Buffalo Point — Buffalo National River

This campground had the potential to be amazing- it's beautiful, is right next to the river with amazing views of the stars, and has several hikes close by. But the camp hosts and rangers don't enforce any sort of quiet time or people capacity rules. So unfortunately my partner and I had a group of probably 20 people camping next to us. They brought in a DJ car(open the trunk and it had huge speakers and running lights) to bump techno music during the day, and at night they set up a movie projector and large screen and watched horror movies late into the night. It's not serene when there are 8 tents, a crowd of people, and horror movie screaming right beside you all day and night. I even went and talked to the camp hosts but nothing was done. So, I don't recommend this place. Usually I camp to unwind and chill, but I left the weekend more frazzled and exhausted than I came.

This is our go to get away! If you like canoeing and kayaking… it’s here. Like hiking… plenty of trails. Want to just site by one of the cleanest rivers around and enjoy the Ozarks… this is it. We’ve tent camped and trailered here for more than 15 years.

The camp grounds are well maintained by the NPS. The showers and restrooms are a bit, um, rustic. Sites can be hit and miss depending on the time of the year. Be sure and view the campsite online and consider the direction of the site. Some get full sun in the morning but most are shaded in the evening due to the mountain. Also, sites on the river side are frequented by raccoons at night and mosquitos depending on the weather.

I would still pick Buffalo Point as a definite place to stay.

I got to fish

We camped here for Labor Day weekend and it was so nice! The bathrooms and showers were clean. They had live music one night as well as a couple other park programs throughout the weekend. The river is beautiful and holds a special place in my heart (been coming here since I was a kid). The other campers we met were friendly. I highly recommend this campground.

We managed to snag a last minute spot at Buffalo Point B loop for Memorial Day weekend. The place was absolutely gorgeous. You can get great spots with amazing views of the Ozark Mountains and/or the Buffalo River. From our spot I could see down into the river from our ridge and opposite the river were mountains that rose above us. In the morning these were covered in fog that lifted in the morning.

The campground was packed but I didn’t care one bit. Immaculate grounds, with no trash, clean facilities, Ranger patrols, and nice guests. There was also hiking trails and access to the river right at the campsite.

There are shops that you can purchase a canoe/kayak rental with 4.5 and 9 mile options and a transportation fee. It’s about $80 per canoe and $70 per kayak if I remember correctly. Pricey, but still worth it because of the spectacular views of the wilderness you will get.

We enjoyed a nice walk along the water, views of the sunset from a small cliff, and a peaceful night with out cell service! Highly recommended for those who are looking to get away from reality!

We had the campground mostly to ourself this early in the season. Our site was just steps from the river. In the summer, I can see how this place could be hot and humid, but most sites do have shade. We took advantage of the Kayak rentals in the area and did a 9 mile float. We ou saw 1 other couple. In the summer, I understand it it very crowded. Wild Bills is a store close for the quick camp food purchase, fishing stuff or beverages.

Pro note....Gravity BrewWorks, Big Flats, AR, is a micro brewery within a 32 min drive. The beer is awesome!

Beautiful park, the Buffalo River runs right beside it. Be sure to book a long time in advance.

Buffalo Point State Park

Spent some excellent quality family time at Buffalo Point State Park. I think I lucked into my site, because I’ve tried to make reservations since then and it’s always full. Our site was not great, it was long and “thin”, between two roads. From the gravel pad there was a 10 foot area and then the picnic table and grill area. Very strange set up! Right across the road was the River/beach access though! LOVE the river, so clear! Awesome “beach” area with plenty of room to walk, play and set up your chair. The Showerhouse was in good shape and maintained. The tent area had some nice site above the river and was packed as well. We hiked, canoed and relaxed!

Stayed here for 4 nights in late October. The park is great and very clean. Some of the sites can get a little crowded on the weekend. During the week was super quiet and more my speed. Deer were everywhere and the Indian Rockhouse hike was really great. I will def be back in warmer weather to float the river which it was low for the winter. Falls colors everywhere and great weather. There is a gas station not too far from the park for fire wood on your way in. The rangers were present quite a bit making sure the park was safe. Very nice spot. There is no service in the camp site at all.

