NWA sits roughly an hour from one of America’s most prized river systems, and if you haven’t visited, well, you’re just missing out. 

• First and favorite: The Buffalo River was the first river in the country to receive the designation of National River, signed into effect by President Nixon in 1972.
• Haven't you herd: With 135 miles of clear water running over shale and limestone riverbed and under breathtaking sandstone bluffs, the Buffalo is the perfect destination for canoeing, hiking, climbing, camping, and...elk watching? That’s right, Arkansas’s only elk herd can often be seen grazing in beautiful Boxley Valley. 

What better way to celebrate 50 years than with an article from the Smithsonian Magazine? Check it out HERE.