Floating Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo River

Spring is here and it’s time to float the upper portion of your favorite rivers. This year, my first float trip was Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo River. I usually make it a point to float Ponca to Kyle’s Landing every year. But I’m on a mission to float all the sections of the Buffalo I haven’t done yet, along with some new rivers. So floating this section on the Upper Buffalo was a top priority. It will likely be too low to float by mid-June, so you’ve got to get it while you can!

We had a perfect Saturday for floating the last weekend of March. The area had gotten some good rain that week and the river was really high that Friday. But the Upper Buffalo drains off quickly, and by Saturday the water level was just right. Combine that with a sunny 75-degree day, and you’ve got perfect floating conditions. We weren’t the only ones taking advantage of it that weekend. The campgrounds along the Upper Buffalo were pretty full. But we managed to find spots on Friday and Saturday night. There’s nothing better than waking up at the river for a float, and staying for post-float dinner and campfire with friends.

Directions

Kyle’s Landing is located about halfway between Ponca and Jasper off Hwy 74. From Hwy 74, go north on Camp Orr Rd at Buffalo River Canoes. When the road forks, stay left to go on Kyle’s Landing Rd. Stay on it till it dead-ends at Kyle’s Landing Campground. To get to Ozark Campground, take Hwy 74 to Ponca. From Ponca, take Hwy 7 north towards Pruitt/Harrison for 3.9 miles. Turn left on Co. Rd 129, following the signs to Ozark Campground. These points are marked in the Google map below for navigation.

What to Expect

Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo is a 12 mile float. It is 5 miles to Erbie and then 7 more miles to Ozark Campground. This might sound kind of long, but if the water is high enough, the float will go fast. The water level was 4.5 ft the day of our float, and we were able to reach Ozark in just under 6 hours. We even made a lot of stops along the way. You will see some decent Class I-II rapids but nothing too crazy. From a skill standpoint, this is a very easy float. If you want some bigger or more sketchy rapids then I recommend going upriver to float Ponca to Kyle’s Landing.

Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo is beautiful float. It has the emerald green waters, gorgeous bluffs, waterfalls, and everything you expect to see on the Upper Buffalo. I will say that I think Ponca to Kyle’s Landing is prettier overall. But in fairness, I don’t think there is any float in the state that can match the scenery of Ponca to Kyle’s. This is still a really great float. And because it is less popular and harder to shuttle, it is not a crowded. This would be a great stretch of the Buffalo for gravel bar camping.

Scenic Beauty

The bluffs on this stretch of the Buffalo are not quite as high as what you will find 5 miles upriver. Don’t get me wrong – you will see some big beautiful bluffs along this stretch. It IS the Upper Buffalo after all. They’re just not the massive height of those at Steel Creek or Big Bluff. But these bluffs and cliffs have some really cool color patterns in them that you don’t see as much upriver.

There are a lot of waterfalls along this float, and several really nice ones. I have some footage of these in my video below. If anyone knows the names of these falls, please put them in the comments at the bottom of this article. Two of the waterfalls were flowing over some light colored rock that I have to assume is limestone. I don’t know, but they looked really cool and the water was slightly warmer than the river. We also saw several caves and overhangs along the way, some that you could even paddle into.

Shuttling

Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo River is a float that you will most likely want to self shuttle with your own boat and gear. The outfitters in Ponca will rent boats and do shuttles for this float. They will even private shuttle your vehicle if you have your own boat. But it’s a little pricey. That’s understandable, given the amount of driving they would have to do. We were quoted $70 per car for a shuttle. For our group of six, we opted to self-shuttle and dropped two vehicles at Ozark. That was enough to carry all of us back with our gear and boats. It took us about an hour to drop off vehicles and get back to Kyle’s Landing. But we would have waited that long to get our shuttles set up anyway. So saving $140 made sense.

If you are considering taking out at Erbie, here’s a tip: it’s faster to leave a vehicle at Ozark than Erbie. Ozark is an extra seven miles on the river, but a shorter drive for shuttling than Erbie. At 4.5 ft water level, Kyle’s to Erbie only takes about two hours. That’s hardly worth the the long drive to Erbie to drop a vehicle. I’ll take a few extra hours on the river rather than an hour of gravel road driving to Erbie. Maybe if you start your float at Ponca or Steel Creek, then taking out at Erbie makes sense. Just something to consider.

Plan Your Trip

Floating Kyle’s Landing to Ozark on the Buffalo River is 100% dependent on the water level. The best thing to do for any float, but especially this one, is to check the river level on the RiverApp or at American Whitewater. If the section is in green on their site, you’re good to go. If you’re still not sure, call one of the outfitters in Ponca to get real-time info on the river conditions. If you are renting a kayak or canoe, it’s best to call the outfitter ahead of time anyway to reserve. Cell service around Ponca is hit and miss – mostly miss – so handle your business before you descend into Boxley Valley.

When floating the Upper Buffalo, I highly recommend making a weekend of it. Lots of cabins for are available for rent in the area (book well ahead of time). There are also several campgrounds between Ponca and Ozark Campground. But during peak float season, the campgrounds fill up quick. So plan accordingly. Restaurants can be found in nearby Jasper. And the outfitter stores in Ponca have some food, drinks, and supplies.

If you are new to floating and not sure what to bring, check our gear list from our Paddling page. Like most rivers in Arkansas, the Buffalo is rocky. So take river shoes. No glass bottles of any kind are allowed (duh!). Dogs are allowed on the river, but loud music might is banned on many sections. Remember, no glass of any kind on the river, and be sure to keep your trash in a bag. This is a really special area that gets a lot of visitors, so PLEASE, help take care of it. Be sure to leave no trace, and keep this river beautiful. Enjoy the float!