See all 20 routes on Buffalo River
Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo River
Ponca to Erbie
Check current paddling conditions for this Buffalo River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Ponca and take out at Erbie for a long upper Buffalo day that links Steel Creek and Kyle's Landing before the Erbie finish. Use the direct Ponca USGS gauge as the low-water check, and skip the route when the river is very low, rising fast, or above the NPS unsafe level.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Ponca access / Buffalo River at Ponca gauge corridorPonca is a busy upper-district access and the gauge sits in the launch corridor. Make a visual low-water and wood check before committing.
Take-out
Erbie Campground / river accessErbie is a signed NPS campground access, but the road, parking, and the river-right take-out downstream from Erbie Ford can still be confusing or crowded on good-water weekends.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Ponca is a busy upper-district access and the gauge sits in the launch corridor. Make a visual low-water and wood check before committing.
- Erbie is a signed NPS campground access, but the road, parking, and the river-right take-out downstream from Erbie Ford can still be confusing or crowded on good-water weekends.
- 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 Ponca gauge with minimum-only scoring. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.
Watch for
- Small rapids, chutes, long pools, swift current, sharp bends, and cold-water swims across a full upper-district day.
- Fast rain rises, falling water after short rain windows, strainers, sweepers, fresh flood wood, and blind side channels.
- Low water below about 130 cfs at Ponca, when dragging and missed lines become likely well before Erbie.
- High water above the NPS 1,600 cfs Ponca unsafe level.
- Long day mileage, rough-road shuttle delays, limited or no cell service, remote rescue exposure, 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.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
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.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Buffalo River at Ponca, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 130 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Ponca-to-Kyle's Landing reach and same-gauge trip evidence |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 shapePonca to Erbie, about 16.2 to 16.3 miles
NPS publishes Ponca to Steel Creek as 2.5 miles, Steel Creek to Kyle's Landing as 8 miles, and Kyle's Landing to Erbie as 5.7 miles, while the Buffalo access mileage chart lists 16.3 river miles from Ponca to Erbie.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 07055660
Direct USGS Water Services for Buffalo River at Ponca returned same-day values of 51.4 cfs and 3.53 ft at 2026-07-14 22:30 CDT during review.
- Low-water floor130 cfs minimum-only
American Whitewater's exact Ponca-to-Kyle's Landing reach uses the Ponca gauge and has prior same-gauge trip evidence near the 130 cfs floor. Paddle Today reuses that conservative upper-corridor floor for the longer Ponca-to-Erbie continuation rather than inventing a new ideal range.
- High-water cutoffNPS unsafe above 1,600 cfs at Ponca
NPS says Buffalo River levels greater than 1,600 cfs at the Ponca gauge are unsafe.
- Campground-backed take-outErbie Campground / river access
NPS Getting Around and Camping support Erbie as a formal campground-backed river access in the upper district.
- Access coordinatesPonca 36.0225, -93.354722; Erbie 36.070346, -93.211886
USGS station metadata places the Ponca gauge in the launch corridor, and NPS Getting Around lists Erbie coordinate anchors.
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 Ponca to Steel Creek
- NPS Paddle Steel Creek to Kyle's Landing
- NPS Paddle Kyle's Landing to Erbie
- NPS Buffalo River accesses and mileage
- NPS Buffalo National River paddling
- NPS Buffalo getting around / coordinates
- NPS Buffalo camping
- USGS 07055660 Buffalo River at Ponca
- USGS Water Services 07055660 latest conditions
- American Whitewater Ponca to Kyle's Landing
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
Share your trip
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 routesMore on Buffalo River
All 20Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Buffalo River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Buffalo River?
Paddle Today watches Buffalo River at Ponca, AR and uses 130 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 Ponca access / Buffalo River at Ponca gauge corridor and ends at Erbie Campground / river access, about About 16.2 to 16.3 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.