Our permit is for a type of boat called a Drift Boat. These are most commonly used for fishing boats on western rivers, and are particularly suited to the Buffalo River because they are quiet, stable, and cut through waves and current like a champ.

Each boat holds a guide and 3 people, plus gear and ice chests. It is powered with oars, similar to a row boat, by the guide. Two boats in our fleet are manufactured by Boulder Boatworks. You can check out their lines of boats here. Our newest drift boat is from Hog Island Boatworks.

Our guides prepare simple, tasty food right on the river bank. We strive to use quality and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. You can expect something like breakfast burritos for breakfast, sandwiches with chips and cookies for lunch, and grilled porkchops with pasta and salad for dinner. We are happy to work with you on vegetarian and allergy specific options, as well as options for picky eaters.

Our guides use food preparation and sanitation procedures outlined in the NPS Backcountry food preparation procedure manual. We have hand washing stations and hand sanitizer ready for everyone before meals, and use backcountry sanitation procedures for dish clean up.

You know best what your kiddos are ready for, but as a general rule, we say yes! Here are some things to discuss with us and consider before we launch:

— Less time moving down river and more time to swim and play is usually best. We can plan this in advance for best trip results!

— For smaller children, having a life jacket that fits them and is comfortable for them to wear all day is important. We highly recommend that they wear it even when at camp on overnights, anytime they are near the water.

— Consider weather. While adults might have just as much fun on a dreary or chilly day out on the river, kids might not. Consider summer months, and rescheduling if the weather might not cooperate.

We generally try to start at the most convenient location for you. However, since the water level varies greatly throughout the year, we won’t send an official starting location until the week of to ensure there is enough water in that section.

If you have any favorite spots you would like to see, we can always adjust our route for you and the activities you want to do.

While we pass vault toilets at accesses, and are happy to stop along the way to use them, you can expect to use what we lovingly call the the “groover” at camp. This allows us to leave no trace, and provides a comfortable, private restroom for you. New to the concept? No worries, we give a charming tutorial at the beginning of each trip to make sure everyone is confident. Hand washing stations with soap and water are available in camp.

Our goal is to take the guess work and work out of your river trip by providing most specialized gear that you might need. For a day trip, plan on having a rain jacket, sandals with back straps, towel, sunglasses and sun hat with you. For overnight trips, bring a blanket or sleeping bag, pillow, and pjs or cotton shorts and tee-shirt. We will go over trip specifics, and email you a more detailed checklist to help with packing. Regarding beverages, our permit with the park does not allow us to provide alcoholic beverages to our guests, so plan to bring any specific drinks you would like with you in small cooler.

We ask for a 20% deposit at booking, with the remaining balance due 48 hours prior to your trip. At that point, we should have a good idea about water levels and weather conditions and will work with you to reschedule if conditions look dangerous or highly unfavorable. If rescheduling is not an option, we offer a full refund 48 hours in advance of payment received if there are unsafe river conditions.

If you can’t make the trip, please inform us as soon as possible. If you cancel at least 7 days prior to the trip launch date, we will refund 100% of any fees already paid minus the 5% booking fee. If you cancel less than 7 days prior to trip launch, we will refund any payment minus the 20% deposit and 5% booking fee.