We camped at Buffalo Point on the Buffalo National River over a long weekend in early October and found it to be lovely. We towed our 27ft camper, and while the sites are somewhat compact, they are also quite pretty, and there was plenty of room for the two of us on this trip. When we return with our kids, we’d probably opt for a different site, but we loved the beautiful rock wall and terraced tent pad (which we used as a seating area) at our site. The Buffalo River itself is a national treasure and a jewel in the crown of our native Arkansas. The Buffalo Point site also offered great hiking trails, which we enjoyed. We particularly loved the Indian Rock House trail, which was a beautiful and moderately challenging 4 mile loop. Our Sunday was spent on a 10 mile float of the river, booked through Dirst Canoe Rental, located just outside the park. The rental and shuttle service was convenient and courteous, and the float itself was breathtakingly beautiful this time of year. Floating on a Sunday in early fall meant the river was not crowded at all - a totally different experience from the summer. Most park services were closed due to COVID, so I can’t comment on any of them, but we found it very simple to do everything we needed without assistance. Sites were easy to back into, though we did see that some are quite short - be sure to double check site length when booking!

great camp sites plenty to do and see beautiful scenery and an awesome float

This a a great park with direct access to the Buffalo River and hiking trails including one with a cave to explore. The Rangers are very helpful and a great resource for new visitors.

The park has RV sites, walk-in tent sites and group sites.

Buffalo Point is a very nice, CCC built campground with some old school type campsites. A number of sites are multi-level, meaning the picnic table may be on an elevated platform with steps for access. Some sites you may not be long enough for your entire rig and you would park your tow vehicle next to your camper. Shade was plentiful. There are five different loops. The A&B loops are the closest to the large Buffalo Point sandbar and boat ramp and the sites are very close to one another. The D loop is slightly more spaced out. The E loop is nice but the pads are short. There is an access to the river between the C&D Loops.

We did not use the restrooms because of COVID19. The ranger stations were closed and there were no programs at this time either.

The Buffalo River is beautiful and with very few people on the river during the week when we visited. The river was very slow and smooth during our visit and perfect for those just learning to kayak.

There are a number of hiking trails in the area. Be sure and check whether or not your dog is allowed on the NPS trails before heading out on your hike.

Our site had a narrow pad and the electric post was located in a position that we could not use the entire length of the pad in order to extend our slide. The seating area of the campsite has great view of the neighboring campsite. But we had some foliar obstruction that provided some privacy from our neighbors on the other side. It appeared that most sites you are going to have a view of your neighbors’ campsites. We did not have enough space to put our patio mat out between our trailer and the picnic table. We spent little time at our campsite so this did not bother us.

The NPS is starting to use motion detector lights at their parks to help with light pollution. Be sure and take advantage of the opportunity to view the stars from a gravel bar by the Buffalo River. Magical!

We arrived this year during the COVID pandemic. Although, we were a little disappointed with the showers being closed, we understood. Sites are too close and hardly shaded. River access was not bad. Trails are real lame there. For a 7 hour trip, i would prefer to have went some other river and campground, it's a little underwhelming.

It was a good campground to get away for a night or two! Had my 2 little boy cousins and my dog with us and we all had a good time walking down to the river to play. Great place to chill out and cool off!

On a two day float with kids, made a reservation for tent camping at Buffalo Point for the overnight.  I hadn't been there before, but it looked beautiful and on a nice beach at the river.   Plus with two pre-teen girls, I thought a chance for a bathroom and maybe some ice cream at the store would be a nice break.

The beach is nice, and right before you get to it there's some cool rock formations to paddle your kayak in and around, BUT the campsites are a good hike uphill from the river.  Even if you're comfortable leaving your canoes out of your sight on the beach (I'm not), you've still got to haul all your gear up a pretty good hill and depending on your site, multiple hikes to move your gear unless you're going backpacking light. 

We still hiked up to the overlook which was a nice way to stretch our legs, but ultimately decided to stay at a gravel bar further downriver.  The sites in the campground were shady, the roads were all in good shape, and the river is always beautiful, so if I'm not floating I'll definitely go back.

We stayed in the c loop and it was nice and shady, but the sites are a little close together, good for a group of campers. The facilities were clean, but a little outdated. The river was great and had plenty of places to swim. Wear good water shoes its a good walk down to get to the river and for any tech people out there, the only cell/tv reception you get is at the top of the hill before going down to the campground, but anyone wanting to get away from it all it's great. There is a great restaurant at the top of the hill I'd recommend trying, reasonable prices, good food and a great overlook view of the river

We tent camped at the Buffalo Point Campground in loop B for a few days. These sites are the closest to the river and the swimming area. The sites are pretty close together, but there were a few that had more room (next time). You can not access the river from these sites. There is a view of the river through some brush.

