"Elephant Head"/Lower Buffalo River Wildnerness Area
Congress declared the Buffalo a national river in 1972 to preserve it forever as a free-flowing stream. Originating high in the Boston Mountains (the tallest area of the Ozarks), the Buffalo drops steadily to its confluence with the White River. The gradient is steeper and water runs faster along the upper river, leveling and slowing as the river runs its course. The Ozark's highest river buffs, some reaching as high as 400 feet, consist of sandstone, limestone, and dolomite. The geology, with its numerous caves, cliffs, sinkholes, waterfalls, springs, and interesting rock formations, typifies the Arkansas Ozarks.
"Neanderthal Rock"/Piney Creek
This little Ozark stream is a relatively unknown Arkansas jewel, and is one of my favorites.
Limestone bluffs abound. It differs from many Ozark streams in that the creek bottom is a mixture of sand and rock, and it has sand beaches as opposed to the Buffalo's gravel bars.
Best floated in the spring of the year, this stream has some interesting chunk rock rapids. For the canoeist it offers a challenge and also some great fishing for trout and smallmouth in the pools below.
The Strawberry River
Another beautiful little Ozark stream, the Strawberry flows near the town of Evening Shade. The topography is somewhat different, as this stream lies at the foothills of the Ozarks. Here you find none of the towering bluffs...the feeling is one of wooded seclusion. The streambed itself is Ozark bedrock. Major fish species are large and smallmouth bass, sauger and flathead and channel catfish.
This was the boys' first canoe trip, and as you can see they had a marvelous time...that is, till the thunderstorms started! The trip was, how shall we say?....memorable
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