Buffalo National River - Ponca to Buffalo City - Part III

On March 25th, 2022, four friends and myself set out on a 7-day, 6-night, 126-mile adventure down the Buffalo National River. Join us as we launch, paddle, camp and paddle some more on the last three days of our adventure. #buffalonationalriver #arkansas

[@DG-fn7qg]

Great video series! Thank you for sharing!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you for watching! This was such a great trip and I hope to do it again soon!! Dan

[@GlennaRedcliffe]

How fun! And that cheeseburger made me hungry!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks, Glenna!! I enjoyed my Peak Refuel dehydrated meals, but that cheeseburger in the middle of that trip was exquisite!! :-D

[@bigonebikes]

Just watched all three parts to your epic adventure! I felt like I was right there with you. Those rapids about 3 minutes into your second video wow that was wild. You managed them like a pro. Thanks for videoing the whole trip and for bringing us along Dan.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you so much! Up until that point and still to this day, those rapids you mentioned were/are the most my canoe has seen. They were fun, for sure! The Buffalo National River has a special place in my heart. Thanks for the kind words!!

[@autigerz84]

Nice work!! That was a blast.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you so much, Wes! It was a blast and looking forward to our upcoming trip!!

[@michaelburroughs7494]

I did a 5 day trip from Ponca down, back in the 80s. We had to deal with low water the first 2 days. Lots of dragging over rocks. Much like you we had a big storm the 4th night. On day 5 the water was coming up 1" every 10 minutes. We covered 29 miles that day.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Wow, that's crazy! Our "leader" (Charlie) says it's about impossible to have a 5+ day trip without weather being a factor. He also said that the water level we had was the best he's seen (this was his 4th trip). Thanks, Michael!

[@tunggarden]

Another great segment, brother. This series was fantastic. LIKE 30

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you very much- I appreciate that!!

[@zerohourtv256]

looks like a whole bunch of fun!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you! It really was!! A fantastic river!!

[@danielfischer1811]

Just finished binge watching all three parts. Nice job, best video doc I've yet to enjoy. Appreciate it.

[@SouthernPaddler]

How coo! Thanks so much, Daniel! I really appreciate that. I'm glad you enjoyed the series and thanks for the feedback!! It was an amazing trip, for sure!!

[@AVAJourneys]

Absolutely enjoyed it! AVA Brian

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks, Brian!! Enjoyed your first BNR video last night. Looking forward to the next one!! 👍🛶

[@AVAJourneys]

@@SouthernPaddler Thank you sir! Your series was helpful when planning our trip!

[@SouthernPaddler]

@@AVAJourneys That's awesome!! 😊👍💪🛶

[@PaddleTV]

What an awesome trip. Amazing how much the river did come up. Great 3-part series of videos for an epic trip Dan!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks so much, Ken! I really appreciate it!! I hope you get the opportunity to paddle this river one day. It's an amazing place.

[@elliswoodall407]

I've been canoe, rafting there before when I lived In Arkansas. If felted like I was in the Amazon, jungle, a whole other world.

[@SouthernPaddler]

That place is amazing! I want to go and do it again. There's no way to take it all in with simply one trip!!

[@elliswoodall407]

@@SouthernPaddler Yes, and always wanted to imagined what it’s like to canoe, kayak 🛶 at night.

[@mackjenkins7721]

Man what an awesome trip you had. I'm sorry that you had to pause the trip for the weather. But it was for your safety though. I'm glad you was invited and you had a good time man. I definitely want to take my family day. I took my family kayaking yesterday & my wife co-worker and her family came with us as well. It was a good day on the water except for me losing one of my flip flops in a tree which take about a half an hour to get out of the tree. But the weather was nice sunny and warm in the 80° degrees & it was a lot of fun and laughing & giggles. Thank you for sharing this amazing trip Dan.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Lol- that's funny, Mack! I lost a slide Saturday. Stepped off in some mud (knee-deep water) and when I hopped back in my slide buried up and I couldn't find it (it even floats). Well, glad you all got to get out- it was a beautiful weekend. Thanks, Mack!

