But you’re not quite sure where to start on planning a trip, have no fear, I’ve got you covered! Here is your weekend guide for the middle river of the Buffalo in the Tyler Bend/Gilbert/St. Joe/Marshall area. One of my favorite places to visit in all of Arkansas is the Buffalo National River. It’s the nation’s first national river, has thousands of acres to explore, the tallest waterfall between the Rockies & Appalachians, one of the tallest bluffs too! And the best thing about the Buffalo in the summer is floating!
WHERE TO SLEEP:
- Grinder’s Ferry Gravel Bar: This is a primitive camping spot. You pull off of the main road, drive down to the gravel bar, & pick your favorite spot. We tent camp here or sleep in our SUV. It’s right by the river, perfect for waking up to go swim, & it’s free. In the summer it can get crowded but we visit year round & have found it enjoyable in both the busy & quieter seasons. Remember to pack out all your trash & follow the Leave No Trace rules for disposing of human waste. (Four wheel drive works best down here!)
- Gilbert RV Park & Campground: This place has RV hookups, tents, & small cabins for rent. Plus, they have a small store where you can buy ice, firewood, & Buffalo River souvenirs. Check out their website & give them a call for more details!
- Tyler Bend Campground: If you’re wanting to camp with the National Park, have showers, & bathrooms, look up reservations on recreation.gov for the National Park campgrounds for Tyler Bend.
WHAT TO DO: The Buffalo River isn’t short of tons of outdoor activities, especially in the summer. Our favorites are swimming, hiking, & floating.
- Go floating with Silverhill Float Service. They will shuttle you to & from your drop off & pick up location. They also provide all of the life jackets & mesh bags for trash. Our go to float is usually Tyler Bend to Gilbert. It’s 5.4 miles and can be done in 3.5 (we make a lot of stops so we do it in 5-6 hours). Silverhill has a list of the best floats for the area determined by mileage & time. Be sure to ask them what they recommend for what you’re wanting.
- If you float from Tyler Bend to Gilbert, make sure you stop at Grinder’s Ferry to swim and make a stop at Shine Eye for snacks & swimming. Bring snorkels & goggles too. The water is so clear & you’ll be able to see all the underwater life!
- If you float from Tyler Bend to Gilbert, make sure you stop at Grinder’s Ferry to swim and make a stop at Shine Eye for snacks & swimming. Bring snorkels & goggles too. The water is so clear & you’ll be able to see all the underwater life!
- Go hiking. Our favorites for this area are the Gilbert Railroad Bridge & the Tyler Bend Riverview trail. Both are kid friendly & allow you to see more of the river. The railroad bridge trail will take you down to the water & you can swim again. But the Tyler Bend Riverview will take you high up on the famous Buffalo River bluffs (obviously be very careful at the top.)
- Go swimming. If you’re not up for a float trip, you can drive up to Grinder’s Ferry & to Shine Eye to go for a swim. They’re easy to find & I’ve linked locations to them above.
EATS: Typically, when we’re camping we take all of our own food. But sometimes, we really enjoy going out to eat when we’re in the area. Our favorite stops are Boston Mountain Pizza after a long day of floating. They also do takeout! And on our last day of visiting, we also make a stop at Ferguson’s Country Store & Restaurant for cinnamon rolls & coffee. Be sure to check out the mountain view from the restaurant windows!
I hope this has inspired you to make it over to the Buffalo River in the Tyler Bend/Gilbert area. Find me me on Instagram & let me know when you made your trip!! Check out my Instagram Highlights with the Travel Guide in my stories & I have an awesome reel for you to check out too!
