Erbie Campground — Buffalo National River

Great trip. Beautiful campground. Beautiful scenery

Stayed here Memorial Weekend 2023.  Had Site #2, which was large, flat and shady.  Not a lot of privacy, as could see #1 and #3 easily. Also, the group sites were between us and the river, so fair amount of traffic as one of the paths to the group sites is between #2 & #4.  Everyone got quiet in the evening though so not a problem.

The campground was clean with lots of parking. Vault toilets only and they were not stocked regularly, but we had our own toilet paper.  

If you're coming from the west, Apple/Google Maps' shortest route will take you through Kingston and then down some rough dirt roads with a couple low water crossings. Easier route is to go to Hwy. 7 then come back east. Road still isn't great, but better than the other route.

We hiked the Goat Bluff Trail from the campground with a 6 year old who had no problems.  https://btoellner.typepad.com/exploring\_nw\_arkansas/2011/11/old-erbie-area-loop-trail.html

Also floated from Kyles down to Erbie.  Nice short float as water was very low.

Had a packed house when we were there last weekend. Just happened up on a spot for one night. Wanted to kayak but water was up too high after the rain. Site did hold some water after the rain. Tent campers everywhere. Watch for crazy drivers especially if you have kids! Far off of the road but was a nice scenic drive in and out. Can have small campers. No power obviously. Hoping to come back and kayak down through the campgrounds.

It’s quite the trip down the dirt road to get here. Probably will take you 20/30 minutes of gravel road. Don’t recommend bringing any type of trailer down here. The sites are nice— variety of options depending on the type of site you want. They also have hike in sites. Also the sites are FREE. No electricity/ water / hookups. Depending on when you go there could be a lot of campers. Hiking here is beautiful. Watch for Elk, you’ll probably see an armadillo or two as well. You can hike from camp to an old homestead then to the river and back. It’s probably a couple of miles but a relatively flat hike. You’ll want to grab fire wood on your way out to camp and there is no cell service.

Quiet, plenty of private campsites. Free. Gorgeous in the fall. Primative.

Long scenic drive in on gravel road, used to be a pay campground is now disperse camping, sites may have picnic table and lantern hook, do have picnic table, firepits w grill, bathrooms were closed and not in use.  Small campground on river, beautiful, there were mostly tent capers there, some hiked in and out following trail on multi-day hike.  Pack it in Pack it out, no services at all.

Located within a few miles of the horse camp , this site is Aimed more at group camping, there is not as much shade as I’d like to see. It is immediately next to Erbie put in, with walking distance to both the Erbie Ford and the old community of Erbie, which includes several old homes that have been preserved, the old Erbie Church and Cherry Hill cemetery.

Both cecil Cove Trail and the main Buffalo River trail are right there. With bathrooms and a nice swimming hole, this is a local favorite. The water is seasonal, so ne aware of flash flood risks.

If you are looking for secluded camping spots this is your place, the river isn't close but the sites are within walking distance. Campsites are in wooded areas and very secluded

Exploring the Buffalo River off of Route 7 I found two campgrounds which I was very excited to have found for future visits. I explored each in detail and took a day to enjoy the trails around them.   Erbie Campground actually has two different points of interest the campground for RV and tent visitors and the Horse camp area (in a different location but named the same) for larger vehicles that need pull through access.  

The entire campsite area is first come first serve but they do have some really exciting features which make a trip here well worth leaving the house a little early to take advantage.  A boat launch is designed for smaller boats and can easily be accessed, group sites for those needing a bit more space and RV areas, though they do not have electricity of water they are designed for the larger units to fit without impeding into their recreational space.  

Though it had just rained this campground seemed very full, unlike the other one I had visited.  I noticed several larger tents and a few RVs taking advantage of the grounds which seemed to be holding firm despite a lot of water from the storms.  

The water access from this location is key as are the trails. I spent a while walking along and they seemed maintained better than many primitive trails.  All in all I was very impressed with the campground and even more so when I found out there is no fee for this campsite year round.  

TIPS:

• Bring your own toilet paper the facility only has vault toilets so you won’t want to risk not being prepared.
• Lanterns are a must, there is not really any outdoor light so it is very dark around camp at night.

This place is 5mils up a gravel road and there is nothing there except clearings to put up tents and some river access. VERY limited places to hammock as most of the treed areas were full of undergrowth. it is pretty, but as bare bones as you can get.

watch the bamboo breaks...amazing spot to camp n hike...secluded annd really out there

Othet than a little rain perfect

Erbie Campground is a nice but quaint site. It is located right on the Buffalo River and has a couple table/benches to eat meals at. The plot of grass to camp on is not well maintained and had grown pretty high when I was there. It does offer a nice place to go swimming however if you are there during the summer. There is a single gender neutral bathroom that was well kept and a pay phone available. It is definitely on the smaller side so I would make sure there is space available (by calling the rangers office) before driving too it. 

