See all 13 routes on Buffalo River
Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo RiverKyle's Landing to Pruitt
Long upper Buffalo National River day from Kyle's Landing to Pruitt, linking the Erbie and Ozark access corridor before the Highway 7 take-out. NPS supports the access chain and mileage, AW identifies the exact I-II reach, and the Pruitt gauge gives a guarded low-water check.
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Route location
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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 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.
Access map
Put-in
Kyle's Landing campground / river accessKyle's Landing is a remote upper-district access reached by rough park road. Confirm road, parking, and landing conditions before committing to the shuttle.
Take-out
Pruitt Landing / Highway 7 accessPruitt is a busy Highway 7 access with posted park and concession operations. Leave room for loading, trailers, and local traffic.
Road shuttle
Stage 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.
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 Pruitt gauge as a downstream corridor check with minimum-only scoring. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the Pruitt gauge as the route-corridor check, but make same-day visual decisions at Kyle's Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt because NPS warns the Buffalo can change quickly and wood may not be visible from the gauge.
- Kyle's Landing road access, no-road river miles, unreliable GPS, limited cell service, and cold swims make low water, rising water, and late finishes more consequential than the moderate rapid class suggests.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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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
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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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.
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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 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.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-05-31USGS 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Buffalo River
All 13Nearby routes within 75 miles
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