Plan a 2-Day Float Trip on the Buffalo National River
February 19, 2026From Ponca to Pruitt
Overview
The Ponca-to-Pruitt stretch of the Buffalo National River is without a doubt the most scenic multi-day float trip in Arkansas. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say it’s the most beautiful river scenery in mid-America!
Covering approximately 23.9 river miles, this section of the Buffalo River flows through the Ponca Wilderness Area and features towering limestone bluffs, historic homesteads, and hiking trail access to the awe-inspiring Hemmed-In Hollow waterfall, as well as many side drainages offering pour-off ledges that become waterfalls after a good rain. Ponca-to-Pruitt is an ideal 2-day, 1-night trip for paddlers who want a balanced adventure of floating, exploration, and camping, not to mention opportunities for peace and quiet. If river conditions are too low for launching at the Ponca access, then Steel Creek becomes your jumping off spot for the Pruitt float trip, making your total trip mileage about 21.2 miles.
Trip Distance & Timing
A common and comfortable split of river mileage between your two days is:
- Day 1: Ponca to Kyle’s Landing (about 10.7 miles)
- Day 2: Kyle’s Landing to Pruitt (about 13.2 miles)
Under average river conditions, paddlers can expect to travel around two miles per hour, not including stops for lunch, swimming, photography and hiking. You should also factor in time for rest breaks and even needing to re-pack your canoe or kayak should you or someone in your party have a boat turn over. Below is a helpful chart of river mileage from the various upper Buffalo River accesses to various points downriver.
Important mileage markers specifically for the Ponca-to-Pruitt section include:
- Ponca to Steel Creek: @ 2.7 miles
- Steel Creek to Kyle’s Landing: @ 8 miles
- Kyle’s Landing to Erbie: @ 5.6 miles
- Erbie to Ozark: @ 5.5 miles
- Ozark to Pruitt: @ 2.1 miles
Suggested Day 1 Itinerary: Ponca to Kyle’s Landing
Launch early from Ponca (ideally by 10:00 AM) to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the outstanding scenery you’re about to encounter. Scenic highlights along this stretch of river include towering bluffs and the chance to hike to the magnificent Hemmed-in-Hollow waterfall.
Plan to arrive your chosen campsite by mid- to late afternoon, allowing time to set up, explore, and relax by the river. Many overnighters prefer stopping at Kyle’s Landing Campground for the evening. Please note that Kyle’s Landing campsites are first-come / first-served. To be assured of a campsite, it’s wise to set up camp prior to launching, preferably the day before your trip begins. Doing so enables you to float your first day with far less gear and weight in your boat. Plus, it’s just nice to arrive camp with everything already in place. Click here to learn more about the Kyle’s Landing NPS Campground and book your campsite online.
Gravel Bar Camping Option
Another overnight camping option is to choose your own campsite. Doing so provides you a chance to experience the Buffalo National River in solitude and without being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a campground. In addition, the Buffalo National River is a Dark Sky Park, so if pitching a tent under a billion stars sounds amazing, then a gravel bar campsite is the way to go.
Two things to remember: 1) It’s a National Park Service regulation that you MUST set up camp at least ½ mile upstream or downstream of a designated NPS campground, Kyle’s Landing being one of those. And 2) Please practice Leave No Trace principles, including packing out body waste and trash and dismantling a fire ring should you have built (or found) one.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: When gravel bar camping—regardless of the forecast—camp with your boats ABOVE your tent site, not at river level. We have plenty of stories wherein campers failed to follow this guideline and found themselves with a flooded river and no boats to paddle out with. Please, don’t be them!
Save Effort & Weather Worry
Have unpredictable weather in your trip forecast? Or prefer not to haul all of your gear and supplies downriver? We have a great solution! On Day 1 of your trip, have BOC move your vehicle(s) from the launch site to your choice of Kyle’s Landing or Erbie campgrounds, depending upon how far you want to commit to paddling the first day. Then on Day 2, pack your vehicle with any unnecessary gear and that morning we’ll move your vehicle from your campsite to the Pruitt takeout. Click here for current BOC vehicle shuttle rates.
Suggested Day 2 Itinerary: Kyle’s Landing to Pruitt
Break camp and float 5.6 miles downstream to Erbie, a historic river community featuring the primitive Erbie Church and the Parker-Hickman Homestead. As you cross the Erbie low water bridge (which could be a portage, depending on river level), you’ll still have 7.6 miles (or approximately 4 hours of paddling) ahead of you to your takeout at Pruitt, so take remaining daylight into consideration if you choose to stop and explore. Once you reach the Ozark Campground, you’re now just 2.1 miles to the Pruitt landing.
How to Know You’re At Pruitt
Your river trip ends after you float beneath the Pruitt Bridge which spans the Buffalo National River 5 miles north of the town of Jasper. Once you float under the bridge, the Pruitt takeout is on your left at a large gravel bar area. Most likely you’ll see other boats and people swimming or day picnicking at this popular Buffalo River access. If you’ve rented canoes or kayaks from us, simply pull up on shore, unload your gear and have a safe trip back home—we’ll take care of the rest! Your shuttled vehicle(s) can be found in the parking area adjacent to the tree line above the gravel bar. Sometimes this access can be very crowded, so your car might also be parked along the circular road just north of the main parking lot.
