Buffalo National River

The Buffalo River was America's first National River, and hiking the bluffs above it is backpacking with a soundtrack - that river is always there, background music to your trek. The trails follow the river through limestone canyons with 500-foot bluffs. You'll camp on gravel bars, hike to waterfalls, and maybe see elk if you're lucky. This is Arkansas backcountry at its finest - remote, beautiful, and distinct from Midwest terrain. The mix of river and mountain ecology makes it educational. The options for combining floating and hiking make it flexible. This is the trip that makes boys realize the South has wilderness worth traveling for.