Please let people know how technical the float trip can be during rainy periods. Full disclosure of the float should be discussed when checking in. Many of our group got injured on this float. Also have your staff at the river assist with putting in and taking out at end of float. Maybe I'm just spoiled with some other float companies. TBH if anything proved we could do something very difficult and way out of our comfort levels. read more

The site and facilities are great. The pads are perfectly flat concrete. ...and it's amazing to compare them to all of the other places I've visited. These are superp. Great laundry. It's a small place but just great. That gets a 5 star rating. The lady at the front desk was curt. My wife had to quiz her to get any info. She was short. We wanted to do a river trip, but ended up going with a competitor with friendly and helpful staff. Another problem... power went out at night. We called the office and left a message to call us when they opened. We called the emergency number and got a message that no messages could be left... goodbye... After 8 AM we called the office again and got the same, no message could be left, goodbye. Never heard back from anyone. In all fairness, there were two people behind the desk. One seems nice. This reflects the fact that one employee can ruin the entire experience. read more

The Canopy Zip Line tour through BOC was excellent! Highly recommend! Andrew, Dalton and Isaac made the day so fun! Safety was top notch and they added the comedy for all the laughs! Check them out! read more

heather is the sweetest person ever and she is so helpful. i highly recommend going to this store!

We have been lucky enough to be guests at Buffalo outdoor center for 25 years. We started staying in their cabins which are a little slice of heaven. The cabins are a perfect escape and provide solitude, and breathtaking views as well as quick access to the beautiful trails, the river and elk watching. We recently visited the new RV park which is perched on a beautiful mountain with a perfect view of the sunrise and sunset as well as dark sky nights full of stars. The accommodations are A+ including the shower and bathroom facilities. The RV pads/ picnic tables and hook ups are staggered so everyone has a great view. The shower/bathroom/laundry facilities are clean and well equipped. Can't say enough about the always friendly and welcoming staff at the BOC - this included Mary Kate and Carrie during our visit. Warm, engaging and alway helpful. read more

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Stayed 2 nights at the RV park. Large level spaces with full hookups and Wi-Fi that works well. The view is amazing and the bathhouse is first rate. It was nice to see a family shower facility and a wheelchair accessible ramp to the bathhouse. This was our first trip, but it won't be the last. read more

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We don't get to use this place but the info and store was above and beyond. They saved us from going up a steep hill in the truck.

I'm not gonna lie, I was terrified, but our guides John and Andrew did an amazing job at showing me that despite my fears, this was actually very safe. I can't say enough about how well they do their jobs in terms of professionalism and how thoroughly entertaining they are! The Buffalo River is so very beautiful and there's so many great things to do there like paddling, hiking, mountain biking and camping. But don't miss the amazing experience of flying through the treetops if you ever have a chance! read more

Buffalo Outdoor Center - Hiking Near Me - Ponca, Arkansas

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Terrible Experience and Lack of Customer Service at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park in Ponca, Arkansas I am extremely disappointed with our recent stay at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park in Ponca, Arkansas. After a 7.5-hour drive, we arrived on June 29, 2024, eager to enjoy a week-long stay. Unfortunately, our visit turned into a nightmare within just one hour of our arrival. While setting up our 5th wheel trailer, there was a loud pop followed by smoke pouring out of our TV. Thankfully, my husband was able to unplug it before our trailer caught fire. To our dismay, none of the outlets on one side of our trailer were working, and our TV, microwave, and fan were all fried and non-functional. We immediately contacted an employee who came to our site, inspected the outside meter post by looking at it, not testing it, and nonchalantly stated that since there was no smoke coming from it, the problem must be on our end. When my husband asked for immediate assistance, the employee told us we would have to wait two days, until Monday, and go to a nearby town to find someone to help us. This response was unacceptable and showed a complete lack of concern for our safety. Moreover, the employee had the audacity to shame us by asking if we had a GFI power surge protector plugged into the meter. None of the other RV sites had this, and in our 23+ years of camping, we have never encountered such an issue. Feeling unsafe and unsupported, we decided to pack up and drive the 7.5 hours back home after being at the site for just one hour. The lack of assistance and options provided by the Buffalo Outdoor Center was disheartening, especially considering we were in a completely different state with no information on what we could do. Upon arriving home, we hooked up our camper at our local campground, and everything worked fine. We also went on another camping trip to a local RV campground, and again, everything worked perfectly. This clearly indicated that the surge was on Buffalo Outdoor Center's end. When we requested a refund, they refunded all but one day. This is unacceptable considering the distress, inconvenience, and financial loss we endured, including having to purchase a new TV, microwave, and fan. Our experience at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park was nothing short of a disaster. The lack of customer service, concern for our safety, and willingness to provide immediate assistance was appalling. We will not be returning and cannot recommend this RV park to anyone. read more

