Trip Planning Advice Needed for Buffalo River

[azcanoe52]

I am in the process of planning a multi-day canoe trip on the Buffalo River for late May and have a tentative plan. I want to be sure it passes the "common sense" test, and thus looking for any comments, positive and negative.
I live in Phoenix, a friend lives in Indianapolis. We are long time canoers and have paddled together on multi-day trips in more remote areas.
I will present the plan from my perspective as I will be traveling the farthest.
May 26 - June 2
depart Phx Sunday morning arrive Kyle's Landing sometime on Monday - Memorial Day
depending upon arrival time either camp at Kyle's Landing or put-in and river camp downstream
Tuesday - Kyle's Landing area to Pruit area
Wednesday - Pruit area to Carver area
Thursday - Carver area to Woolum area
Friday - Woolum area to Tyler Bend
for a total of 55 river miles
Friday night - camp at Tyler Bend
depart for Phx Saturday morning

group size anywhere from 2 to 10 max
2 canoes minimum

some questions are:
reservations needed at Kyle's Landing and/or Tyler Bend?
how likely will Kyle's Landing will be full in the evening of Monday Memorial Day?
how likely will Tyler Bend will be full Friday afternoon/evening May 31st?
Jasper a good place to stock up on groceries, etc?
as my "Indianapolis friend" may not meet us until Tues or Weds, is there any cell phone
coverage in the area?
finally - if I am in need of a shuttle ride is there a provider you can recommend?

thank you for your input

Azcanoe52 in Phx

[Deuce]

The only potential snag I see is river levels. May or may not be an issue, but the Buffalo, especially that part of it, is rain dependent. Makes advanced planning tough. Here's a handy page that links to the gauges. http://www.troop142bsa.org/buffalo_national_river.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Hopefully it will work out for you, but if not we can probably help with some alternatives. Welcome.

[azcanoe52]

thank you Luke for the link and the advice -
if low then I guess the best thing would be to start farther downstream

Ron

[Deuce]

You got it. No whitewater on the lower, but any place on the Buffy is a great place to be, and there's some outstanding fishing between Spring Creek and Rush. Just keep a weather eye as they say and maybe it'll work out for you. Good luck.

[Lupe]

Buffalo River Canoe (floatthebuffalo.com) is a good place if you decide to have a shuttle run for you for that section of the river. If you move upstream because you get lucky with water, then Buffalo Outdoor Center is good if you start up at Ponca.

Like Luke said, you should probably have Plan A and Plan B and make the call right before it's your trip time on where to launch. If water is low, you might be able to put in at Gilbert and take out at the White and that's almost exactly the same miles but further down river. I've not had shuttle run for me on the lower, but I have left a car at Riley's Station for my take out (when you get to the White you just need to paddle a little bit upstream and ferry across the White to get to Riley's).

Worse case scenario would be Plan C and you have to go north to the Current River in Missouri (Spring fed so you will have water, but further from you and while very pretty you wouldn't want to pass up the Buffalo unless you absolutely had no water). Last year was horribly dry, so here's hoping that won't happen 2 years in a row and you'll have your pick of where to go on the Buffalo.

I would think arriving Monday night you should be fine for camping, but you might want to check with the NPS or others on that. As for cell coverage, unless new towers have gone up, I don't believe I've ever had a signal anywhere except maybe Tyler Bend (I think I had to walk up away from the river a bit) and for sure at Gilbert. Then again, I wasn't exactly checking for a signal a whole lot either!

Finally, despite the bummed out talk of no water/low water, since that's still thunderstorm season, you do also have to be prepared for high water. The Buffalo can really flash after high rain, so do keep that in mind on your trip, and when making camp selection decisions!

I hope a good trip itinerary works out for you all - it''s such a knock out beautiful river!

Cheers

[Lupe]

This is a file of mileage, handy links and numbers that Richard (an ACC Member) put together a couple years ago. I have found it immensely helpful in planning all my multi-day Buffalo Trips.

Thanks Richard for this great resource!

(not sure I ever attached a document, so fingers crossed that it works....)

