The Buffalo National River, a 153-mile-long river in the Ozark Plateau, became the first national river in the United States on March 1, 1972. It flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the last undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. It was established by President Nixon and placed under the protection of the National Park Service 100 years after Yellowstone National Park's establishment. The river has been an attraction for its inhabitants since prehistoric times and has two state parks along its course.
The Buffalo River was not officially documented until the early nineteenth century, with no known sites. The Osage, Cherokee, and Shawnee tribes had significant influence on the area before Anglo settlement. Settlers began settling in the late 1820s, with land ownership becoming possible in 1845. Federal surveys provide information on vegetation, natural features, settler names, roads, and structures. Public land books mostly date back to 1880-1915, with descendants of older settlers using log structures and new road systems. Entries continued until 1956.
In the 1960s, opposing organizations formed to oppose a dam on the Buffalo River. Governor Orval Faubus withdrew his support in 1965, leading to the introduction of the first Buffalo National River Park legislation in 1967. The park, which covers 94,293 acres, allows hunting and fishing as traditional uses and offers permanent residents the option of use and occupancy for up to 25 years.
The Buffalo River has experienced several algal blooms since establishing a C&H/Cargill hog farm in 2013, but in 2018, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality denied C&H's permit to operate the farm, making it one of America's Most Endangered Rivers. The park is a popular tourist destination in Arkansas, with over 800,000 visitors annually. It includes 135 miles of river, 100 miles of hiking trails, and three congressionally designated wilderness areas. On April 8th, 2024, tourists in the Buffalo National River witnessed the rare totality of the Solar Eclipse that passed through the State of Arkansas and across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The park also features four historic districts on the National Register and individual sites depicting the cultural history of the river's peoples. The Arkansas Farm Bureau officially adopted a policy opposing any potential redesignation.