Campground Review:

River surge warning forced us to bed down for the night at the Erbie Campground along the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. It was a welcome and comfortable site for our sore, wet bodies!

Our group of 9 guys had planned a canoe/kayak trip to the Current River originally but heavy spring rain flooding had left our route muddy and littered with debris. Last minute change of plans put us on the Buffalo River.

Plans were to set in at Kyles Landing and paddle to Ozark Campground for the night and then reach Carver Campground the next day. Because we were going it alone, we dumped the gear at Kyle's and then a couple of guys took one vehicle to Carver. LONG DRIVE! Much longer than we expected so by the time they got back, we were really late in the afternoon.

Some commercial guides who were pulling out at Kyle's informed us that heavy rains upstream were headed our way and would create a surge sometime in the late evening. Told us that it would not be a slow rise.

Finally put in and paddled for several hours. The river was up and running fast from the get go and canoes did tip and gear got wet. Around 8pm, we had stopped on a sandbar and as we were talking, you could see the river rising. Being about a 1/2 mile from Erbie, we decided paddle quickly there and pull out rather than chance it by going all the way to Ozark. GLAD WE DID!

River side of Erbie has a great primitive loading and unloading area. We were able to easily paddle in and carry the kayaks and canoes up about 25 yards to a safe and dry area. There was a circle road that, should we have wanted to use Erbie as our put in or final take out area, it would have made gear unloading and loading very easy. In the area of the ramp, there was a wide open space of freshly mowed meadow, a parking area, a vault bathroom and a half a dozen picnic tables. Looked like the perfect place so we pitched our tent and broke out our kitchens. Turns out that we weren't really in the camping area of the campgrounds but we didn't realize it until morning when it the light came up.

The real camping area was better equipped. Some designated spots were fairly primitive with just a grill area and a picnic table but others had full pad sites with water and electricity. The designated camping areas were nestled in trees and were nicely spaced. Many offered a very "remote" feel to them. There were at least 3 vault restroom facilities but while we were there, only the one in the parking area where we camped was open. Not sure why as there were quite a few other campers in the area. There were also several "communal" water hydrants but all were locked. Since there was no camp host that we could find, we never did find out why there wasn't water available. That was disappointing but we just may not have known the details on how to get access to the water.

Overall, the campground was well maintained, seemed safe, and the the restrooms were clean and stocked. We liked the remote feeling of the area and the river access was excellent. I would recommend Erbie to those needing a spot to stop on a float trip.

Gear Review: Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe Sleeping Pad

As a Dyrt Ranger gear tester, I was offered an opportunity to evaluate one of the sleeping pads offered by a newer but very innovative outdoor gear company named Klymit. ( https://www.klymit.com). They do other things like sleeping bags and backpacks but I believe they are best known for their pads.

Pros:

• WIDE! Allows for a restless night without falling off.
• Durable. Made from a rugged polyester fabric that has a substantial feel to it.
• Thick. This thing is flat out comfortable.
• Easy to inflate.
• Easy to deflate.
• Easy to roll-up

Cons:

• Valve system takes a little getting used to.
• Noisy if not fully inflated.

I'm not an ultra light backpacker so do keep that in mind regarding my evaluation. First the specs. The bag weighs in at 35 oz and offers an R value of 5. It is a wide 30 inches and a long 76.5 inches. It is designed with V chambers to limit air movement and comes with a cinch down bag and repair kit.

Again, not being a hardcore, ultra light backpacker, the 35 ounces wasn't a concern. As long as it is durable, warm and comfortable, a few extra ounces are worth it to me.

Being 5'9", the 76.5 inch length was more than adequate and the 30 inch width allowed me to do my normal tossing and turning without hitting ground. Fully inflated, the pad is a whopping 3 inches thick and extremely comfortable. Being so thick, I felt no discomfort when I was side sleeping. Something other pads fail at. I believe it has to do with the design as there didn't seem to be any air movement between the chambers when fully inflated.

I read somewhere that it takes 50-60 breaths to fill it up but my experience was only 25-30. You'll be blowing in and not seeing much happening and then all of the sudden it's full. Not sure if you would be able to use a pump to air it up but don't know why you would. 25 puffs and lest than 2 minutes and it is fully inflated ready for sleeping. Deflation is as simple as releasing the valve and pressing the air out.

The valves are very durable looking. I was inclined to try to "unscrew" them to open an close and that caused me some confusion in the beginning. It's more of a push/pull and a twist maneuver. Guess they expected me to be smarter that the pad!

This trip was my third opportunity to use the Insulated V Luxe. Man have things improved since my first sleeping pad! I highly recommend the Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe pad. Durable, comfortable, warm and affordable - all good things in my book!