See all 13 routes on Buffalo River
Arkansas | Ozark Highlands
Buffalo RiverTyler Bend to Grinder's Ferry
Short middle Buffalo National River float from the currently available Upper Tyler Bend launch to Grinder's Ferry, about 1.7 river miles along the mapped channel. The direct St. Joe gauge is live, but even this mostly flat reach stays rain-sensitive Ozark moving water with swift current when levels come up.
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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 Grinder's Ferry for a short middle-Buffalo float often used for tubing. Use the direct St. Joe gauge as the decision point, and avoid the route when water is too low to carry or already pushing into unsafe flood conditions.
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
Grinder's Ferry access / gravel barGrinder's Ferry is a primitive gravel-bar access that can flood and soften. Confirm that the vehicle approach, turnaround, and take-out path are workable before launching.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Grinder's Ferry, then drive back to the Tyler Bend upper launch parking area. NPS says the shuttle is about 10 minutes and roughly 3 miles; confirm current access status and posted traffic flow before unloading.
Additional access notes
- Even on this short reach, Buffalo access roads and GPS routing can be unreliable. Carry a real park map and do not assume cell service.
- This route uses a community-calibrated St. Joe minimum-only threshold paired with official NPS route and safety evidence. It is not a full ideal-range recommendation.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the St. Joe gauge for the low-water floor and respect the NPS Grinder's Ferry high-water cutoff; skip the float when water is high, rising, or storm-affected.
- Watch for fresh sweepers, swimmers, tubing traffic, cold-water swims, soft gravel-bar access, and Tyler Bend launch restrictions during busy periods.
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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
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 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 |
| 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 shapeUpper Tyler Bend to Grinder's Ferry, about 1.7 mapped river miles
NPS's older access chart lists this trip at 1.1 miles, but its current operating plan identifies only the Upper Tyler Bend launch. From that launch, the mapped river route to Grinder's Ferry is about 1.7 miles.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-14USGS 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. Treat this as a conservative low-water cue; the source does not establish an ideal range.
- High-water cutoffNPS unsafe above 8,000 cfs at Grinder's Ferry
NPS says Buffalo River levels greater than 8,000 cfs at the Grinder's Ferry / Highway 65 gauge are unsafe.
- Access coordinatesUpper Tyler Bend water entry 35.9894782, -92.766846; Grinder's Ferry 35.986017, -92.743686
The Upper Tyler Bend water entry is aligned from the official NPS area-map launch symbol to the uniquely shaped upstream gravel slipway and independently checked against current imagery and fresh NHD hydrography. The separate NPS parking/facility anchor remains in the canonical access registry.
- Route characterMostly flat short middle-Buffalo float
NPS says this reach is mostly flat, commonly used for tubing, and has a short shuttle of about 10 minutes between accesses.
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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