Campgrounds
The upper Buffalo River features several National Park Service campgrounds with pretty scenery…arguably the prettiest in the park! The campgrounds of the upper Buffalo River are:
Steel Creek
Kyle's Landing
Erbie
Ozark
Carver
The Steel Creek and Kyle’s Landing campgrounds are the most popular because of their proximity to the Ponca-to-Kyle’s Landing section of river. These are primitive campgrounds with basic tent site accommodations, including space for up to 3 tents (max of 6 people per site), a picnic table, fire grate and lantern pole. Sites are $20 per night / per site. Drinking water faucets are available, as well as pit and flush toilets. (Please note that flush toilets are closed from November through early March.) There are no shower facilities on the park in the Upper District. Pets are welcome but must be always on a leash in campgrounds. First-Come, First-Serve Camping – National Park Service campgrounds on the upper Buffalo River (besides Steel Creek Campground) do not accept reservations. So, if your plans include a spring weekend outing, you’ll want to arrive early in order to secure a site, as it is not uncommon for the campgrounds to be filled by Friday evening. To reserve a campsite at Steel Creek visit Recreation.gov.
Free-Choice Camping
You may camp along the river or hiking trail in a site of your own choosing if you stay ½ mile ABOVE or BELOW a designated National Park Service campground. This type of camping is FREE, but certain park service guidelines and regulations do apply such as those relating to trash and fire rings. Check with the NPS headquarters in Harrison at 870-741-5443 for specific details. Always camp with rising water in mind. Check qualified weather forecast sources before choosing to launch. Choose a camp site that offers an escape out by land.