See all 13 routes on Buffalo River
Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo RiverKyle's Landing to Hasty
Long upper Buffalo continuation from Kyle's Landing to Hasty, linking the exact Kyles-to-Erbie, Erbie-to-Ozark, Ozark-to-Pruitt, and Pruitt-to-Hasty paddles into one low-water fallback-friendly day. The direct Pruitt gauge remains the same-corridor decision point.
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Route location
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Safety
Route safety
Advanced routeThis route has hazards that can create serious consequences if missed or misjudged. Paddle only with appropriate skill, equipment, and current local information.
This continuation keeps the not-for-beginners Kyle's corridor, adds the Ozark connector, and finishes on the quicker Pruitt-to-Hasty fallback.
Safety details
- NPS still says upper-district paddling is extremely dependent on rainfall, many access roads are rough or unpaved, and GPS can be unreliable in the park.
- Use the direct Pruitt gauge and current park alerts before launching. Very low water can turn this into a long drag-heavy day, and NPS says flows above 2,000 cfs at Pruitt are unsafe.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Kyle's Landing and take out at Hasty for a longer upper Buffalo continuation through Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt. Use the direct Pruitt USGS gauge as the low-water check, and skip the route when the river is rising fast, very low, or above the NPS unsafe level.
Access map
Put-in
Kyle's Landing campground / river accessKyle's Landing is a remote upper-district access reached by rough park road. NPS recommends high clearance and four-wheel drive for Kyle's Landing Road.
Take-out
Hasty river access / Chimney Rock Bluff take-outHasty is the sandy river-right take-out across from Chimney Rock Bluff. It is a rural access with limited services; do not assume cell coverage or quick rescue response.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Hasty, then drive back to Kyle's Landing. NPS component shuttles add up to about 90 minutes between Kyle's Landing, Erbie, Ozark, Pruitt, and Hasty, and upper Buffalo roads can still be rough, dusty, or slow after storms. Inspect both accesses before launching.
Additional access notes
- NPS says no road follows the river, access roads may be unpaved or rocky, and GPS can be unreliable in the park. Carry a real map and do not assume cell service.
- This route uses the direct Pruitt gauge with minimum-only scoring. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.
More route and safety guidance
- NPS still says upper-district paddling is extremely dependent on rainfall, many access roads are rough or unpaved, and GPS can be unreliable in the park.
- Use the direct Pruitt gauge and current park alerts before launching. Very low water can turn this into a long drag-heavy day, and NPS says flows above 2,000 cfs at Pruitt are unsafe.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Minimum 100 cfs · Buffalo River at Pruitt, AR
Does this gauge apply to my trip?
Use the Buffalo River at Pruitt gauge as the direct same-corridor check. Around 100 cfs is the conservative low-water floor; below that, the Buffalo float guide marks Pruitt as very low. NPS says levels above 2,000 cfs at Pruitt are unsafe.
New to reading stage or flow? Read the paddler's gauge guide.
Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Buffalo River at Pruitt, AR. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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More level reports needed
Only a low-water floor is known.
We can tell when this route is likely too low, but we do not yet have enough reports to define a best range. If you paddled it recently, send a condition report with how the level felt.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Buffalo River at Pruitt, AR |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | NPS Buffalo National River Float Guide Pruitt gauge bands |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route shapeKyle's Landing to Hasty, about 19.9 to 20.0 miles
NPS publishes Kyle's Landing to Erbie as 5.7 miles, Erbie to Ozark as 5.4 miles, Ozark to Pruitt as 2.1 miles, and Pruitt to Hasty as 7 miles, while the Buffalo access mileage chart lists about 20.0 river miles from Kyle's Landing to Hasty.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-15USGS 07055680
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Low-water floor100 cfs minimum-only
The NPS-linked Buffalo National River Float Guide uses Pruitt bands of Very Low below 100 cfs, Low from 100 to 200 cfs, Moderate from 200 to 1,000 cfs, High from 1,000 to 2,000 cfs, and Flood above 2,000 cfs. Paddle Today uses only the start of Low as a conservative floor.
- Route characterUpper Buffalo continuation into the lower-water Pruitt-to-Hasty fallback
NPS says the Kyles route is not for beginners, and the lower Pruitt-to-Hasty section is a popular alternative when conditions above Pruitt are too low for paddling.
- Access coordinatesKyle's Landing 36.055756, -93.2813; Hasty 36.008993, -93.08242
NPS Camping publishes Kyles Landing Campground GPS coordinates, and the NPS Pruitt-to-Hasty route page identifies Hasty as the sandy river-right take-out across from Chimney Rock Bluff.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS Paddle Kyle's Landing to Erbie
- NPS Paddle Erbie to Ozark
- NPS Paddle Ozark to Pruitt
- NPS Paddle Pruitt to Hasty
- NPS Buffalo River accesses and mileage
- NPS Buffalo National River paddling
- NPS Buffalo getting around / coordinates
- NPS Buffalo camping
- NPS Buffalo National River Float Guide
- USGS 07055680 Buffalo River at Pruitt
- USGS Water Services 07055680 latest conditions
Other routes nearby
More on Buffalo River
All 13Nearby routes within 75 miles
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