Arkansas · Trail 2213

Buffalo Creek Trail

Buffalo Creek Trail is a 4.8-mile trail in Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Arkansas. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Ozark-St. Francis National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end35.8741° N, 93.5116° W · Directions ↗
Other end35.8279° N, 93.4952° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length4.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material (hard)
Typical grade8-10 percent
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers2213
ForestOzark-St. Francis National Forest (unit 0810)
StatesArkansas
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Buffalo Creek Trail30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.32 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.04 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.30 inches of precipitationApril: 5.17 inches of precipitationMay: 5.46 inches of precipitationJune: 4.75 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.36 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.50 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.22 inches of precipitationOctober: 4.50 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.12 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.36 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 34.0°F averageFebruary: 38.0°F averageMarch: 45.7°F averageApril: 54.7°F averageMay: 63.1°F averageJune: 71.2°F averageJuly: 75.3°F averageAugust: 75.1°F averageSeptember: 68.3°F averageOctober: 57.5°F averageNovember: 46.2°F averageDecember: 37.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Kingston 2S, 11 miles from the trail midpoint at 2,145 feet, station USC00033909 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 50 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Arbaugh Woodland

    9 mi from the trail midpoint · 75 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Spring Lake Recreation Area

    48 mi from the trail midpoint · 48 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for Arkansas

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • The Ozarks: 43 spectacular hikes in Arkansas and Missouri
    Jim Warnock, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Arkansas Nature Lover's Guidebook
    Tim Ernst and Pam Ernst, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Scenic Routes and Byways the Ozarks
    Don Kurz, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Buffalo Creek Trail?

The Forest Service records 4.8 miles under this name in Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Buffalo Creek Trail?

Hiking and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Buffalo Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 35.8741° N, 93.5116° W and ends at 35.8279° N, 93.4952° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Buffalo Creek Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Buffalo Creek Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Ozark-St. Francis National Forest official page

How developed is the Buffalo Creek Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Buffalo Creek Trail?

The typical grade is 8-10 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Buffalo Creek Trail?

Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Forest Service unit 0810. The trail is in Arkansas.

Source: Ozark-St. Francis National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Buffalo Creek Trail?

The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Arbaugh Woodland at 9 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Buffalo Creek Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0810. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.