the spring several times, although it's been about ten years since I last canoed it. It's a blast. There are a lot of rapids during the spring, and the higher the water level is the rougher the trip. I went once when the water levels were extremely high and that was crazy. As someone mentioned already, take an ice chest just for ice. Also, if you are coming from Louisiana, don't drive past Little Rock without buying your beer and/or alcohol. It's pretty much dry counties past there. If you're in Ponca and you run out of beer you have to drive to Missouri to get more. Where we used to put in there is a small water fall right at the beginning and I can't tell you how many people I've seen flip their canoe there, so watch out for that. Once you get going a ways you see less and less rapids and that is when you can have a more leisurely ride. It's a really beautiful canoe trip. The fire flies at night are absolutely amazing. I've never seen so many as I've seen there.

I’ve done it. It was a blast. Canoe camped for 4 days/3 nights with my girlfriend in college and hauled it up there from Mandeville on the top of an Isuzu Rodeo. I’ll never forget it. Biggest pile of shite SUV ever put into production.

Each turn down the river is better than the next. We loaded up where the Buffalo and White Rivers meet, with Riley’s outfitter I think.

Do it. I’ve always wanted to go back.