See all 13 routes on Buffalo River
Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo RiverPonca to Hasty
Full upper Buffalo continuation from Ponca to Hasty through Steel Creek, Kyle's Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt. NPS still publishes the current access ladder and mileage chart, and the direct Pruitt gauge keeps the lower-corridor low-water and unsafe-high warnings on one official source.
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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 Ponca and take out at Hasty for the full upper Buffalo continuation through Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt. Use the direct Pruitt USGS gauge as the lower-corridor 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
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 to the full day.
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 after a late finish.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Hasty, then drive back to Ponca. NPS component shuttles add up to roughly 140 minutes between Ponca, Steel Creek, Kyle's Landing, Erbie, Ozark, Pruitt, and Hasty, and upper-district roads can still be rough, muddy, 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
- Use the Pruitt gauge as the lower-corridor check and treat the NPS 2,000 cfs Pruitt unsafe level as a hard warning, while still verifying upper-district conditions from Ponca.
- Expect repeated riffles, swift bends, fresh wood, cold water, rough shuttles, limited cell service, and remote rescue exposure across the full mileage.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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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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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 data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | NPS-linked Buffalo River Float Guide Pruitt 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 shapePonca to Hasty, 30.7 miles
The current NPS Buffalo River mileage chart still lists Ponca to Hasty as 30.7 river miles and preserves the intermediate access ladder of Steel Creek, Kyle's Landing, Erbie, Ozark, and Pruitt.
- Upper-district condition framingRainfall dependent upper-district route
The current NPS upper-district paddling page still says paddling conditions in the upper district are extremely dependent on rainfall and tells visitors to check gauges and current conditions before launching.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-16USGS 07055680 at 36.9 cfs / 3.21 ft
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.
- Threshold supportPruitt minimum-only 100 cfs floor; 2,000 cfs unsafe high caveat
The current NPS-linked Buffalo Float Guide still marks Pruitt very low below 100 cfs and the NPS paddling guidance still says levels above 2,000 cfs at Pruitt / Highway 7 are unsafe.
- Camping supportSteel Creek, Kyle's Landing, Erbie, and Ozark campground corridor
Current NPS campground pages still confirm legal overnight support at the major intermediate campgrounds, which makes this 30.7-mile route legitimately overnight-capable without implying private-bank camping at the Hasty finish.
- Public endpointsPonca access to Hasty river access
Current NPS Buffalo access pages and corridor guidance still treat Ponca as an upper-district launch and Hasty as the common lower-water fallback 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 Ponca to Steel Creek
- NPS Paddle Steel Creek to Kyle's Landing
- NPS Paddle Kyle's Landing to Erbie
- NPS Paddle Erbie to Ozark
- NPS Paddle Ozark to Pruitt
- NPS Paddle Pruitt to Hasty
- NPS Buffalo upper district paddling
- NPS Buffalo river accesses and mileage
- NPS Buffalo camping
- NPS Buffalo National River Float Guide
- USGS 07055680 monitoring location
- USGS Water Services 07055680 current discharge and gage height
Other routes nearby
More on Buffalo River
All 13Nearby routes within 75 miles
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