Note that there are no camping facilities at Pruitt, so if you are planning to camp once you take out, the nearest NPS campground is upstream at the Ozark Campground or downstream at Carver. Both of these campgrounds can be reached by car. Click here to learn more about these and other NPS Buffalo River campgrounds.
Sightseeing Along the Ponca-to-Pruitt Section
The Ponca-to-Pruitt section of the Buffalo is home to the most iconic, scenic landmarks along the entire river. We call it the “24-Karat Gold” section of the river, which we deem as a “solid gold” experience for all of its 143 navigable miles. While every nook and cranny along the Buffalo is worth exploring, here are some of the more notable features or places you’ll want to take note of as you paddle. Some merit taking the time to pause and explore, such as hiking the ½-mile trail to the stunning Hemmed-In Hollow waterfall.
Beautiful Roark Bluff
If your launch site is the Ponca low water bridge, then you’ll get to experience floating beneath the beautiful striped limestone face of Roark Bluff, one of the longest bluffs on the entire Buffalo River. This horseshoe-shaped cliff-face rises 220 feet at its highest point above the river. The bluff begins at the top of the Steel Creek campground and continues for 3/4’s of a mile to where it finally ends at the Steel Creek launch access.
Majestic Big Bluff
About 1.5 miles downstream of the Steel Creek launch is one of the most jaw-dropping features on the entire Buffalo National River: Big Bluff. This massive limestone cliff-face on river left soars 500 feet above the Buffalo, dwarfing everything else in sight. Take a few minutes to pull your canoe or kayak over onto the gravel bar and appreciate Big Bluff’s grand beauty.
Jim Bluff
Jim Bluff (river left) may not be as grand in size as Big Bluff, but it’s walls create a beautiful deep pool that makes for the perfect swimming hole. There’s also a small area in which to make camp beside the bluff if you’re one of the lucky few who get there first. You’ll know you’re at Jim Bluff as many years ago a local painted that name on a large boulder in honor of an old-timer named “Jim” who once lived nearby.
Hemmed-In Hollow Waterfall / Granny Henderson’s Cabin
True story: Hemmed-in-Hollow waterfall is the tallest waterfall between the Appalachians and the Rockies. And we promise that witnessing its 250-ft cascading veil of water will be one of the highlights of your Ponca-to-Pruitt river trip! The trail to Hemmed-In Hollow is located about .3 miles downstream of Jim Bluff on river LEFT. Once you pass Sneed Creek, you’ll most likely see the boats of other paddlers pulled up on the narrow span of gravel bar that marks the start of the trail. This is also where you can hike to the historic cabin of Buffalo River celebrity Granny Henderson. Granny was the last of the homesteaders to leave the river once it was designated a national park. Her cabin is one of the irreplaceable historic treasures of this landscape, so please visit the homestead with great care.
Parker-Hickman Homestead at Erbie
The Parker-Hickman Homestead dates to the early 1840’s and history lovers will find it well worth a stop. To find the Homestead, take out on river right at the Erbie low water bridge and walk a short distance up the road to the homestead. The home, which was added to over many generations, and barn are invaluable reminders of a time when people were extra tough and endured much hardship in order to make a life for themselves in a beautiful, yet unforgiving landscape.
What to Pack
Essential items for a 2-day river trip include dry bags, a first aid kit and safety/rescue gear, tent or hammock system, sleeping gear, food, water filtration, quick-dry clothing, rain protection, sun protection, and navigation tools, especially a Buffalo National River / West Half map. Pack lightweight but be prepared for changing weather conditions. Be sure to keep a low profile with gear and distribute weight as evenly as possible when packing your boat.
The stellar scenery is a big reason you’re here, so be sure you have a camera and a way to keep your camera/phone waterproof when it isn’t in use. A copy of Ken Smith’s “Buffalo River Handbook” is also helpful to have along so you can better appreciate the pre-history, historical name places, geology, flora and fauna of the Buffalo National River.
Boat Rental & Vehicle Shuttle Service
Using BOC’s vehicle shuttle service will greatly enhance your trip experience by saving your precious time. We can also provide you with quality canoe or kayak rentals, plus, local expertise on all things Buffalo National River. Need help understanding how the shuttle system works? Give us a call at 870-861-5514!
Let Us Pack Your Lunch!
Need sandwiches for your cooler? The BOC Deli can help! Have one less thing to do on Launch Day by letting us pack cooler-friendly lunches for your crew. If you have more than 6 people in your party, call us the day before (870-861-5514) so we can have your group’s lunches packed and ready to go so there’s no wait time on your part. Check out the BOC deli menu here!
Final Planning Tips
- Always check current river levels and Ponca area weather conditions before your trip.
- Plan launch times that accommodate unforeseen delays.
- Build flexibility into your schedule and plan conservative mileage if water levels are low.
- Review our Floating FAQs, which are a must-read for any paddler, but especially those new to floating the Buffalo National River.
With thoughtful planning, the Ponca-to-Pruitt float trip is a river adventure you’ll happily reflect back on for years and years to come!
