Buffalo River Trail General Information
Buffalo River Trail General Information
by Jay on Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:05 pm
Park/Rec Area: Buffalo National River
Length: 36 1/2 miles (not including uncertain mileages for newer sections)
Difficulty: Moderate - Strenuous
Blazes: Unblazed. There is signage along the trail however.
Contact: Park Superintendent - (870) 741-5443
How to Get There: Western trailhead: The trail currently starts at the old Whitely Homestead, approximately 1.1 miles south of the Buffalo River crossing on Hwy. 21. From the trailhead, cross the highway, follow the gravel road through the gate and cross Smith Creek. Just past the creek, turn left off the road and go around the edge of a large field until you pick up the trail which begins to wind up the hill.
Description #1:
From Boxley Valley to Pruitt, the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) winds through scenic overlooks, old homesites, and rugged wild areas that best characterize the park. Hiking is most strenuous between Boxley Valley and Erbie, where steep gradients and switchbacks lead to spectacular views of the river. The terrain gradually gives way to a nicer river corridor and terrain which is more forgiving to hikers.
The Buffalo River Trail is presently 37 miles long. Unlike the old river road trail, which follows the river more closely, the BRT does not have river crossings. Also unlike the old river road trail, use on the BRT is limited to hikers only.
Trailheads to Buffalo River Trail are located at the south end of Boxley Valley, Ponca Low Water Bridge, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt Ranger Station. All trailheads but Ponca Low Water Bridge have overnight parking areas available.
The newest addition to the BRT is the 18-mile section from Woolum to Highway 65, near Tyler Bend, then ending up at Gilbert. Trail maps and guides are available for sale through the Eastern National Bookstore, park headquarters and at all visitor contact station locations. Dogs and other pets are not permitted on park trails. (Source: http://www.nps.gov/archive/buff/brt.htm)
Description #2:
The Buffalo River Trail is a relatively new trail. In fact, much of it is still under construction. When completed, this trail will extend almost the entire length of the Buffalo River. It will also provide a link between Arkansas’s Ozark Highlands Trail and Missouri’s Ozark Trail, forming a system of trails well over one thousand miles in length. There are currently two completed sections which run from Boxley to Pruitt (36.5 miles) and from Woolum to U.S. 65 (15 miles). Construction crews are regularly working on new sections, but the going is slow. Check with the address listed if you have questions on any particular section. This trail offers some of the best scenery in the state. It is also one of the state’s most rugged trails due to the topography of the Buffalo River Valley. It winds through the valley, skirting the river in some locations and perched high atop limestone palisades in others. The trail passes historic home sites, farmsteads and cemeteries. It offers opportunities for day hikes, overnight hikes, or a loop journey by combining a downstream river float with an upstream hike. There are also a number of opportunities to explore spur trails or bushwhack into scenic areas such as the north section of the Ponca Wilderness area. Major access points for the western section of the Buffalo River Trail are Boxley, Ponca low-water bridge, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark Campground and Pruitt. Although the Buffalo River is a world-class float stream, the Buffalo River Trail offers an opportunity to view backcountry that cannot be seen any other way. (Source: http://www.arkansas.com/outdoors/hiking/trail_detail/type/B/trail/Buffalo+River+Trail)
Length: 36 1/2 miles (not including uncertain mileages for newer sections)
Difficulty: Moderate - Strenuous
Blazes: Unblazed. There is signage along the trail however.
Contact: Park Superintendent - (870) 741-5443
How to Get There: Western trailhead: The trail currently starts at the old Whitely Homestead, approximately 1.1 miles south of the Buffalo River crossing on Hwy. 21. From the trailhead, cross the highway, follow the gravel road through the gate and cross Smith Creek. Just past the creek, turn left off the road and go around the edge of a large field until you pick up the trail which begins to wind up the hill.
