Buffalo River
Kayak spot · United States
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
73Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 6 kn gusting 16, Air 20 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 70 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 365, good
- Wed 470, good
- Thu 579, good
- Fri 667, good
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 975, good
- Tue 1076, good
- Wed 1179, good
- Thu 1275, good
The spot in two facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 38.5 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 65, good | 10 kn | 27kn | 20°C | 8.8 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 70, good | 8 kn | 20kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 79, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 67, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 9 kn | 21kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 75, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 76, good | 8 kn | 21kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 79, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 75, good | 9 kn | 21kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Buffalo River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Buffalo River
A river section on the Buffalo River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 39 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Ponca. Within 5 km we also list 1 mountain bike area.
- River Buffalo River
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Length 39 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,010–US$1,770 each
about US$1,010–US$1,770 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 1955 km there and back, shared | about US$121–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,010–US$1,770 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Ponca
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Ponca its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 10m
About 11h 10m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 11h 10m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Ponca · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Ponca · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at Buffalo River at Ponca, AR: 0.552 m³/s, normal for November (updated 48 min ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits