Hiking the Buffalo River Trail

Konah and I just finished a two and a half day, 26.2 mi hike on the Buffalo River Trail from Ponca to Pruitt. When we paid the folks at Lost Valley Canoe $35 to shuttle our truck, they were surprised we were hiking. Most are taking advantage of the recent influx of flow in the river since it's possible to float the Upper Buffalo without dragging your boat across every gravel bar. Despite the raised eyebrows, we really wanted to hike the trail before the ticks poison ivy takes over and we were just in time. The dwarf irises are blooming and the leaves on the trees are just beginning to obscure the view of the river from the trail.

The BRT, which currently connects Boxley to Pruitt, runs along the south side of the river and unlike the Old River Trail, has no river crossings. The two trails cross and frequently follow the same path. Currently, the BRT uses white blazes and the Old River Trail, primitive, or horse trail uses yellow ones. Before heading out, be sure to get and study the Trails Illustrated (topographic) Map of the Buffalo National River West Half, published by National Geographic. Other useful resources are Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails that includes a detailed, albeit rustic, description of the trail and an elevation profile. A brief description is also included in Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails. Ken Smith's Buffalo River Handbook is by far my favorite reading resource for Buffalo River information. It includes geology, vegetation, settlement, and historic information about the park, as well as detailed descriptions of the river and trails. It is also coordinated with the Trails Illustrated topographic maps.

The first day we hiked 10.2 miles from Ponca at the low water bridge to Kyle's Landing and camped there. The elevation changes are greatest in this section, and the views of the valley are the grandest. The overlook above Steel Creek is well worth the 30 minute climb from the campground. The second day we hiked 13.4 miles from Kyle's to Ozark Campground. The campground, like most in the Buffalo National River, has recently been improved with flush toilets and trash service. The fee for staying in campgrounds is $10.
I especially enjoyed the tributaries and their waterfalls. The tributaries vary from bedrock steps to large rounded boulder streams to a combination of the two. I also enjoyed the wildflowers, glimpses of the river, and quiet. People are relatively sparse on the trail during the week. We ran into one other hiker, headed the other direction, and a trail maintenance crew.

The third day we hiked the short 2.6 miles from Ozark to Pruitt where our truck had been delivered by Lost Valley Canoe. I enjoyed reminiscing about my childhood summers spent swimming at Pruitt. The water looked refreshing, but I could only stick my feet in the frigid water for a few minutes.
Before heading back to Fayetteville, we drove south on Arkansas Highway 7 past Jasper to the Cliff House Inn for some home style food and more great views. Their southern style meatloaf and homemade angel flake biscuits were a delicious end to the trip.

I am looking forward to hiking the 11 mile trail from Boxley to Ponca when it is a bit drier and the new sections farther east as they are completed.