Seven Day Canoe trip on the Buffalo National River

Codger_64

Codger_64

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Richard, a member of the Arkansas Canoe Club, just posted his slideshow (with AVI clips) of his trip this spring on the Arkansas Buffalo National River.

He and his friend Robert paddled from Ponca to Norfolk on the White river over seven days. Being early spring (end of March/early April) there are few leaves on the trees and not many wildflowers, but still excelent views of the massive bluffs that tower over the river and the distinctive blue-green Ozark water.

As some of you who have not done much self-supported canoe camping will see, having a floating beast of burden allows one to carry a few creature comforts that one would never dream of taking on a backpacking trip.

Most of the shots are subtitled with the names of creeks, bluffs and other features, as well as the river mile. It does take a bit of time to view the entire slide show of their 150 mile canoe trip, but if you'll make the time, I believe it is worth viewing. And perhaps you will understand how this river captured my heart more than 40 yars ago.

http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/577339269UUEUdG

I have made this trip solo several times in years past, usually in January or February. I hope to do that again this year before winter. I finally replaced my canoe stolen a few years ago and have gathered almost all of the camping gear I will need. Maybe one or two of you would like to tag along. RIver information is available online from the National Park Service and licensed vendors if you want to rent a canoe, arrange shuttle service, or just rent a rustic cabin.

Also, here is the river map in .pdf format:

http://home.nps.gov/applications/parks/buff/ppMaps/ACF5567.pdf

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Scott Free said:
Sure wish I lived closer! :(
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Ponca is 153 miles North and West of the airport in Little Rock, about a three hour drive. 308 miles from Saint Louis. 266 miles from Kansas City. 280 miles from Memphis.

Of course I have an enormous personal predjudice, but I believe everyone should make this trip at least once in their lives.
 
For those that viewed the slideshow, did you notice the picture of Granny Henderson's cabin? She was the inspiration for Irene Ryan's "Granny Clampett" charactor on the Beverly Hillbillies TV show. Eva Barnes Henderson (1892 to 1978) lived there much of her life, and the area of the cabin near Compton was known as "Bug Tussle". Eva was featured in the Sept 1973 National Geographic as one of the most "facinating women of the Ozarks". Eva was asked what she would do if she was forced from her cabin in the Ozarks. She said they "would have to carry her out in her rocking chair". She was forcefully removed from her cabin in 1978. She died very shortly afterwards and Eva is buried in the Plumles Cemetary at Compton, Arkansas.

Her story is one of many about the people displaced from their homes and farms in the watershed by the government during the period 1972-1980, making a visit to the area all the more bittersweet. She had lived in that cabin without electricity, phone or running water since 1912. The first settlers came into the valley in the 1830's.
 
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Ive been down that river a couple times. Great fishing, and some wonderfull hikes there.
 
I did the area a couple of years ago based on Codger's suggestion and it was incredible. I highly recommend the trip if you have a few days to a week to spare. There are crazy amounts of fish in the water, the area is beautiful, and you will be all alone on the sandbars if you stay away during the summer. We went in October and rarely saw anyone else.
 
Codger_64 said:
For those that viewed the slideshow, did you notice the picture of Granny Henderson's cabin? She was the inspiration for Irene Ryan's "Granny Clampett" charactor on the Beverly Hillbillies TV show. Eva Barnes Henderson (1892 to 1978) lived there much of her life, and the area of the cabin near Compton was known as "Bug Tussle". Eva was featured in the Sept 1973 National Geographic as one of the most "facinating women of the Ozarks". Eva was asked what she would do if she was forced from her cabin in the Ozarks. She said they "would have to carry her out in her rocking chair". She was forcefully removed from her cabin in 1978. She died very shortly afterwards and Eva is buried in the Plumles Cemetary at Compton, Arkansas.

Her story is one of many about the people displaced from their homes and farms in the watershed by the government during the period 1972-1980, making a visit to the area all the more bittersweet. She had lived in that cabin without electricity, phone or running water since 1912. The first settlers came into the valley in the 1830's.
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Gotta love a good story. I have heard of this place but not her. Certainly a good one for my to do list.
Thanks
 
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For many years, the NPS plan was to let all of the former pasture, yards and gardens along the Buffalo return to wild, and let all of the settler's buildings decay and fall in. Many have, but the Park plan has changed somewhat over the years and a few buildings have been stabilized with new tin roofs.

Years ago when I first started going there, much of the ghost town of Rush was still standing. The last time I was there, only one building remained, and it was falling in. Rush was a mining boomtown at the turn of the century when lead and zinc were being mined there. This is an illustration from a mining publication in 1918 showing the Morning Star mine and mill.

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I used to know the names of all of the mines and spent some time locating and exploring them. Most have now been dynamited closed or gated to keep people out.

A lot of the stories remain, however. And then there is the cave at the headwaters above Boxley where the Confederates had a saltpeter works mining bat guano for gunpowder. A Union raid netted seventeen workers, two steam engines, and a number of cast iron boilers. In Ponca, one can visit the reconstruction of Beaver Jim Villines' log cabin. He was one of the earlier settlers, a trapper.

You can also walk up Hemmed-In Hollow past the homestead of the inventor of the Kewpie Doll, Illustrator and sufferagette Rosie O'Neil. At the end of that trail is a waterfall said to be the tallest waterfall between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains.

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thanks for posting! have run that river many times over the years. its a good one.
the folks at lost valley rental in ponca are great folks. sweet little cabins available from them too, if yr wanting to do that. and they have a small grocery(the only one for many miles)in case ya forgot something. they are all knowledgable about the area too, so great resource for info.
http://www.lostvalleycanoe.com/
 
Thanks for posting this. I spent a couple of days on the Buffalo river with my father back in the 80's. His wedding band is there somewhere. Water was so cold that everything shrunk up nice and tight. LOL. I'd love to go back one day, but it seems I keep moving farther and farther away. (not counting my return from across the pond)

I just bought a new canoe. I have yet to get it down the river, but that'll happen soon. My son is stoked about the new boat. I hope he remembers our trips as fondly as I remember mine with my dad.

Thanks again.
 
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