Gilbert General Store

We took a roadtrip down to Arkansas for the weekend and had high recommendations to float the Buffalo River. After researching many of the outfitters on the Buffalo, we decided to use «Buffalo
1000
Camping and Canoeing» which is run out of the Gilbert General Store.
Reasons we made this decision:
1) They shuttle you to the put-​in location and you float back to Gilbert. When you get out, you don’t have to wait for a shuttle to bring you back to your car– you’re right there already! It is a popular spot for the surrounding outfitters to also have people finish their float, so I was pleased that we were in the right spot.
2) We were going to float the upper part of the river, because it was closer to us, but heard that the river was too low, so they were going to shuttle us to the middle part. Easy choice– we just started at Gilbert and didn’t have to be shuttled south.
3) The cost was better here compared to some on the upper river. Shuttling was also a good price (8.5pp on weekends, I believe).
4) Good reviews for Gilbert on other sites as well.
The river was beautiful with many outcroppings. There is even a little cave-​like rock that you are able to canoe underneath at one point (to the side of the wide river). Beautiful river (though I did notice that it smelled a little, during this season). We went on a Saturday in July, so of course the river was very busy. We weren’t alone at any stretch of the river, but still took some breaks along the way to personalize our trip. We even brought a portable/​camping hammock and hung from some trees hanging over the side of the river. Awesome!
Working with the staff at Buffalo Camping and Canoeing was easy. We walked in, without reservation (called ahead to make sure they had left over canoes), signed up for a rental, waited on the porch for about 10 minutes, and they called our name (along with a list of others) to come and board the shuttle bus. We drove for about 15 minutes to put-​in, got off the bus with all of our stuff (coolers etc.), grabbed some paddles, picked our canoe, and headed out. The staff gave just enough information to get us going, so they were mostly our transportation service. Other than that, the trip was up to us.
Tips:
–I did turn on a map-​my-​run type of app on my phone that helped me to pace the trip. That way I could know where we were in relation to Gilbert the whole time. If we would have paddled the whole time, we would have been done with the 6 miles in 1 hour– instead we took breaks for lunch and hammocking, and it took us about 4 hours.
–There were very few rushing-​current parts of the river. But, at one of them there were several tree snags in the river. We did see someone tip over at that point and their canoe ended up folding in half around the snag. Be careful out there!
–If you want to do a longer float, you have to get there earlier, and they will take you to the 10 mile trip.
Thanks Crew. We had a great time!

The Buffalo River is one of my favorite places on this planet Earth. It is beautiful beyond recognition. It is quiet. It is protected. My favorite outfitter on The Buffalo (at least in this section of the river) is by far Gilbert General Store. Whether you are taking your own canoe (I highly suggest this) or renting one from them, they are able to help you. The employees are always very kind, and very local so if you have any questions they can answer them. My husband and I are currently living in Hawaii, so we weren’t able to bring our own canoe (this was a first for me). I made reservations over the phone for an overnight float and rental. They mailed me my receipt and when I showed up the day of, they were ready and available to take us to our put in. If you float the Buffalo (WHICH YOU SHOULD) and you need an outfitter, go to Gilbert General Store.

Established in 1901 and expanded in 1906, the Gilbert General Store sits just up the hill along the road leading to the Gilbert landing access area on the Buffalo National River. The store has some amenities for canoeists and visitors, such as drinks, snacks, towels, toiletries, water shoes, caps, and etc. It also has a collection of memorabilia from the past on display.
In addition to this, the general stores serves as a sort of visitor’s center, where guests can get maps and information about the area from the proprietor. The owners also operates a canoe and cabin rental service from this store.
The general store maintains its rustic, vintage appearance inside and out. There is no sign for the store itself, but there is a small sign that says «Post Office», as the post office used to be located inside the store. The old PO Boxes are still in there.
Due to the appearance of the building, you may think it is shut down and not in use, but it is open for business.