Since I do not actually live on the Buffalo, and don’t get to visit as much as I would like, I always try to get fall color updates through Tim Ernst’s online journal. Tim and his family live right in the heart of Buffalo River country, and Tim always keeps us up to date on conditions in the area and he also offers some spectacular photography! I encourage you to visit Tim’s website sometime and check out the different books and photos he offers for sale. You will be impressed!

The fall colors are running a bit late this year. Here it is the last half of October, and we’re just now beginning to see a “hint” of color change in the leaves. We’ve had several days recently in the lower to mid eighties. I will say that the humidity has been relatively low, so it hasn’t really felt that warm. We’re expecting this to be a beautiful weekend!

Even with some recent rainfall, the Buffalo River remains pretty low according to the “Buffalo National River Hydrologic Data” website. This is a great site to bookmark if you plan to float or vacation along the river.

The mornings have been cool and crisp recently, even though we’ve had some relatively warm days. This is great camping weather! I can think of nothing better than getting out of bed on a cool morning and enjoying a hot cup of coffee while sitting around a warm campfire and listening to the river roll by!

This is really a great time of the year to enjoy Arkansas. Whether you’re planning a camping or hiking trip, attending one of the many festivals in the Ozarks or just taking a weekend drive to enjoy the foliage, you just can’t go wrong!

Over 200 years ago, around 1793, a Spanish land grant refers to this tributary of the White River as “Rio Cibolos.” In Spanish, “cibolo” is the name for the American bison or buffalo, animals an 18th century explorer would likely have observed along this picturesque Ozark stream.

A few years after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, an American mapmaker changed the name to “Buffalo River”. By that time, hunters had already exterminated much of the Ozarks bison herd. The river’s name soon became only a reminder of the mighty animal that once roamed the area.

So there you have it! Surprisingly enough, the river was named after….a “buffalo”. If I turn up a more exciting explanation, you know I’ll share it with you here.

I’ve been going to the Buffalo river since I was a small child. My parents took us kids camping there at least once a year. As I got older and my interests turned to other things, and my trips to the Buffalo declined and finally stopped.

In the early 90’s, I joined up with group of friends and family that made a couple of trips each year to the Buffalo, (Memorial Day weekend & 4th of July), and I think I’ve made at least one trip there every year since! Now that I have kids, the tradition is getting passed down to them and they love it.

I wanted to put a blog together to share my experiences, but realized that considering I’m only there for a few days each year, I’d run out of stories to tell pretty quick! So I’m creating the blog, but I’m opening it up to others to share their own stories and experiences.

I’m looking for interesting stories and helpful information about:

* floating the Buffalo
* horseback riding & trails
* places to camp or stay
* wildlife along the Buffalo
* hiking & hiking trails
* interesting sights along the river

and anything else that you think a new-comer or seasoned “river rat” might find helpful or interesting. I’ll be happy to add pictures as well if you give me permission to publish them.

What do you get in return? The opportunity for you to be a guest blogger and tell the world about your experience! Your name published on the site, (only if you want it published). The ability to link back to your own website if you have one. The chance to do a little self promotion if you’re a local resident or have a business related to the river or lodging along the river.

Rules of the game….I’ll personally be responsible for reviewing all stories, pictures etc., and have the right to reject any story for any reason. If I feel there is something objectionable, I’ll provide you the opportunity to change or revise the submission. This will be a family oriented site, so please keep this in mind before submitting articles. My decisions will be the final decisions. Please don’t be upset if I tell you that I just can’t publish your article. This won’t turn into a “bashing” site. If you had a bad experience with a business or vendor along the river, and intend to get back at them through this site…it’s not going to happen. Now if I get enough people telling me they had a bad experience with a particular business, then I may publish a review of the business or contact the business myself to provide my findings. By the same token, I can’t publish every “good” experience that someone has, although I intend to come up with a way to recognize those businesses that go “above and beyond” to provide great service or products and a memorable experience.

Two things I want to accomplish with this site:
First…I want the site to be helpful. I want this site to be an information resource for the newcomer as well as the locals.
Second…I want it to be fun for everyone visiting! Tell us about something funny, frightening, tragic. I prefer information to be true and accurate, but don’t be afraid to embellish a little if you think it helps the story . I’m not opposed to a fictional story as long as you let me know it’s fiction so that I can note that with the readers.

So how do you send me something? There are a couple of ways to submit your articles & information. You may use our contact form, or you can email your submission to chris@thebuffaloriver.com. If you’re submitting a picture, it’s probably best to email me since trying to add a picture to the contact form would be a little difficult .

Thanks for visiting! Please bookmark this site and tell a friend. Lets make this a popular destination for those who want to enjoy the beauty and learn more about this scenic river in Arkansas.