Description #1:
From Boxley Valley to Pruitt, the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) winds through scenic overlooks, old homesites, and rugged wild areas that best characterize the park. Hiking is most strenuous between Boxley Valley and Erbie, where steep gradients and switchbacks lead to spectacular views of the river. The terrain gradually gives way to a nicer river corridor and terrain which is more forgiving to hikers.
The Buffalo River Trail is presently 37 miles long. Unlike the old river road trail, which follows the river more closely, the BRT does not have river crossings. Also unlike the old river road trail, use on the BRT is limited to hikers only.
Trailheads to Buffalo River Trail are located at the south end of Boxley Valley, Ponca Low Water Bridge, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt Ranger Station. All trailheads but Ponca Low Water Bridge have overnight parking areas available.
The newest addition to the BRT is the 18-mile section from Woolum to Highway 65, near Tyler Bend, then ending up at Gilbert. Trail maps and guides are available for sale through the Eastern National Bookstore, park headquarters and at all visitor contact station locations. Dogs and other pets are not permitted on park trails. (Source: http://www.nps.gov/archive/buff/brt.htm)
Description #2:
The Buffalo River Trail is a relatively new trail. In fact, much of it is still under construction. When completed, this trail will extend almost the entire length of the Buffalo River. It will also provide a link between Arkansas’s Ozark Highlands Trail and Missouri’s Ozark Trail, forming a system of trails well over one thousand miles in length. There are currently two completed sections which run from Boxley to Pruitt (36.5 miles) and from Woolum to U.S. 65 (15 miles). Construction crews are regularly working on new sections, but the going is slow. Check with the address listed if you have questions on any particular section. This trail offers some of the best scenery in the state. It is also one of the state’s most rugged trails due to the topography of the Buffalo River Valley. It winds through the valley, skirting the river in some locations and perched high atop limestone palisades in others. The trail passes historic home sites, farmsteads and cemeteries. It offers opportunities for day hikes, overnight hikes, or a loop journey by combining a downstream river float with an upstream hike. There are also a number of opportunities to explore spur trails or bushwhack into scenic areas such as the north section of the Ponca Wilderness area. Major access points for the western section of the Buffalo River Trail are Boxley, Ponca low-water bridge, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark Campground and Pruitt. Although the Buffalo River is a world-class float stream, the Buffalo River Trail offers an opportunity to view backcountry that cannot be seen any other way. (Source: http://www.arkansas.com/outdoors/hiking/trail_detail/type/B/trail/Buffalo+River+Trail)
Jay- Admin
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Location: Arkansas 
Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by chili on Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:28 pm
I have a hike planned for the BRT from Ponca to Pruitt in October.
Any trail conditions I need to be aware of? I just moved back to the Memphis area after 5 years in East TN and it has been 7 years since I was on the BRT.
Any trail conditions I need to be aware of? I just moved back to the Memphis area after 5 years in East TN and it has been 7 years since I was on the BRT.
chili- Real Backpacker
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Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by Trail Monkey on Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:55 pm
I was just up there in January Chili and I cant say there are any real issues. Just make sure you got plenty of water as the river usually tends to be somewhat dry..well the side creeks do, that time of the year. But campgrounds will be open so fresh water will be there. We will be up there but will be doing part of the Old River Horse Trail from Earbie, around the last weekend now. But it will be only a single overnight on the trail. Got a few new people I am trying to break into some backpacking and I don't want them out first time for any longer than that.
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Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by chili on Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:44 pm
I'll be up there 4 days. The weekend of the 17th.
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Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by Trail Monkey on Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:46 pm
Good time to go but if you can get up there toward the end of October the colors will be perfect.
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Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by chili on Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:01 pm
I had to plan it around that weekend due to time constraints on a couple of people coming down from Indiana.
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Re: Buffalo River Trail General Information
by Preacha Man on Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:10 pm
I was there in Late March and it was perfect. I also moved so fast that I could refill water in the campsites, but if you are moving slow, it would be good to fill up when you could.
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