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Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo RiverTyler Bend to Gilbert
Popular middle Buffalo National River day from Tyler Bend to Gilbert, with Grinder's Ferry as an optional short take-out. NPS supports the route and the direct St. Joe gauge is live, but this is still rain-sensitive Ozark moving water with swift I-II current, wood, and high-water judgment.
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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 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.
Access map
Put-in
Tyler Bend river accessThe current NPS concession operating plan says only the Upper Tyler Bend access is available until further notice. This route's marker is the upper gravel slipway; use its connected parking area and follow current signs rather than the separate downstream gravel-bar feature.
Take-out
Gilbert river accessThe take-out marker uses the NPS Buffalo River Accesses GIS point for Gilbert (35.986558, -92.714936), an official access-area anchor rather than a surveyed water-edge point. Follow current signs and confirm the public gravel-bar landing and approach before launching.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Gilbert, then drive back to the Tyler Bend upper launch parking area. Grinder's Ferry is an optional short take-out about a mile downstream of Tyler Bend, but this route assumes the full middle-district day to Gilbert. Check current NPS alerts and posted launch restrictions before leaving vehicles.
Additional access notes
- 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.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the St. Joe gauge, weather, and level trend before launching; high or rising water, wood, and sharp bends can make this more consequential than a casual scenic float.
- NPS warns gauges cannot show every fresh sweeper or blocked side channel. Expect unreliable cell service, gravel-bar access, crowded peak-season launches, and cold-water swims.
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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 near St. Joe, 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 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 |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 120 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength 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 |
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 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.
- Gauge check during route review · May 31, 2026USGS 07056000
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 floor120 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP's St. Joe gauge Low band begins at 120 cfs. Its trip reports include nearby middle-Buffalo outings marked Good from 778 cfs; treat 120 cfs as a conservative low-water cue, not an ideal target.
- 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 coordinatesGilbert primary river-access anchor 35.986558, -92.714936
The NPS Buffalo River Accesses GIS layer identifies this Gilbert point as a primary river access. It is an official access-area anchor, not a surveyed water-edge coordinate; follow posted access directions and confirm the landing on arrival.
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 access navigation guidance
- NPS Buffalo River Accesses GIS layer — Gilbert
- USGS 07056000 Buffalo River near St. Joe
- USGS 07056000 legacy current conditions
- American Whitewater Tyler Bend to Gilbert
- Rivers.MOHERP St. Joe gauge
Other routes nearby
More on Buffalo River
All 13Nearby routes within 75 miles
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