Great group with friendly staff. Our cabin had everything we needed and was very clean with a wonderful view. The zip line canopy tour was great and the guys running it made it a lot of fun! read more

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This place was amazing! The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. The facilities were amazing as well. We stayed five days in our cabin and enjoyed the peace that we got to enjoy being there. Amazing location to hiking trails which we enjoyed. Will definitely stay there again! read more

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Very cozy though unofficial visitor center to the Buffalo River park. They even have wifi here which is a godsend if you rely on your phone for navigation and forgot to download an offline map. It's also got an excellent selection of various gifts and souvenirs. read more

Buffalo Outdoor Center - Hiking Near Me - Ponca, Arkansas

We stayed at the RV park. It was VERY windy (on top of a mountain and no trees)No fire pit provided because of the wind. You have to bring your own with a lid. Was very unpleasant to sit outside our camper, but it was March. Ask for good directions to the campground because I got the address to the store (which was closed because we arrived after hours on a Thursday). We called and got through to an answering service. When in Harrison AR. We were told to go down "fire tower road". No signs for fire tower road or for the RV park itself. No cell service. We finally found it after a local Good Samaritan escorted us there. Very clean though. Great staff. Beautiful country. read more

First Zip Lining experience with Buffalo River Canopy Tours and it was so scenic and fun! Staff were happy, helpful and very trustworthy. Water provided half way through the 8 canopy/zips which was a blessing. Battered and bruised = had a great time! read more

Buffalo Outdoor Center - Zip-lining with Buffalo River Canopy Tour! - Hiking Near Me - Ponca, Arkansas

Normally, I would expect an outfitter to have the lowdown on the activity they are repping. Despite having a number of staff on-hand, no one had paddled the river this season to communicate the conditions. In addition, have never had an outfitter NOT give a push into the water to start a trip. They are one of two businesses in town providing this experience, so I imagine they do well, but just mentioning so maybe service improves. The store has ultra-clean and nice restrooms... that is a positive! read more

This place I beautiful. We rented a cabin and felt like we were completely away from civilization. The only issue is most other float trip outfitters will take you to the inlet. Here you leave your keys and they will drive down to the outlet. If you're not from the area it's easy to get turned around. I would definitely stay there again. read more

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Some pricey items but a nice selection of what you may need on a hike, at a campsite or for a souvenir. Nice selection of t-shirts! The staff was super friendly and helpful when we stopped in before a hike. They provided free maps and written directions. Staff also drew on the maps to help us get to the specific trail we were planning to hike. read more

Had a blast on the Zipline Canopy Tour. Jeremy, Matt and Rachel were AWESOME! Highly recommend! It was kid friendly, lots of different zips (fast and slower ones), we saw 4 deer while out there, great views of the small town of Ponca and a few "dad jokes" tossed in for fun. The team kept everyone very safe and the groups that go out are small enough that you're social distancing the whole time. It was a highlight of our trip. Thanks again! read more

