Best Family Float On The Buffalo

[hank franklin]

Been reading some other threads and thought I'd throw this out directly: Want to take the whole family (wife and I plus three kids) on a two-night trip on the Buffalo. I'm shy of Ponca to Pruitt because of the likelihood that my wife would dump her boat (I'm piloting one, she the other). We're looking for more easy rolling water, gravel bar camping, and if possible a little side adventure or two (explore a hollow, climb a bluff etc.) I've been on the Buffalo but it was years ago, I think we took out at Gilbert. I'm open to any stream section, about the only thing to aviod would be extended slack water that requires paddling. My wife would not enjoy that. She typically doesn't touch a paddle on our trips together. I don't think the Buffalo has much slow section but aren't sure.

Also, crowd control: If we were to start on a Saturday I imagine we'd be into some big crowds, correct? I can probably manage an extra day off or two and go Sunday-Tues but if there's a quiet(er) section of the river to hit on a Saturday it'd be better work-wise.

Thanks.

[grizwilson]

Right now Ponnca to Pruitt would be a drag water is too low or I would be on it rather than this computer. The strech from Carver to Woollum has some extremely long holes. Anywhere from 65 bridge down is usually floatable. If you are committed to 2 or more days the run from Rush to the White is excellent fewer folks but no take outs, with current generation on white would have to float down to Shedds bridge or North Fork to take out. check http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state-summary/state/AR/ as they keep current on water levels

[Al Agnew]

The Buffalo is more rain dependent than most of the streams in Missouri, so the water levels can vary a lot during the summer, and low water on the Buffalo in the summer means that the river above Hwy. 65 can be strenuous "walk-wade-floating". And in low water, the lower river will have a lot of slow pools to paddle through. In low water, the stretch from Hwy. 65 or Gilbert to Hwy. 14 or Buffalo Point can actually be the best floating on the river, because there are few tributaries of any size entering the river between Gilbert and the White, yet the farther down you go the wider the channel gets, so riffles on the lower end of the river can be wider and shallower. Gilbert to Buffalo Point is a very scenic section, with big bluffs and huge gravel bars, but it gets a lot of summer floating pressure.

On the other hand, if the watershed gets good summer rains, that section will move along fairly well. But with enough summer rains, I think I'd opt for Woolum to Hwy. 65 or the visitor center. In fact, ideally, I'd put in at Mount Hershey and go to Baker Ford or the visitor center. That way you'd float past the Narrows, one of my favorite spots on the river and a nice side hike (climb) up onto the Narrows itself. I'm not sure how easy it is to get a shuttle for that float...maybe Bobber will chime in with such info.

[bobber]

yesterday, you can not float above pruitt,there is no water! levels are too low.. we put on 100 canoes along with 4 other outfitters... (pruitt, to hasty/carver) you couldn't see any gravel bars they were covered with canoes and people.. by 2:30 almost all camp sites along the river were taken. by large groups of boyscouts, church groups, and father and son groups. parking at hasty and carver was a joke! we had them all along the hwy for about a mile and a half in both directions if you have ever been to either spot you can just wounder what 400 plus car trucks and trailers look like?... A ZOO. YES A SUNDAY MONDAY TRIP is the way to go for summer trips.the upper district ends with woolum and the middle district starts at bakers ford.we don't over lap areas. http://www.floatthebuffalo.com/ carver to woolum would be the great trip don't use the American white water site the readings don't up date fast enough ..call an outfitter for an update/ river report..two weeks ago the rain had the river rise 7 vertical feet in hour and a half.... i can't stress the importance of what this river can do in just a short time. you set up on a gravel bar all the stars are gone and you see lightning flashes way off in the distance. you toss the last log on the fire and retreat to the tent doze off, and roll over in the middle of the night to a soggy pillow and water in your tent. grab the flashlight and shine it out of the tent door to see your canoe floated off, and that big gravel pile your on is gone. and you have just minutes to grab your gear and scramble into the woods for safety...

[Coldspring]

...roll over in the middle of the night to a soggy pillow and water in your tent. grab the flashlight and shine it out of the tent door to see your canoe floated off, and that big gravel pile your on is gone. and you have just minutes to grab your gear and scramble into the woods for safety...

Wouldn't be a bad way to go, if I was by myself.

Wonder if there are any water sensors that can be setup that would sound a siren alert, has anyone ever marketed them? The old stick in the gravel doesn't do much good when you are sound asleep after a day in the sun and a few cold beverages around the campfire.