The Rain Forest of North America
When asked to describe the Buffalo River area in northern Arkansas, the best comparison I can come up with is to compare it against the rain forest. Like the rain forest, the buffalo river is covered in trees and vines. It is also unbearably humid, and it rains often. To further the analogy, it is a beautiful part of the country. The buffalo river in particular is dogged on both sides by massive bluffs and canyons, forming a photographic wonderland and hiking paradise.
In the month of September in 2018, four friends and I went on a hiking trip along several trails of the Buffalo river park. We camped at steel creek, a campsite near Ponca, Arkansas. The campsite is only accessible via a long, windy, 15% grade road. Once down by the river, the campground consists of a strip of land separated from the river by a shallow buffer of trees. Due to its recessed nature, the campground had little wind, and humidity tended to stick around. In the morning, a dense fog followed the river and permeated into the campground. Any items left out in the evening would become soaking wet in just minutes.
All of this aside, it was a genuinely great campsite with some interesting views of the cliffs and easy river access.
Centerpoint Trail and Big Bluff
On September 1, we left camp early to hike the nearby centerpoint trail. This trail was approximately 6 miles round trip, and lead to one of the tallest bluffs on the river from which the view was exceptional. The hike was generally easy, with a steep middle section and some loose rock towards the end.
Lost Valley
The evening of the 1st, we drove to the lost valley trail head. The lost valley is a short trail leading to a cave and falls. I had some great chances for photographs in this area!
These shots all turned out pretty well and I’m happy with how this hike went. It was a nice easy hike after doing centerpoint that morning!
Hemmed in Hollow
In the early afternoon of the next day, September 2nd, Sam and I decided to try and hike the hemmed in hollow trail. This is one of the toughest trails in the area, and basically consisted of 3 miles of stairs. With the heat and humidity, we only made it about 3/4 of the way down the trail before deciding to turn around and head back to the trail head. Someday I’ll go back and properly conquer this trail!
Steel Creek Campground
Back at steel creek, we decided to spend at least part of our afternoon relaxing by the river. It was scenic, cool, and relaxing.
Whittaker Point
Finally, the evening of the 2nd marked our last hike of the trip. We drove up a long, rough road to Whittaker point trail head. This trail lead to a large overhang of rock overlooking a fantastic view of the canyon. After a fairly easy hike, the reward is well worth it!
After a slightly risky venture of getting a stranger to take some pictures for us, I was able to obtain some really great shots of our group!
Conclusion
The buffalo river is a phenomenal part of the country, and is well worth a trip. It’s everything a hiker could ask for: remote, scenic, and stocked full of great trails. I definitely intend to return to the area someday, and suspect that you could visit every year of your life and still find something new every time!