Buffalo Outdoor Center - Zip line - Hiking Near Me - Ponca, Arkansas

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The BOC staff were always available to answer our questions and had great advice for hiking trails and activities on the water. read more

Buffalo Outdoor Center - Hiking Near Me - Ponca, Arkansas

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In February, we contacted the BOC for advise on vehicle transfer between Compton and Centerpoint. The staff were able to accommodate this request ($40) charge. It made our 3 day/2 night stay in the area much easier. Update: After the above experience, I decided to rent a cabin for my wife and I for Fall color change. Although it is an off year for the change, the Cabin (Cabin X) and the staff were just phenomenal. Everything was as advertised. We love it here. Who knows? We may call it home one day. read more

I used this company once and ever since I have gone to Lost Valley instead to get gear and supplies. The gear was OK but the owner is not the nicest guy in town and he really ruined it for us-long story there. I have since been going to the hippies at Lost Valley. Its just a better experience for me. I love going down here to canoe, but nothing worse than a bad business owner to just make a day on the river start off poorly. Just a warning, but still go and have fun on the river.... read more

We spent our best New Year's Eve ever at the Buffalo Outdoor Center! Since we live about a block off of Dickson Street, the idea of spending New Year's on Dickson sounded about as pleasant as a root canal. Since we had just moved to the Natural State, we thought that nature might be the very thing for us. Thank Goodness someone told me about the BOC! We rented a delightful two-person cabin with kitchen, whirlpool tub, and living room with VCR. Our large front porch had rocking chairs and a beautiful view looking down over the woods. Another plus is that the BOC is pet-friendly for a $25 fee, and as the cherry on top, the BOC had placed a complimentary bottle of champage and two glasses in our fridge for a nice New Year's welcome. I recommend bringing groceries with you because restaurants are a hike and the general store is small. The cabins include charcoal grills, so bringing food to grill is perfect, and the full-size fridge makes storage easy. The kitchen is equipped with anything you need, although don't expect fancy tools or appliances. My only complaint is about maintenance. We had a cracked window on our front porch that let in a slight draft, and we had a terrible whirlpool tub experience! Since we paid the extra money for the tub in the cabin, we were disappointed that there is not enough hot water supplied to the cabin to fill it. Even with filling it halfway, letting the hot water heater kick in, and then continuing to fill, didn't help. Once in the lukewarm tub, I turned on the jets. After a couple of minutes, I realized that there was a dark brown film collecting on the bubbles. I drained the tub, and discovered that the jets had somehow been blowing dirt into the tub. I was then covered in dirt and the tub was a mess, requiring a shower and a lot of cleaning. I definitely won't spring for the whirlpool room next time. Despite staying at the BOC during New Year's, the lodge was fully staffed and we were given great directions and maps to a hiking trail that would meet our level. I highly recommend the BOC for a special occasion or just a family weekend. The grounds are beautiful for walking, the cabins are comfortable, and the staff helps to ensure a great day outdoors. read more

The Good - The BOC staff were nice and replenished our towels, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo and bath soap anytime we asked. We were able to watch deer from the front porch in the early morning and evening. Their store is brand new and stocked with a few basic supplies and souvenir type merchandise. The Bad - Stayed at their Windridge Cabin for 8 people. I wouldn't recommend this cabin for families with young kids that need room to run. This cabin is literally on the BOC Entrance 1 road. There was no yard area for the kids to roam around so they were essentially confined to playing on the porch. Since the cabin is on the road it was a dusty experience when vehicles going to the back cabins passed in front of the cabin. The Ugly - We were also disappointed in the housekeeping quality of the cabin. There were cobwebs in the corners and quite a few dust bunnies when we swept the cabin. The cabin could use some maintenance and improvements. The upstairs shower seems to have a soft spot in one corner and the living room ceiling fan and light fixture wiring was weird in that it didn't allow us to turn off the light and leave the fan running at night. Out of BOC control - the area is in a drought and the river was too low to float out of Ponca so we had to drive more than an hour to the East to float the river. read more

