Live on the Edge at Buffalo National River, Arkansas
Soaring bluffs and views to match make this an adventure worth going on.
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The cliffs of Big Bluff soar more than 500 feet to this view above the Buffalo River, one of the very few undammed waterways left in the Lower 48. Congress designated it a National River in 1972, protecting its free-flowing 135 miles under the national park system, and putting a permanent stop to repeated efforts to dam it. The bluffs are made of limestone, sandstone and shale that were once an ancient seabed. Reach this cliffside perch on the Centerpoint and Goat Trails, a 6-mile round trip from the Centerpoint trailhead. The Goat Trail branches off at mile 3.2, following a ledge carved into the cliff face to this view from Big Bluff. The views out over the river and surrounding hills are impressive all along the Goat Trail, but the Big Bluff viewpoint is the best; time your arrival for sunset (the bluff faces west) for a stellar photo op. Permit none
