Upper Buffalo Wilderness
Here you'll be among the headwaters of the extraordinarily pretty Buffalo National River, which flows down the center of this Wilderness through a rough forested land of steep slopes that descend into...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arkansas |
| Size | 11,978 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.8663, -93.4280 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 2 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Whitaker Point | 1.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 7.2 mi
- 10 miLittle Buffalo River Bridge ↗Parthenon, AR
- 10.3 miBunch Store ↗Kingston, AR
- 10.3 miBank of Kingston ↗Kingston, AR
- 10.8 miPettigrew School ↗Pettigrew, AR
- 11 miOark School--Methodist Church ↗Oark, AR
- 11.2 miDickerson, N. E., Store ↗Oark, AR
- 12.2 miOzone School ↗Ozone, AR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
11,978 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Upper Buffalo Wilderness in?
Arkansas.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Upper Buffalo Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Steel Creek Campground, 8.8 miles out. 2 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.866, -93.428. Buffalo National River is 29 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
Buffalo National River (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
15 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Big Buffalo Valley Historic District and Little Buffalo River Bridge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.