This is an awesome place for those who want to do some canoeing or kayaking. You drive up, and hopefully you've reserved a boat in advance. The ladies behind the counter checked us in quickly and gave us a brief but detailed explanation of how the process works. They'll also give you brochures and a small area map detailing where you need to go to meet their people by the Buffalo River. They also have plenty of souvenirs (e.g., t-shirts), snacks, and even ice cream bars for sale. Use their restroom before you leave, though. Once you're out on the river, your only restrooms are bushes, thickets, and leaves. read more

I booked a cabin online after carefully reading the terms and policies: "Initial Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $25 per cabin per night and $100 per night for the Riverwind Lodge is necessary in order for us to reserve one or more cabins for you. This will be charged to the credit card securing the reservation. Final Payment: The balance of your account (less the $25 per cabin per night and or $100 per night for the Riverwind Lodge deposit) is due upon checkout. Thank you for bringing us your cabin key, along with the credit card you wish to use to complete the transaction. You may also pay for the balance with cash or by personal check." After I book the reservation the entire amount was charged to my account putting my account into the negative. When I called and asked them what happened the lady explained that they have in the past two months added a new policy stating that reservations made less than 13 days of the arrival will be charged completely. When I asked why the web sight wasn't updated with the correct policies, her response was they they pay a website company and changes like that are expensive ones to make. She also told me that if I had looked, I would have seen there is a flag I could have clicked on that would have shown what was being charged to my card. I didn't see anything like this but where you put your card info and the fully visible contradictory policies are two inches away from each other on the screen on the checkout page (go see for yourself). I generally think yelp is the devil but in this case I felt a friendly public warning is in order. I work hard for my money and when I take a getaway on a budget every dollar counts. I don't appreciate surprise charges, unclear terms, and webpages they are not willing to pay to keep up to date (what must their cabins look like?). Also the lady's "I"m apologizing but I'm going to throw it back on you and I clearly couldn't care any less" helped me make the decision to dodge a bullet and not get hit with any other ransom surprise undisclosed policy charges later on. Maybe I would have had a great time and became a repeat guest... I'll never know. read more

Had to speak with who I am assuming is the manager. Her name is Veronica and she was HORRIBLY rude! She had the worst customer service and the worst attitude! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!! Buffalo River Float is much cheaper and the employees are so nice! I recommend Buffalo River Float over this place!! read more

First of all the customer service is absolutely outstanding! Our tour guide to be made our experience thrilling and memorable! The reason I gave Buffalo Outdoor Center five stars is because I want everyone to know about them. if you want to go zip lining this is definitely the place! We tried lots of other zip line places before this and this was my definite overall favorite! read more

Love the store here. I never fail to stop and get a new tee shirt each year. The people are so nice and have a great selection of gear for your kayaking and floating needs. read more

Great place to go canoeing. It's literally a lazy river and flows downstream throughout.

My wife and I really love the BOC. The friendly knowledgeable staff and the area surrounding Ponca are held very near and dear to our hearts. Our first visit to the BOC was back in September of 2013 and we stayed in their very intimate amd welcoming little cabins. We had the time of our life! We also did the ziplining package and had a blast. My wife is very afraid of heights and they made her feel so comfortable that she enjoyed the ziplining! Ponca left such an impression on my heart that this is where i would end up proposing to my wife. All of the suggested trails are very beautiful. If you forgot something on your way to go camping or hiking or whatever outdoor adventure you are on make sure to stop in and see the friendly folks at the BOC! WAIT!!!! I almost forgot, the best thing about the BOC is the sandwhiches. Yes they are $9 amd yes they are worth it. Get the Boat Ape you wont be disappointed. My wife and i drive an hour and 15 minutes to get to ponca to eat a sandwhich from the BOC. being in the outdoors is just a secondary benefit. No im not joking. Yes they are seriously that good. read more

