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The Ozarks: Bentonville to the Buffalo – Route Guide

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Whitaker Point Hawksbill Crag — The Ozarks: Bentonville to the Buffalo
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Ozarks' unlikely double act: world-class American art at Crystal Bridges, a Moshe Safdie building over a spring, Walmart-funded, free, beside mountain-bike trails that made Bentonville a riding capital, then Victorian Eureka Springs stacked on its hillside, and the Buffalo's bluff-lined floats. Whitaker Point's crag is the most photographed rock in Arkansas for cause.

The Ozarks: Bentonville to the Buffalo is a 160 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 3–5 days; the plan below is the 4-day version for May, built from 94 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

3–5
days
160km
distance
3
Stops
94
curated stops

Plan your own version → 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go

The route

Bentonville→ 70 kmEureka Springs→ 90 kmThe Buffalo River

What you'll see

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Explore stunning American art in a spacious, modern museum setting.
Bentonville
Thorncrown Chapel
Admire an airy, glass-walled chapel designed by renowned architect E. Fay Jones.
Eureka Springs
Buffalo National River
Experience both swift and calm stretches of this free-flowing Ozarks river.
The Buffalo River
Museum of Native American History
Explore ancient artifacts and rich traditions of Native American cultures in an engaging, accessible setting.
Bentonville
Christ of the Ozarks
Behold a towering statue of Christ with outstretched arms against a scenic backdrop.
Eureka Springs
Buffalo River Trail
Hike through scenic overlooks and rugged wild areas along the river.
The Buffalo River
Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens
Wander through beautifully preserved rooms and lush gardens in a historic colonial mansion.
Bentonville
Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway
Enjoy a short, scenic heritage train ride through picturesque landscapes.
Eureka Springs

Choose your length

3-day plan14 stops · 7.3 h transit4.7 stops/day · 2.4 h transit/daySee the full plan →4-day plan19 stops · 8.1 h transit4.8 stops/day · 2 h transit/daySee the full plan →5-day plan25 stops · 8.4 h transit5 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: April, May, June

Float season on America's first national river — spring water levels carry canoes past 150-metre bluffs — with dogwood and redbud lighting the hollows.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →