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Arkansas | Ozark Highlands

Buffalo River

Kyle's Landing to Pruitt

Check current paddling conditions for this Buffalo River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 13.2 mi
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 6 hr to 8 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Buffalo River corridor near the Ozark-to-Pruitt trail shows forested bluffs and a broad river bend.
Route photoBuffalo River corridor between Ozark and PruittPhoto by NPS via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distanceAbout 13.2 miKyle's Landing to Pruitt
DifficultyhardAmerican Whitewater lists Kyle's to Pruitt as Class I-II. The route is longer than the common Ponca-to-Kyle's and Pruitt-to-Hasty day trips, includes remote gravel-road access at Kyle's, Erbie, and Ozark, and should stay behind the whitewater route type because swift water, wood, rough shuttles, and quick rises are first-class decisions.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the take-out at Pruitt Landing, then drive back to Kyle's Landing. NPS access roads can be unpaved, rocky, slow, or unreliable for GPS navigation, and Kyle's Landing Road is a practical shuttle constraint. Inspect both accesses before launching.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific private paddling permit is known for a normal Buffalo National River day trip. Follow NPS river rules, carry required PFDs, obey access and parking signs, and check park alerts, weather, and river level before launching.
CampingDay tripTreat this as a committed day trip unless the group has a separate Buffalo backcountry plan. NPS allows backcountry camping on the river without a permit, but camps must still respect park rules, gravel-bar conditions, weather, and private/scenic-easement boundaries.
SeasonFeb-DecNPS says upper Buffalo paddling is extremely rainfall dependent and usually practical in spring and early summer when consistent rainfall feeds the watershed. This route should be treated as a recent-water, stable-or-falling-gauge trip, not a dependable summer float.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Kyle's Landing and take out at Pruitt for a long upper Buffalo day past Erbie and Ozark. Use the Pruitt USGS gauge as a downstream low-water check, and skip the route when the river is rising fast, very low, or above the NPS unsafe level.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

Kyle's Landing campground / river access
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Kyle's Landing is a remote upper-district access reached by rough park road. Confirm road, parking, and landing conditions before committing to the shuttle.

Finish

Take-out

Pruitt Landing / Highway 7 access
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Pruitt is a busy Highway 7 access with posted park and concession operations. Leave room for loading, trailers, and local traffic.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Kyle's Landing is a remote upper-district access reached by rough park road. Confirm road, parking, and landing conditions before committing to the shuttle.
  • Pruitt is a busy Highway 7 access with posted park and concession operations. Leave room for loading, trailers, and local traffic.
  • 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 Pruitt gauge as a downstream corridor check with minimum-only scoring. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.

Watch for

  • Swift Class I-II current, shoals, wave trains, sharp bends, side channels, and cold-water swims.
  • Fast rain rises, falling water after short rain windows, strainers, sweepers, fresh flood wood, and blind side channels.
  • Low water below about 100 cfs at Pruitt, when the Float Guide marks Pruitt very low and dragging or portage-like sections become likely.
  • High water above the NPS 2,000 cfs Pruitt unsafe level; do not treat flood or rising water as suitable private-boater conditions.
  • Long day mileage, limited/no cell service, remote rescue exposure, rough-road shuttle delays, and late-day darkness.

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

The Buffalo River corridor near the Ozark-to-Pruitt trail shows forested bluffs and a broad river bend.
Buffalo River corridor between Ozark and PruittPhoto by NPS via Wikimedia Commons
NPS asset: public domain

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

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Gauge inputChecking

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Weather inputChecking

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Next stepChecking

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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteBuffalo River at Pruitt, AR
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor100 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreNPS Buffalo National River Float Guide Pruitt gauge bands
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

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 Pruitt, 13.2 miles

    NPS lists Kyle's Landing and Pruitt as Buffalo River access points and gives 13.2 river miles between them, with Erbie and Ozark as intermediate access points.

    Source

  • Exact reach contextAW Kyle's to Pruitt, I-II

    American Whitewater identifies the exact Kyle's-to-Pruitt reach as 13.2 to 13.4 miles, Class I-II, with Erbie Campground and Ozark Campground as intermediate access points.

    Source

  • Direct corridor gaugeUSGS 07055680

    USGS Buffalo River at Pruitt is the take-out corridor gauge. Its legacy current page exposed recent official data during review, including 442 cfs and 4.85 ft at 2026-05-31 16:30 CDT.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • High-water cutoffNPS unsafe above 2,000 cfs at Pruitt

    NPS says Buffalo River levels greater than 2,000 cfs at the Pruitt / Highway 7 gage are unsafe. The app does not turn that into an ideal scoring range.

    Source

  • Access coordinatesKyle's Landing 36.055756, -93.2813; Pruitt 36.057666, -93.135032

    NPS Getting Around lists Kyle's Landing and Pruitt launch coordinate anchors. Use the signed landings and current park access conditions rather than GPS alone.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Arkansas

All 45 routes
Arkansas route guideBrowse every tracked Arkansas route.Ozark HighlandsJump to routes in this region.

More on Buffalo River

All 20
Canalside Buffalo to Smith Street / Red Jacket Riverfront Park and returnErie County / Buffalo waterfrontModerate · About 6.6 miles round trip from Canalside Buffalo to Smith Street/Red Jacket Riverfront ParkErbie to HastyOzark HighlandsHard · About 14.4 to 14.5 miErbie to PruittOzark HighlandsModerate · About 7.6 miHarlem Road Fishing Access to Ohio Street Boat LaunchErie County / Buffalo and West SenecaModerate · Approximately 5.6 river miles from Harlem Road to Ohio Street

Nearby routes by distance

Kings RiverRockhouse Access to Trigger Gap · about 26 mi awayModerate · About 7.7 miCrooked CreekLower Pyatt Access to Kelley's Slab Access · about 28 mi awayModerate · About 18.5 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access plannerCrooked CreekLower Pyatt Access to Snow Access · about 28 mi awayModerate · 6.7 miCrooked CreekLower Pyatt Access to Mark Oliver Access · about 28 mi awayModerate · About 11.9 mi

Quick answers

Buffalo River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Buffalo River?

Paddle Today watches Buffalo River at Pruitt, AR and uses 100 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Buffalo River route start and end?

This route starts at Kyle's Landing campground / river access and ends at Pruitt Landing / Highway 7 access, about About 13.2 mi on the water.

Is this Buffalo River route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

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