Recreation Area · Arkansas
Buffalo National River
America’s first national river — turquoise water & towering bluffs
TypeRecreation Area
StateArkansas
Best seasonSpring (high water) & fall color
Don’t missBig Bluff & the Goat Trail
The first national river in the country, running free and undammed for 135 Ozark miles past some of the tallest bluffs between the Rockies and Appalachians. Big Bluff and a reintroduced elk herd make it Arkansas’s wild crown jewel.
What to see
- Big Bluff (Goat Trail)
- Hemmed-In Hollow Falls
- Elk herd at Boxley
- Steel Creek
- Lost Valley
On public wild lands, services are sparse and conditions change fast — check the managing agency (Forest Service / BLM / Park Service) for road and seasonal closures, fire restrictions, and any permits before you go, and pack out what you pack in.
Build a trip around wild places like this.
Roamward turns spots like this into a real road trip on your phone — the scenic drive, the stops, and the detours, planned around the vibe you’re after. Get early access: