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Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo River
Tyler Bend to Gilbert
Check current paddling conditions for this Buffalo River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Tyler Bend and take out at Gilbert for the popular 5.5-mile middle Buffalo float. Use the St. Joe USGS gauge as a conservative low-water check, and skip the route when water is rising fast or already in high/flood-stage bands for casual groups.
Put-in
Tyler Bend river accessOpen mapNPS says Tyler Bend has two launch areas. The upper launch may be reserved for concession operations during busy-season hours, and the lower launch is loading/unloading only with parking up at the picnic area.
Take-out
Gilbert river accessOpen mapGilbert is a rural river access on a gravel bar. Inspect the take-out before launching and avoid blocking local traffic, outfitter operations, or posted areas.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- NPS says Tyler Bend has two launch areas. The upper launch may be reserved for concession operations during busy-season hours, and the lower launch is loading/unloading only with parking up at the picnic area.
- Gilbert is a rural river access on a gravel bar. Inspect the take-out before launching and avoid blocking local traffic, outfitter operations, or posted areas.
- NPS says access roads may be unpaved, rocky, or unreliable for GPS navigation, and no road follows the river. Carry a real map and do not assume cell service.
- This route uses a community-calibrated minimum-only threshold from MOHERP, supported by NPS route/access evidence and AW reach matching. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.
Watch for
- Swift Class I-II current, wave trains, sharp bends, and pushier water when the St. Joe gauge is high or rising.
- Strainers, sweepers, fresh flood wood, undercut banks, and blind side channels after Ozark storms.
- Low water below about 120 cfs at St. Joe, when dragging and shortened plans become likely.
- High water around and above 2,000 cfs at St. Joe; MOHERP labels this potentially dangerous for young or inexperienced paddlers, and flood-stage water should be avoided for casual trips.
- Crowded peak-season access, tubing traffic near Tyler Bend / Grinder's Ferry, limited cell coverage, cold-water swims, and late-day darkness if the group lingers on gravel bars.
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.
Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Buffalo River near St. Joe, 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 | 120 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Rivers.MOHERP Buffalo River St. Joe gauge bands and same-route 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 shapeTyler Bend to Gilbert, about 5.4 to 5.5 miles
NPS describes Tyler Bend to Gilbert as the most popular Middle District float and says it can take about 3 to 4 hours at moderate river levels.
- Access and mileageTyler Bend to Grinder's Ferry 1.1 miles; Tyler Bend to Gilbert 5.4 miles
NPS lists Tyler Bend, Grinder's Ferry, and Gilbert in the Buffalo River mileage chart, with Grinder's Ferry as the short optional access and Gilbert as the full-day take-out.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 07056000
USGS Buffalo River near St. Joe showed same-day May 31, 2026 data during review, including 3,020 cfs and 7.75 ft at 18:45 CDT.
- Low-water floor120 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP lists the St. Joe gauge Low band beginning at 120 cfs and records Tyler Bend-to-Gilbert as good at 2,470 cfs / 7.41 ft, plus nearby middle-Buffalo good-condition trips down to 778 cfs. Paddle Today uses only the 120 cfs floor and does not infer an ideal range.
- High-water caveat2,000 cfs high; 4,313 cfs flood marker in MOHERP bands
MOHERP labels 2,000 cfs and higher as high water for the St. Joe gauge and describes high/flood conditions as potentially dangerous for young or inexperienced paddlers. The app preserves this as a hard caveat, not a two-sided scoring model.
- Route characterClass I-II middle Buffalo reach
American Whitewater lists Tyler Bend to Gilbert as a 5.3-mile I-II reach on the Buffalo River near St. Joe gauge, with Grinder's Ferry as an access point about 1.4 miles downstream.
- Access coordinatesTyler Bend 35.986715, -92.763903; Gilbert 35.987738, -92.715563
NPS Getting Around lists Tyler Bend campground coordinates and a Gilbert trail/access coordinate. Use these as practical access-area anchors and make a same-day visual landing check.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS Full Day Adventure: Middle District
- NPS Paddling Tyler Bend to Grinder's Ferry
- NPS Buffalo River accesses and mileage
- NPS Buffalo getting around / coordinates
- USGS 07056000 Buffalo River near St. Joe
- USGS 07056000 legacy current conditions
- American Whitewater Tyler Bend to Gilbert
- Rivers.MOHERP St. Joe gauge
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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Quick answers
Buffalo River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Buffalo River?
Paddle Today watches Buffalo River near St. Joe, AR and uses 120 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 Tyler Bend river access and ends at Gilbert river access, about About 5.4 to 5.5 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.