This a great thought out RV Park!!! Love the staggered sites to make sure every site has a great view. Only complaint I have is the grill was right at the door of our diesel motorhome. And could not keep the flies out of the coach, while cooking. LOVE THE RV Park!!! read more

Unfortunately, river was down so no kayaking this year. However, it forced us to try new things...we decided to check out the Buffalo River Canopy Tour and it was so fun! My husband, two sons and I enjoyed everything about it! The guides were skilled and entertaining as well. We loved the views and the thrill! Would recommend to anyone! read more

I stopped in for snacks and fuel after a very cold hike and was pleasantly surprised! The young man who helped behind the counter was very helpful - I wish I had asked his name so I could give a shout out - but I got a great map of the area and a tutorial on how to look up their online information for future visits - including the river water depth! I travel a lot on my solo adventures and I never really find myself wanting to go back to re-see a place. The surrounding area and the super pilot team there had me looking at flights back before I even made it to the airport to go home. Truly beautiful place and friendly people! read more

Private cabins well spread out, some with incredible views. Lots of good hiking in the area and the BOC folks were very helpful and gave some great suggestions. Watching the local elk herd in the early morning a couple miles from the cabin was a highlight of our trip. We were there for a small business meeting and the facilities worked out very well for us. read more

Where to begin....I have been coming to BOC since I walked into Ponca after hiking the beautiful trails that surround the area several years ago. They have many things to do. This trip we stayed at one of BOC cabins, the Mountain Ecstasy for two nights with it's breathtaking views of the valley. It was amazing to be able to enjoy the views without hiking many miles. The cabin was secluded and a nice romantic time with my wife. Then we took the canopy tour. The zip lines were fun and awesome, but I think the best part of it was the guides we had Matt and Andrew, they were fun and comedic and uplifting the entire time. They balanced safety and fun very well. And the ATV ride back to our truck was a blast. Needless to say we had a good time and will be returning to enjoy the beautiful state of Arkansas and the friendly staff at BOC. See you next time for a canoe trip down the nations first national river. Thank you brothers and sisters at BOC. read more

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Being gouged $1.40 for a single 12 oz can of soda will assure that I shall go elsewhere next time I am in need of a cool refreshing beverage. read more

Nothing could be more perfect. You will cherish every minute of your stay from arrival to departure. Buffalo Outdoor Center treats every guest like a member of family and that's what you become as you experience the Buffalo River area under their care. The cabins are super clean and perfectly maintained. Whether you floating, hiking or some other excursion you will be missing an opportunity not to join the Buffalo Outdoor Center family. read more

My son and I rented kayaks during Father's Day weekend at Buffalo Outdoors Center and received excellent service. The equipment was good quality and in great condition. The river was low, but we were informed in advance while making reservations a few days prior. When we arrived, the man behind the counter was very helpful with advising us on possible tent campsites. A crew member moved our vehicle for us to the landing area while we were on the river. When we finished our 6.5 hour float, our vehicle was waiting on us where they promised and in the same condition. I recommend BOC. read more

I organized a small group of ladies to visit here and booked the Mountain Magic cabin to be our place of R&R after exploring the amazing natural beauty of Arkansas. We loved our cabin in the woods which included a hot tub with a view of the amazing forest. There was a lovely fireplace and firewood was provided which made for a cozy night of chatting and staying up late sipping champagne. Our cabin was clean and well supplied with all that we needed. The bathroom was spacious(a must for a group of 4 girls) and they even provided cozy bathrobes. The beds were very comfortable as well. We will definitely be back and will tell everyone about this place and our great experience. read more

Just got back from spending a weekend at this beautiful place. We stayed at the valley dream cabin and it was better then the pictures they have posted up on their website. The staff was awesome as well. That helped me were very knowledge and helped with any questions I had. I will definitely be going back. read more