[@mackjenkins7721]

@@SouthernPaddler man that is funny. It happened to both of us this weekend. I knew better than this cuz the same thing happened to me last year why towards the end of summer. I made a Flip Flop leash for me , my wife , & my 6 boys around October or so when we was done kayaking for the year & I misplaced the bag somewhere so now I have to make another set again. When we was getting on the water I was the last one because of being slow so I was trying to hurry up and catch up with everyone & I just took off my flip-flops and threw them in the back of the kayak instead of putting them away. It stayed like that for at least good 3-4 hours & I just happened to lean too far to the right and one of my flip-flops fell into the water & the current push the Flop into the trees. I guess that's what I get for being in a hurry. I know what you mean about that mud man. I broke a pair of flip-flops stepping in knee deep mud like that in the water that you can't see. I broke both flip flops at the same time. On 1 flop i pull all 3 straps right out of the footbed & the other i pulled the straps that goes in between the toes right out of the footbed which really sucks cuz flip-flops is the only foowear that I can wear so I have to go Barefooted 👣 for the rest of the day which I don't mine cuz I'm Barefooted 👣 95% of the time anyway but I know the restaurants & stores did not like that I was walking around in the store Barefooted 👣 style but they didn't say anything to me & they saw me barefooted 👣 too. That's funny what happened to both of us this weekend with our Footwear man.

[@SouthernPaddler]

@@mackjenkins7721 Yep, that's pretty funny alright!! Have a great week, Mack!

[@mackjenkins7721]

@@SouthernPaddler you to Dan Have a great week and be careful out there.

[@musicnature007]

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[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you!!

[@swankybohemia5810]

Such a wonderful place to visit and explore... A great day with cool weather and ambience.. Picturesque scenery and attractive presentation! Thank you so much for showcasing. Have a great day.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you so much! The Buffalo National River is a wonderful place, for sure!! Thanks for the kind words!!

[@hollynla]

I live in Jasper AR and float the river often, but have never done anything like the trip you just showed. What an amazing adventure.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you very much- it's definitely the most epic trip I've ever done! I'd also like to see it when everything is a little greener, but it was still amazing!! I will definitely do this trip again one day!!

[@GuzzFieldTonKi]

Great final segment Dan. All those things you pointed out about the current at high water can easily catch you out if not paying attention. You guys did a great job navigating that, glad you were able to safely get off the river and have a successful end to the trip!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks so much, bro! It was a little nerve-wracking that final day, but we made it fine and it was an incredible experience!! Thanks so much for going along!!

[@MinuteontheMountain]

Another great segment, brother. This series was fantastic.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you so much, brother! I really appreciate it!! 👍👊

[@kipper122670]

Looked like an amazing trip, thanks for taking us along.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks so much for watching. It was an incredible experience!!

[@greenridgeoutdooradventure3433]

Excellent video and great information. We are looking to possibly do a 4-5 night trip on the Buffalo. Any advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Awesome- looks like you have some high-quality vids on your channel! You will have an ABSOLUTE field day with the scenery on the BNR!! The National Park Service has several pages dedicated to the BNR with rules, access, etc. They also have a link to the BNR water level gages from the USGS, but it's probably easier to check this one: www.buffaloriver.com/river-levels/ It can get really low in places and on our trip it rose 19ft in one night, so watch the weather closely and have a contingency plan. If a storm system is coming through one day or evening, try to plan on being close to one of the campgrounds- that's what we did. Other than that, take plenty of camera/drone batteries (and possibly a solar panel) and plenty of SD cards!!! :-)

[@peterhast]

Thanks for sharing your trip, looked amazing, even though the weather turned sour, still looked like a great time.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks for watching, Peter, and also for the encouragement. Yes, the weather wasn't how I wanted it on the last day or so, but I cannot complain. It was, overall, and incredible experience and I'm very thankful to have had this opportunity!!

[@501BBQ]

Great series! Love the Buffalo. I’d love to see a video on how and what you packed. I feel like I had more stuff than you on my 1 nighter than you did a 7 haha

[@SouthernPaddler]

Lol- I also felt like I took more than I needed because being in a canoe you don't have to be too picky! The kayak guys had to be a little more discerning with their packing! 😂 But that's a great idea! Thank you!

