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National Park Service News Release
Release Date: May 5th, 2020
Contact: Cassie Branstetter, Branch Chief of Interpretation, cassie_branstetter@nps.gov
Buffalo National River to Begin Phased Access to the Park
Northwest Arkansas– Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Public Health Service, and the Arkansas Department of Health, Buffalo National River is beginning to resume visitor access for recreational day use of trails and the Buffalo River. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and is using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
Beginning May 15th, 2020 Buffalo National River will resume Day Use Only access for:
- Private and commercial floating on the Buffalo River, including all river access points
- All trails within park boundaries, except for the Lost Valley Trail
- Limited restroom facilities
Park employees will be staffing trailheads and river access points to ensure traffic control and social distancing guidance. Staff will be available to direct visitors to other areas of the park should locations become too congested to comply with health guidelines.
With public health in mind, the following facilities remain closed at this time:
- The Lost Valley Trail
- Buffalo National River Headquarters building in Harrison, Arkansas
- All established campgrounds in the park
- Gravel bar and backcountry camping within park boundaries
- Tyler Bend Visitor Center, Steel Creek Visitor Contact Station, and the Buffalo Point Visitor Contact Station
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, partners, and communities continue to be paramount. At Buffalo National River, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.
While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and visitor services will be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders regarding the wearing of masks, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
Many recreational locations at Buffalo National River, such as trail heads and river access points, can become very crowded and make social distancing difficult. To maintain Arkansas Health Department and CDC social distancing guidelines in the park, it is important to disperse visitor use to a variety of locations and times. Visitors should talk with park rangers to help plan a trip visiting less congested areas of the park, where social distancing is easier. If after recreational activities resume, social distancing guidelines are not able to be met at Buffalo National River, some recreational activities may again be temporarily closed until health guidelines can be met.
The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.
For those who are still home schooling or not traveling at this time, checkout www.nps.gov/buff and take advantage of the many digital tools available to explore Buffalo National River.
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website www.nps.gov/buff and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: May 5, 2020