9/16/12

Buffalo River National Park and a Challenge

We left Branson traveling south down 65 into Arkansas heading toward the Buffalo River.  We picked this area for a couple of reasons.  I had friends in Yellville that I hoped to see and we had both paddled, many years ago, portions of the beautiful Buffalo River.  We both wanted to reconnect to this wild and scenic river.
We decided on Buffalo Point campground, a national park area about 20 miles south of Yellville on highway 14.

We found the campground perfect...only one tent camper!  The site was shady and on the bluff overlooking the river.  But...when we tried to use the jack to unhitch, it just spun around without raising the tongue.   It appeared to stripped (or whatever the correct word is for that malfunction!)

The camper was level without unhitching but the truck was sticking out in the road.  After calming down, we decided to try another campsite and David was successful in backing in the site at a 45 degree angle placing both the camper and truck safely out of the road.

We enjoyed the rest of the evening by having a great meal and a walk on the sand bar by the river.  I saw a beaver floating the river carrying sticks in his mouth.  Looks like he was doing a little remodeling.  The next morning a doe and two fawns kept watchful eyes on us as they grazed close by.

Fortunate for us, a man walking his dog came by that morning and gave us good advice on how to get back to civilization where the repairs could be made.  Following his suggestions we wound up in Conway, AR, where we received excellent service from National Travelers RV, $49 for parts and $10 for labor!

After another long day we stopped at Village Creek State Park (still in Arkansas).  No phone or internet there, either!  I did not expect to be connected out in the wild of the Ozark backwoods but 40 miles from Memphis!

We woke up sad on Friday morning knowing that our most excellent adventure was over that day.

But there are more to come!



Buffalo Point 

Buffalo River



Water level was very low

more Buffalo


Village Creek State park





7 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your hitch problems. I recognize that site at Village Creek. Come on back there for the weekend of October 25-28. We'll be flying a couple of hot air balloons from that big field in front of the campground.

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  2. How awesome that anyone would recognize that last minute campground! We will keep those dates in mind...but it is a long way from East TN.

    On another note, reserved the last campsite at Millers Ferry for Green Eggs!

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    1. Would love to have you there. Good news on the GE&H. Looking forward to seeing you there, if not before, somewhere down the road.

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  3. GORGEOUS photos of Buffalo National River. We visited a friend in Yellville a few years back when we had the Aliner. Had wanted to camp there, but ran out of time.

    I was so glad to see your pictures. They are better than the ones on their website! :)

    Also very glad the trailer repairs were an easy, inexpensive fix!

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    1. Shucks, you say the nicest things about my picts! I do eat it up!

      Can't believe that you knew someone in Yellville.....there was nothing there, well maybe a new drive thru.

      We did get lucky about the fix. The hardest thing was finding the place.

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  4. Thanks goodness for word on where to get the fix! Beavers out hot and heavy...hope that's a good sign! Arkansas is such a beautiful state!

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    1. It is a beautiful place. Part of the charm is its lack of accessibility to the interstate. Miles and miles from all the stores we take for granted.

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