We rented from Wild Bills and floated to Rush. It was gorgeous! We saw tons of wildlife and were the only ones on the river on a Thursday morning.

The sites being close together and the lack of a super flat area for our tent is the reason for the 4 star. Plus the bathrooms were a little dirty, but they had great pressure and hot water.

Don’t miss out on the Indian Rockhouse trail and the concession restaurant. Get the broasted chicken breast and jojo potatoes. Trust me. Plus a piece of peanut butter pie!

Wonderful family friendly campground with all needed amenities.

Beautiful Campground. Friendly Host and Rangers. Easy access to the river. Book early they fill up as soon as sights are released!

We have loved BP for 25 years. We have always tent camped but now we have a camper. This site isn't great for a camper/RV, but at least we were at Buffalo Point! I say it's not great for a camper for the following reasons: Your camper door opens into a BUNCH of brush/bamboo. The picnic table is on the wrong side (not the door side). Other than that, the good things about it are: like I said, you're at Buffalo Point and the river is right below you . You are RIGHT next to the boat launch/swimming area. All that to say, if this was the last site available, we would take it again, it's just not our first choice.

Very nice campground right on the Buffalo River. We walked to the river right behind the campground. Lots of bamboo around, and very big sand burrs! Beautiful river! The first National Scenic River in the country. Great for canoeing and fishing. Saw deer in the campground several times. Raccoons stole from our cooler the first night. Hawks, herons, pilated woodpecker, kingfishers, and lots of buzzards. The campground is spread out, so you are not right on top of each other. Central water supply. Dump station.

Beautiful campground. Trails really cool around and the people who works there are awesome!

Paved roads to all the way to your camp site, showers, and a fantastic dinner 5 minutes away may not sound like luxury but Arkansas hllls usually make you work hard to enjoy their beauty. This site is amazing not only is the rock face the camp ground is named after a true natural beauty in the camp ground the river is deep enough to swim there as well. It was a very calm and quit environment.

Buffalo national river is the first national river established in the US and let me tell you it's gorgeous!! There are many places to camp but we stayed at Buffalo Point. There are a few different loops to stay on, we stayed in A. Each site has parking, for car or RV all differing in length, and you walk behind the parking to an area with benches, picinic table, lantern hanger, and fire pit. The river is behind the sites and you can swim in it. I recommend swim shoes because its all rocks to get to it and entering in and out of the water. Behind A loop on the opposite side from the ramp before the curve in the river is a rope swing. Its across the river so you must be a strong swimmer to beat the current. The bathrooms are well kept and there is trash bins available. Pets are allowed too. The loop that we stayed in was first come first serve and there was a self pay station near the bathroom. If you are up early enough, you may see bald eagles flying around the river like we did!

Wildest campground is located in a remote area, there are a couple of small stores to get supplies. But the natural beauty of this park is overwhelming. It lies on the Buffalo River and has camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming , And many other camping activities. There is usually some tall type of slideshow for presentation in the evenings at the amp a theater. He snuggled in the river valley the surrounding mountains are high and the sun comes up late and sits early. There is much wildlife at night including Deer and raccoons they are visible. There are many skunks but most of them have become accustomed to having visitors and do not bother you. But don’t leave your food out in the open. And there are some places which have sandy beaches but most is washed rock top beach. There are several places nearby to rent canoes and transportation for canoe trips. This is one of the best ways to see the river. The hiking is superb and there are several features including cave were Indians used to live and scenic overlooks of the river which are outstanding. Some of these trails are a little too much for small kids but for most adults in for health can accomplish easily. The sides are older but besides not having sewer connections are adequate. The beauty around you makes you forget about any shortcomings of the sack.

Well-maintained campsite. Clean, conveniently located bathrooms with showers. Has both reservable sites and first come, first served sites. Loop B is right off the gravel beach with a view of bluffs and the river...gorgeous! Only potential downside is that the campsites are really quite close together, but most folks seem to spend the day out doing water activities, so it doesn’t matter so much.

This was a very nice campground above the river. Looking forward to getting back.

The camp sites were clean and water accessible. The hike to be overlook was fantastic!!!