The Buffalo River Trail is a

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

trail that follows the path of the

Buffalo National River The Buffalo River, located in Northern Arkansas, was the first List of areas in the United States National Park System#National rivers and national wild and scenic rivers, National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River i ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. It consists of two separate sections that are referred to as the Western and Eastern sections. The Western Section (upper river section) is from Boxley Valley to Pruitt. The Eastern Section (middle, lower river section) is from Woolum Ford to Highway 14 (Dillard's Ferry). The Ozark Highlands Trail joins the Eastern Section of the Buffalo River Trail at Woolum Ford so it is officially designated the Buffalo River/Ozark Highlands Trail.

Course

The trail follows the path of the

and traverses the rugged Buffalo River country. The route stays on the south side of the river to avoid river crossings.
Western Section *Mileage: 37 miles *Trailheads: Boxley Valley (western terminus),

Ponca The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...

, Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie,

Ozark The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

, and Pruitt (eastern terminus).
Eastern Section Now open from Hwy. 65 to Hwy. 14. about 42.8 miles. *This section is also an extension of the Ozark Highlands Trail and maintenance is by the Ozark Highlands Trail Association. *Segments: **Woolum Ford (western terminus) to Collier Homestead/Tyler Bend. 12.5 miles **Collier Homestead to Grinders Ferry. 2 miles **Grinder's Ferry to Zack Ridge Road. 6.6 miles. **Zack Ridge Road to Red Bluff Road. 4.5 miles. **Red Bluff Road to South Maumee Road. 6.2 miles **South Maumee Road to Spring Creek Road. 5.1 miles **Spring Creek Road to Highway 14/Dillard's Ferry (eastern terminus). 5.9 miles. *Trailheads: Woolum Ford, Collier Homestead/Tyler Bend, Grinder's Ferry, Zack Ridge Rd., Red Bluff Rd., South Maumee, Spring Creed Rd, and Highway 14/Dillard's Ferry

Development

The trail is being developed as a cooperative effort of the NPS and volunteers. Kenneth L. Smith is the trail building volunteer coordinator. Spring work season is mid-March through early April. Fall work season is mid-October to early November.

History

In 1986 Kenneth L. Smith began his work as coordinator for development of the Buffalo River Trail. The gap between the Western and Eastern Section is due to The Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan released by the park service in 1994 which restricted development in areas designated as wilderness.

Western Section

Construction began on the Western Section in 1980 and by 1994 half of the 37 miles were completed.

Eastern Section

The Woolum Ford to Tyler Bend segment was completed in 1991 and the South Maumee to Hwy 14/Dillards Ferry segment was completed in 2010.
Ozark Highlands Trail Association volunteers built a 20 ft. bridge across a gulley near the Grinder's Ferry trailhead in 2015.

Features

Sites on the trail include expansive views from atop bluff cliffs, abandoned

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

sites, vestiges of Civil War-era mining and logging activities and a wide variety of

flora and fauna.

Guidebooks

"Buffalo River Handbook" by Kenneth L. Smith, University of Arkansas Press.
"Buffalo River Trails" by Tim Ernst, Cloudland Publishing.

Access

The Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca, AR offers a vehicle shuttle service for point-to-point hikers.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Trail Maps

NPS Trail Guide BRT Western Section (Boxley to Pruitt)
Hiking trails in Arkansas Protected areas of Newton County, Arkansas Buffalo National River