Canoeing and floating the Buffalo River, Arkansas, 2026 4K

This was the end of May. Temps were mild--60 to 80 degrees--in NW Arkansas, and the river had good flow. It can get considerably lower in mid- to late-summer. Buffalo Point Campground was ground zero for this trip. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov. However, the campground has about 30 first-come, first-serve sites--including water and electricity--and many remained available during our six-night stay. The campground hosts allowed us to select a FC/FS spot and be closer to the river, rather than camp in our reserved site, and didn't charge us extra. Surprisingly, many FC/FS sites were still available on the morning of Memorial Day. We recommend Loop A for its proximity to the main beach and a sweet swimming hole, including its beautiful campsites' construction by the Civilian Conservation Corps nearly a century ago.