The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

A total Solar Eclipse will be visible at Buffalo National River on April 8th, 2024. This map depicts the path of totality, shaded in gray, over Buffalo National River in relation to the river outlined in blue and the park boundary outlined in green.

NPS

 

Buffalo National River lies within the path of totality for the Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024

 

An excerpt of a NASA map shows the path and timing of the eclipse over Arkansas.

NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

When?

The partial eclipse will begin at approximately 12:35 pm CST and end at 3:12 pm CST, depending upon exact location within the park. The total eclipse will begin at 1:52 pm CST and will last approximately 3 and a half minutes. The western areas of the park will experience shorter eclipse times than the eastern portions of the park.

What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse is a lineup of the sun, the moon, and Earth. The moon will be directly between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth. Totality (total eclipse) occurs when the moon covers the entirety of the sun except for the corona, or sun’s atmosphere. The longest total eclipse time occurs at the center line, where you experience the moon’s shadow’s full width. Outside the cone or umbra, viewers will experience a partial eclipse.

Almost all of Buffalo National River lies within the totality zone!

 

What to Expect

Buffalo National River and the surrounding communities are expecting a large amount of visitors to the area in the days leading up to and after the eclipse. If you are planning to be at the river for the eclipse please plan ahead and prepare.

• Research the local communities surrounding the park for services, businesses, and activities that will be offered.
• The park is expecting high volumes of traffic on the roads. Please check the park website and IDrive Arkansas for any road closures or alerts and allow extra time for traveling.
• Carpooling is recommended as parking will be limited at river access points and campgrounds.
• Interpretive night sky programs and junior ranger programs will be scheduled on the days leading up to the eclipse. Please see our calendar of events page for more details.
• Bring an approved solar viewer or pair of eclipse glasses for viewing.

 

Camping

Some campsites at Steel Creek, Tyler Bend and Buffalo Point Campgrounds are reservable 6 months in advance. Please visit recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777 to make a reservation. All other campsites in the park are strictly first come, first serve. Saving of campsites is prohibited and all sites must be occupied nightly. There is a limit of 6 people per individual campsite. Please check out the park’s Camping page for more information on camping options in the park.

Backcountry camping is permitted at Buffalo National River. To learn more about this type of camping please visit the park’s Backcountry Camping page.

 

Leave No Trace

Buffalo National River wants everyone to have a safe and enjoyable eclipse experience! In order to ensure that park resources are left unimpaired and other visitors are treated in a courteous manner, please check out the park’s Leave No Trace page for some helpful hints.

 

How to View an Eclipse

Viewing an eclipse safely is of the utmost importance. Please be safe while enjoying this unique celestial event! Learn more about safely viewing an eclipse here.