Float the cool river in the morning. Hike the shady trails in the afternoon. Throw some burgers on the grill for dinner. Or indulge in gourmet dining just a short drive from your lodge. At Buffalo River Lodging, your vacation is as relaxing as the views.
Attractions
Like Gwendolyn, most guests tells us the Upper Buffalo River is the most beautiful part of the Ozark Mountains. We agree. Our lodges are near the headwaters of the Buffalo National River and the Buffalo National River Park, giving you access to endless outdoor activities but you don’t have to be a fitness enthusiast to enjoy our outdoors. Grab the car and the camera and visit these sites:
Mystic Caverns: Follow the trail of the area's first settlers as you are guided through two amazing caves, Mystic Caverns and Crystal Dome Caverns.
Hillary Jones Wildlife Museum: Lots of touchable displays makes this an educational and fun adventure for the family. Plus it's a great place to pick-up a fishing or hunting license.
Boxley Valley: Not to be missed. Our area is home to the state's largest elk herd and you can usually get great views from the roads in Boxley Valley. Schedule your visit from mid-September to mid-November for the annual elk rut and you might even catch a bull elk fight.
Preview the beauty of your next vacation through the eyes of premiere professional photographer Tim Ernst.
Visit TimErnst.com for guidebooks, maps, photo books, prints and news about his appearances. We highly recommend his photo workshops!
Dining
With our fully equipped kitchens, outdoor grills and marshmallow sticks ready for the fire, all you need for a perfect dinner is your bag of groceries. But if you don't feel like cooking, these are a few of our favorite local restaurants:
Low Gap Café: It may not look like it, but this kitschy, casual restaurant's menu includes shrimp carbonara, pan seared scallops, steak Diane and mascarpone cake--and the culinary expertise to earn reviews calling their food perfection.(870) 861-5848.
Cliff House Restaurant: You'll fall in love with the view from this cliff-perched place but the food will bring you back even on foggy days. Open breakfast through dinner with all your family favorites from burgers to steaks. 870-446-2292.
Ozark Café: Diner style eating in the heart of Jasper. Be sure to try their famous shakes and check their Facebook page to see which live band will be on-stage Saturday night. 870-446-2976.
And that's far from a complete list. With a dozen or so eating establishments in the Jasper area and even more a few miles further out, some guests barely remember our lodge has a kitchen. But they always remember our S'mores.
Recreation
No matter what the season, the great outdoors is waiting right outside your door at Buffalo River Lodging. Kayak whitewater in the spring, float the river in the summer, climb a bluff in the fall and hike the quiet of a winter forest.
You'll find popular trails at Hemmed-In-Hollow, Lost Valley Park and the often-photographed Hawksbill Crag. Mountain biking, ATV trails and well-groomed horseback riding trails also crisscross Ozark National Forest.