The Buffalo River is America's first National River and flows freely for 135 miles. Many of the upper sections are whitewater, but lower down there are some great, flat, easy paddling spots that are fantastic for canoes!

As with all river paddling you need to first shuttle a car down to the take out. We were able to go with a ranger-led Earth Day clean up and she arranged a shuttle for us, but you can also do it yourself if you have two cars and two drivers.

Many of the outfitters in the area that will rent canoes will also shuttle for you as well, so that's an option if you are by yourself!

The section of river from Pruitt Landing to Hasty is approximately 7 miles and winds through some tall cliffs as well as more open flat water. We had two spots where we needed to portgage our canoes, and one couple in our group got caught in a tree that had fallen across the river while attempting to go around it and flipped, but if you stay alert its a fairly easy paddle. There are also a couple of great swimming holes along the route where you can stop and get in the cool, blue water.

Make sure to check river levels prior to your trip! There were many people we ran into that wanted to put in above Pruitt but the levels were too low for paddling.

We'd love to go back someday and do a multi-day camping trip as the area is spectacularly beautiful!

You can find more information here: Buffalo National River NPS Website