Camping

[ollie]

Need a little help here. Been sooooooo long since I have been to Buffalo that I need a little refresher. I'm taking the family camping next weekend and need a good location to camp. I know all the river is beautiful and I would like to make it a memorable trip for all. Wife and kids have never been so I need some directions! Considering Lost Valley, Kyles Lnading, or Steel Creek. Which one is the most scenic in your opinion? Which one is very easy access? I'll be coming from Neosho, Mo so I want the easiest way to go also. Any ideas would be great!

[bobber]

tylerbend!.... with the wife and kids! it's a no brainer they have the hot and cold running water ... showers... and non-pit potties ... hwy 412 to harrison and then 65 S. to the campground! use it as a base camp...fill up in harrison ....http://home.nps.gov/applications/parks/buff/ppMaps/ACF5567.pdf...down load the map

[Terry Beeson]

Ollie,

A lot depends on what you want and stream conditions. Not sure about when you get there, but the river was pretty good at the 65 bridge when I crossed it Sunday. I would say the upper end where you're talking would be a nice float right now. There is some really beautiful scenery between Lost Valley and Erbie. But there is also some good floating from say Mt Hersey or Woolum to Tyler Bend or Gilbert.

However, that stretch is probably going to be really crowded right now. The parking lots at Silver Hill were running over Saturday and Sunday last when we passed by.

Another good stretch is from Buffalo Point or Rush to Buffalo City. If I remember right, Buffalo Point was a really good "more modern" camping area and Rush is not bad itself. The water/float is a bit slower, but the fishing is some better on that stretch.

[Danoinark]

If you have your family with you I would pick one of the areas already mentioned like Tyler Bend or Buffalo Point. And the main reason, and I hate to get this started here, but the locals and others seem to make the lower areas, such as Kyles and Ozark party central on the weekend. Just my opinion but verified too. Dano

[Ham]

I've stayed at Tyler Bend. It can get a little noisy until the wee hours on the weekends as well. TB should be a good choice for the listed reasons, plus it has some hiking trails and the vistor center.

I have friends that like Buffalo Point a lot. It is as nice as Tyler Bend from what I have heard.

Off season would be better, but you can't have everything.

[ollie]

I doubt that the kids will even float unless I can get another boat. Just too cheap to rent one for the day! lol They really don't care that much about it to be honest. Yeah, I really don't want to get overcrowded either. She will like the hot water and potties, but the kids and I don't really care. Bobber, you talking about taking 412 out of Springdale heading east? That was the way I was thinking about going also. Keep the ideas coming though.

[oneshot]

If you have your family with you I would pick one of the areas already mentioned like Tyler Bend or Buffalo Point. And the main reason, and I hate to get this started here, but the locals and others seem to make the lower areas, such as Kyles and Ozark party central on the weekend. Just my opinion but verified too. Dano

Got to agree.Love both places.

oneshot

[bobber]

yeap! thats the one!! if you want you can turn right to kingston , just after marble that takes you to the boxley valley..... steel creek is mostly a horse campgroung! but the shortest drive down the mountain!kyles will smoke your breaks!.... jasper is a crossroad and the only gas and food.. eurbie is a 8 mile long drive in.. and ,ozark has some big rocks in mid stream to swim off of.. pruit is only a put in or swimming day use.. hasty is just a take out! carver is a tiny camp ground. mt hersey is way in there! woolum and bakers ford aren't really camp worthy ..there is good eating places on 65 north right by the gilbert turn in , or BBQ place about three miles north of that.... your looking at about 2 and a half hours from the far side of springdale... and tyler bend is lights out at 10 pm never loud music in that campground (HAM'S) THINKING OF SOMEPLACE ELSE!! RANGER KATHY FLASHES HER LITE AT YOU AT 9:45 and you better keep your dog on a leash! too ..... do a printout of that link map, you'll be glad you did!

[Ham]

Oh Bobber I wish I was. Kyle's was worse,but I had some idiot James Taylor wannabe singing far into the night at Tyler Bend. I'm ok until about midnight and then I start getting PO'ed.

Agreed about the road to Kyle's. We stayed there during a monsoon weekend the ruts got worse and worse each trip in or out. Several places I didn't dare slow down as much as I would have liked to for fear of getting stick, but I was fairly white knuckled trying to keep the truck on the "road".

Kyle's will teach you to use L1 or L2.

Steel Creek ain't a whole lotta fun, but it's worse if you get in a hurry.

[techo]

One of the cool things about Tyler Bend is the Rangers have an informational talk and slides. They do an informational thing on Sunday mornins at the river. The kids seem to like it. We went a couple of weekends ago. The Rangers kept the place pretty quiet. As a matter of fact.....they gave us a noise warning and all we were doing was setting up tents too late!

There are also a couple of trails to hike. You can hike to the old Collier homestead and see some old buildings. There is a movie to see at the visitor center. We enjoyed Tyler's Bend for the family.