[@501BBQ]

@@SouthernPaddler you’re welcome!

[@user-tv9di2jq2n]

👍👍👍😍😍🌹

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you!!

[@rcheek48]

Excellent trip! So jealous. Bummer that the lower section was so washed out. It’s a beautiful section. Are you going to make it back out this spring?

[@SouthernPaddler]

I want to go back for sure and hopefully not have to deal with flood waters, but it won't be this year. Next month I'm preparing for a week-long trip on the Current River in Missouri.

[@mountainsmoore3657]

Looks like it was an awesome trip! Even the zero day would've been nice! This time of the year, I really need a zero day! LOL!Enjoyed the videos, Dan. If I am being honest, I have been in a bit of a paddling funk lately. it seems that so many trips have had to be cancelled for one reason or another, but this series has many wanting to pull my boats out and get them prepped for a long paddling season! Thanks, Dan!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks so much, Brad! I know this is a crazy time of year for you! I hate you haven't been able to get out much! Even if it's just a day trip holler and I'll head up that way!

[@shawndearie5439]

Glad I came across your channel through Paddle TV. We just floated the Buffalo from Pruitt to Tyler Bend this past week. What a great river! Looking forward to checking out all of your videos to look at more opportunities for us southern paddlers (Southeast Louisiana here)!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thanks so much, Shawn! The Buffalo is amazing and I will definitely be back to experience it again! It was also a blast getting to paddle with Ken Whiting of PaddleTV- what a great guy and world class paddler!! Thanks again, my friend!!

[@bhgant813]

Can you tell me brand/model of the yellow kayak? Great series of videos from your trip! Getting interested in paddling trips like these!

[@SouthernPaddler]

Hi Brooks- thank you very much! I HIGHLY recommend this trip, even if you just do shorter sections of it. Just check the water levels first as it can get low in dry weather. Also, the warmer it gets the more people you will see on it. The yellow kayak is made by "Native Watercraft" and is an "Ultimate 12" (12ft). I think it might be an older version as the pics I searched online seem just slightly different.

[@davearonow65]

Did you have a favorite part of the river as far as scenery and beauty? And then for rapids, etc? Great video series. Enjoyed every minute. Dave, from Tampa Fl.

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you very much, Dave!! The upper (start) was more narrow and quick and had good rapids and turns, but there were some throughout. The middle section (and some of the upper) was probably more scenic with the mountains and bluffs. It widened and slowed towards the confluence with the White River, but it was all so beautiful!! Thanks, bro! Dan

[@davearonow65]

@SouthernPaddler Thank you, man. I live on 12 acres here in Florida with the Withlacoochie river flowing right through my property. It's beautiful, but this Buffalo river looks amazing. I probably could do a couple nights out there but very hard to go for longer than that for me. Sounds like the beginning and middle are for me. Thanks enjoying all your videos.

[@homeschoolmomify]

Thanks for posting your videos, we enjoyed them. Quick question if you don't mind, What make and model canoe do you recommend for the Buffalo and other similar rivers. Also, where are good put in points for a trip half or quarter that length, but still ending at the White River? Thanks

[@SouthernPaddler]

Thank you and glad you enjoyed the BNR videos! I used an Old Town Saranac 160 (16ft). It did great! You could go smaller if you pack a little better than I did. :-) My boat handled great, but my buddy Grey had a Mad River whitewater canoe (no keel line) and it was a handful on windy days. Other than a couple of spots with big wave trains (and those depend on the water level), most boats should do fine. Having only done it once, I'm not sure about distances. We started at Ponca, so just eyeballing the map, I'd say Tyler Bend would maybe be close to the midway point. Also, Gilbert is another great starting point a little downstream from there.

[@homeschoolmomify]

@@SouthernPaddler thanks for the information, so you recommend a keel over no keel, the only thing about a keel is if you end up sideways sliding over a rock and catching the keel?

[@SouthernPaddler]

@@homeschoolmomify Yes, that's true. There is a trade-off. I do prefer the keel. Our trip was about 130 miles (mostly flat), so the tracking was worth it and I never really felt I gave that much up in maneuverability.

[@homeschoolmomify]

@@SouthernPaddler thanks good points