We Paddled Arkansas’ Buffalo River with 37 North Expeditions. Here’s the Verdict.

Arkansas is known as the Natural State for a reason. With more than three million acres of public land, Missouri’s neighbor to the south has plenty of wild landscapes to explore, including tons of spots for climbing, hiking, paddling, and biking.

But with equipment, weather, and transport concerns, planning an outdoor trip can be tricky. If you’re a visitor or a newcomer, you may not know the top locales or the best way to access them.

Luckily, northwest Arkansas is home to a company whose entire mission is to get folks outside. The locally owned 37 North Expeditions offers guided outdoor experiences in the Bentonville and Fayetteville areas, including horseback riding, backpacking, and kayaking.

Recently, I took one of its Buffalo River Day Paddle trips — an all-day guided float and hike on the Buffalo National River — to see what this guiding company is about (and whether its trips are worth your time and money).

Challenge by Choice
First, a confession: While I am an experienced backpacker, climber, and all-around outdoorsy person, I don’t love paddling.

Maybe it’s because I’m not the strongest swimmer, maybe it’s because I don’t like not being able to stand up, or maybe it’s because my brother never failed to flip the canoe with us in it growing up.

Regardless, when I realized that the 37 North trip that best fit my schedule was a paddle trip, I was less than thrilled. I would’ve much rather gone on an all-day hike instead.

I kept thinking about that fact on my way down to Prairie Creek Campground near Bentonville the night before the paddle, and I was still thinking about it as I waited for the 37 North van to pick me up outside a downtown Fayetteville hotel the morning of the trip.

 

Then, after a 90-minute drive to the put-in spot, when it was time to get in our boats and I found out I was going to be solo in a one-person kayak, I was even less thrilled. I figured it would take about five seconds before I flipped over and got soaking wet.

As our group stood on the shore near Ponca, Arkansas, preparing to head out on the water, our guides, Dave and Eric, reviewed safety protocols and best practices.

I was sure we would get more instruction on how to paddle. I expected them to explain the best way to turn and what to do if you got caught in an eddy.

There was none of that. Initially, I was slightly irked, feeling like I had been thrown to the wolves, or, in this case, onto a pretty calm, slow-moving river.

As we prepared to get in our kayaks, David reminded us that this was “challenge by choice.” Meaning, we were in charge of our own experience.

If we wanted help, the guides would be there. All we had to do was ask. If we wanted to opt out of anything, we were more than welcome to.

(You might wonder: How do you opt out of kayaking when you’re in the middle of a group paddling trip? I think if you really didn’t want to paddle a section, you could hop in one of the guide’s canoes and they would tie up your kayak.)

At any rate, “challenge by choice” became my motto of the day. Whenever there was a (very mild) rapid that I had to paddle through, I reminded myself that I get to decide every risk I take. I was entirely in control of my own experience.

It was very much like climbing in that way: I had full autonomy over every decision about what I did with my body.

 

Going Your Own Way
I had participated in guided hikes, horseback riding, and river rafting trips before, and my independent streak always pushed back against any coddling. Guides’ attempts to maintain tight control bugged me. I wanted to hike at my own pace. I wanted to stop and take in a view, or race up a hill to get a hard ascent over with.

So while I initially brushed up against 37 North’s “you do you” approach, as the day went on, I began to savor it.

I slowed down and took photos whenever I wanted, and paddled hard through rapids whenever I chose. As long as we stayed within our guides’ general line of sight, we were free to roam.

I loved being able to socialize and chat with my fellow trip participants, or paddle away to reflect in the stillness and silence of nature as I saw fit. It was like a Montessori school version of paddling: self-directed and learning by doing.

Of course, Dave and Eric were keeping an eye on us. If someone got stuck on a rock, they’d paddle over, and if anyone flipped, they’d be right there to help. They’d check in with everyone occasionally and make sure everyone was staying hydrated and putting on sunscreen.

They were caring and attentive, without infantilizing us. I never felt unsafe, and I also never felt restricted.

All day, the weather had been beautiful, with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s. Then, with about two miles to go, the skies opened up and a heavy thunderstorm began. Dave and Eric kept our spirits up for the rest of the trip as we all got dumped on, and then sat, slightly cold and shivering.

As I expected, I did eventually flip my kayak. Somehow, I paddled straight into a rock in a rapid and capsized immediately. As I hauled myself back into my boat, Dave paddled over to make sure I was OK. I gave a big grin and a thumbs-up.

Flipping, the thing I was most nervous about all day, actually became one of the highlights. Failing, feeling my adrenaline kick in, and then responding to the situation reminded me that I am, in fact, competent and capable.

Even if things go wrong, I have everything I need to meet the challenge.

 

Buffalo Blast
The Buffalo National River, with its clear water and towering limestone bluffs, was gorgeous. The same can be said of our one-mile hike to the 209-foot Hemmed-in Hollow Falls, the highest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians.

Without 37 North, I never would have explored this area. After all, who would buy a kayak for a one-day trip?

Many of the other folks on my trip were, to my surprise, locals. They had lived in the Bentonville/Fayetteville area for years and wanted to try something new. This 37 North adventure was a way for them to explore more of their own backyard.

Yet the atmosphere 37 North created was an even stronger incentive than the nature we explored. Guided trips like these create a safe environment to try something new. Getting to try and fail without embarrassment or harsh consequences isn’t something we often get to experience at work or in our daily lives.

When was the last time you jumped into something new with both feet, unafraid of shame? Trips like the ones 37 North offers encourage its guests to be bold and embrace “challenge by choice.”

Going kayaking, horseback riding, or backpacking for the first time — or for the first time in a new environment — with experts along to help is an opportunity to build confidence, resilience, and trust in yourself.

I don’t think I’ll be someone who does multi-day paddling trips anytime soon, but after my day with 37 North, I’d happily hop back out on the river the next chance I get.

Buffalo River paddle trips from 37 North run in the spring and summer and start at $295. For more information about 37 North trips, go here.

Author: Mary Andino is a contributor to Terrain.

Top image: Kayakers on a Buffalo River Day Paddle from 37 North. (Courtesy of 37 North Expeditions)