I am planning on doing a kayaking trip on the Buffalo river at the end of March. planning on floating from ponca to kyle landing. wanted to see if any one had any pointers or tips for this trip. it will be the first time i am doing a kayak/camping trip that wasnt on the brazos river. all information in appreciated .

Amazing river and March-May are the perfect times to go. I have done it a few times. Memorable each time.

Be sure to pack a weather radio. The Buffalo is not a dam release river so you need to know what is happening upstream. Water WILL rise to flood stages quickly. Last time I went it rained 3" upstream and barely a sprinkle on us. Woke up early morning to hear my campfire sizzling due to the water rising 4'.

If the river does flood, remember river right, not left. We experienced several forks in the river that led to dangerous areas within the trees. We chose poorly.

If you see an Elk close to the banks, steer clear. We paddled up close to one just to notice a little placenta hanging on her, which means she just gave birth. That huge girl came charging at us in the water. Thankfully we were far enough away and deeper water.

Take your time and extend out the trip to fish and take in the sights. If you enjoy the Brazos, the Buffalo will make the Brazos look like inner city paddling.

Tak plenty of photos to share!

That stretch is pretty straight forward. Water level is a big factor, obviously. March might not be too crowded. My wife and I usually canoe it around Memorial Day weekend, which is very crowded. As mentioned, it can flood in a hurry. Bring a slider worm, it’s the only thing that’s worked for me, but fishing isn’t a huge priority when we go, and it’s crowded when we’re there, but I always catch a few with a slider worm.

It’s a beautiful river and the stretch you’re floating isn’t very long, so take your time and have fun.

We are actually going to paddle from Ponca to the White River at the end of April/first of May. We have three weeks set aside starting the 18th. We will watch the weather and try to pick the best week of the three and take off, and plan on 5 days on the river. Definitely pick your camp spots wisely, in relation to possible rising water this time of year. As stated above, the river can rise dramatically overnight. Always have an escape route planned. Other than that, enjoy! Extremely beautiful river. There should not be too many people on the river during that time you are going.
And no glass! if you do happen to get checked (rare occasion) and they find even the smallest of glass containers, they will ticket you.