[Jim Krueger]

I'll try and offer answers to some of your other questions.
Camping at Kyles and Tyler Bend are on a first come basis, however reservations at Tyler Bend can be made for one of their group tent sites if you have a minimum of 10 folks.
Staying at any of the campgrounds should actually be pretty doable on Monday evening in my opinion, since most folks will be headed home after the holiday weekend.
Getting your grub and supplies in Jasper is also fine in my opinion, 'Bob's Market' is located on Hwy 7 on the Northern edge of Jasper. If you are passing in from any of the larger towns in Arkansas, Little Rock, Harrison, Fayettville, etc. you would have more grocery stores to choose from of course but I have used Bob's many times for food and fuel. I imagine they will be open on Memorial Day but not 100% on that.
Cell phone coverage is not so hot for my AT&T service but those with Verizon see to have better coverage in N. Arkansas and down in the river valleys. Still, with my little AT&T flip phone, I have service in Jasper, and most anywhere else around there if I just get up on top of the nearest mountain.
One more bit of advice; Kyle's is one of the most beautiful of the campgrounds but it has one of the most steep roads going in there. It is gravel, and usually fairly well maintained by the park service. I have done fine going in there over the years in my 2WD pickup, but do use the low gear rather than riding the brakes! I haven't had the chance to go there in several years, so others will probably have a better assesment of current conditions. I do know it's always been my hope not to have to drive out from there after it's been raining much.


Best Regards
Jim

[Deuce]

If you end up on the lower I highly recommend Aaron at Buffalo River Float Service for shuttling and many other needs you might have including advice. Super nice guy and he will have your vehicle where you need it when you need it there. Reasonable prices too. Also, there is a little bit of whitewater to be had below Rush; forgot about that.

[azcanoe52]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions - answers that I will mull over the next few days
and check the Arkansas weather map ever now and then. Plan B is now in the planning stages.
Bob's Market will probably get a visit and will call Aaron for shuttle. I will be driving a 4-wheel drive truck
so not so worried about the steep grade into Kyle's Landing - but nice to know. Here is AZ we have flash floods
even in winter so know about that. If anyone needs help in planning a western river trip, give me a shout and I will return the favor! Google "Ron the Canoe Guy"

[kru1]

Plan B should be rather simple, lower Buffalo; Buffalo Point to Buffalo City. I usually make it my Plan A. You are surrounded by a wilderness area for ~30 miles. One can get a canoe down that section almost always. If it is in flood stage, chances are a majority of the down-river Ozark streams are. Go find some flat water on our bayous. Bayou DeView is a great place to get lost.

Enjoy,
kru

[Richard]

With your going in late May, the probability of Kyles is extremely low. I would make that Plan Z. Spring of 2011 was interesting. Very wet in April. I had a friend who was going to float Ponca to the White. Despite a very wet April by May 18 above Pruitt was not floatable so he put in at Pruitt. Two days later he was above Woolum when it began to rain. He was stranded for three days. By July the whole Buffalo was very low or too low to float.
Lupe, glad you found the spreadsheet useful.

[deakin]

Another thing to keep in mind is that if the river is running high your miles per day goes up. I've has trips that it was a struggle to get 10 miles in a day and trips I did 12 miles before lunch. Plan several trips of varying lengths depending on water levels etc. so you can go with the flow when you get there. There's no bad part of the Buffalo and that time of year is a great time to go if there's water.
You were asking about reservations to camp grounds, camping is allowed on any of the numerous gravel bars in case that's an option. I prefer camping away from the big camp sites.

[Richard]

All the advice provided here has been excellent. I too would recommend gravel bars over campgrounds. I hope you understand and plan to follow Leave No Trace. Gnats have become a problem at Buffalo Point and to a lessor extent at Tyler Bend. You will be here during the peak tick season. Beware, ticks are the most deadly of all wildlife you will encounter here. I came within hours of dying from a tick bite I got on the Buffalo in 2009. There is also a cute fuzzy caterpillar that you do not want to mess with. That fuzz is poisonous darts. My daughter ended up going to the emergency room after playing with one. Snakes are your friends. Leave them be.

BTW, my Arizona roots go back to 1918. My second cousin was the mayor of Tempe for several years. His grandfather and my grandmother were from the El Dorado Arkansas area and he moved to Tempe about the time Arizona became a state. I was born in Mesa. All of Arizona south of the 34th parallel was claimed as Confederate territory in 1861 so that makes me a "Johnny Reb" and not a damnyankee. :myday"

[hollohead]

Plan A should be to hope there is enough water to start 8 miles upstream at Steele creek putin. It's all beautiful, but Steele Cr. to Kyles landing is the best of the best, and it would be a shame to miss it if there is water. If there is enough water to start at Kyles, there will be enough to start at Steele Cr.

[Deuce]

that makes me a "Johnny Reb" and not a damnyankee. :myday"

It's true. I've heard the rebel yell from Richard.