Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

I'm planning to take some folks from Steele creek to Hemmed-in-hollow (camp here) then paddle out to Kyles landing. I need a reputable outfitter to plan this with. Any ideas?

The closest outfitter for that stretch of the Buffy is Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca. Link below:

http://www.buffaloriver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We use BOC in Ponca when we need an outfitter on that stretch of the river.

Shuttles, boat rentals, cabins, store and river info... Good people all around.

I've always used Lost Valley Canoes. They are right past BOC. Both are fine. There is also a new place right at the turn off for Kyles. Haven't tried or heard anything about them.

http://www.lostvalleycanoe.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

kru

I think the guy at Kyles has been there for a number of years but he has a newer, fancier building now.

BOC has been my outfitter of choice for many years. Never had a bad experience trusting them with shuttles or anything else. Mike Mills and his staff go out of their way to be helpful regardless of the time of year I have needed their help. IIRC there are 12 licensed concessions on the river now. None of them would get or keep those NPS licenses if they were slipshod in any way.

April 12, 2013 / 8:00 AM: The Buffalo River is @ 22" of airspace at the Ponca Low Water Bridge. This is a good canoeing water level on the upper Buffalo National River.

This morning's river level courtesy of BOC's website.

Lost Valley is preferable, in my opinion.

I have never found B.O.C. Helpful or friendly.
You will find them ridiculously priced. Lost Valley also my preference.

Not sure if you have already made this trip, but I highly recommend Lost Valley Canoes over BOC. No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem...

My type of people

Since I think we're talking about canoe rentals I'm not sure what's meant by "overpriced" since the published rates for Lost Valley and BOC are $50 and $55 respectively.

Dale is so, so right, those in the know use Lost Valley Canoe, for a multitude of reasons.

Jesse at Buffalo River Canoes is solid and has a new place right at the run off down to Kyles. Also like Lost Valley.

Buffalo River Canoes in their new digs at the top of Kyle's Landing road I understand to be Painter Bob's hang out. Well, at least I waved at him standing by the deck while it was being built. I hope everybody supports their efforts. I hate to get tangential to the original post and get negative, but I know what people mean by saying that Lost Valley Canoe is "my type of people". Buffalo Outdoor Center is a mainstay and their facilities are certainly impressive but there's something really comforting about hanging out at Lost Valley. Maybe it's the difference between folks who like to hang out at a local dive and those who like more of the polish of a larger franchise. But that's not a fair comparison, since BOC has grown with many of us from small beginnings. Anyway, it's good to have variety and people are attracted to different outfits.
The original post was about finding an outfitter to plan a trip with and canoe rentals is one aspect to keep in mind. I believe the fees to shuttle your vehicle to a take out may vary. All of the outfitters are very knowledge about the park and it's good to build up a relationship and a friendship with an outfitter. Sometimes businesses do get big and busy and some may perceive the treatment they get as not friendly, but they might just be too busy.

Dale and Roger are right on regarding Lost Valley Canoe. Bryan, wife Chris,brother Bryant, Larry,and the entire crew at Lost Valley value your safety as a customer first; and of course, will make any accurate suggestions to insure a top quality experience while paddling the Buffalo. I have personally witnessed LVC explain to customers that the river was too high to paddle for their skill level; then the [disgruntled] customer went down the street and rented a canoe from BOC. Most of the time, that customer had to rescued by the NFS or some other government agency due to lack of skills/high water BEFORE the park service claimed the river was too high to rent out canoes. LVC was far ahead of the curve and explained to the customer that LVC was concerned about their personal safety first, their profit margin didn't enter into the conversation because you knew where their value systems were located. Bryan and crew are one of the ONLY outfitters who have frequently run my shuttle on the Hailstone, and never experienced any problems, always polite, professional and they will consistently give you more value for the money. Don't let the aroma of heated, frozen pizza persuade you as you cruise through Ponca; go with folks who definitely care about you, your safety, a quality river experience, and the environment. Just my HNMO.