New company offers Ozark Forest, Buffalo River tours

story submitted by Jill Rohrbach, a travel writer with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

If you like hiking, but don’t know where to go, don’t like deciphering guidebooks, or don’t have someone to hike with, a new business called On and Off the Beaten Path offers tours to  address those issues.

The tours consist of guided hikes in the Ozark National Forest and Buffalo National River corridor in northern Arkansas. They are led by Daniel Knoll, Tracy White Buffalo-Nicholson and Nathan Metcalf, who together offer more than 50 years of combined wilderness experience.

With a love of hiking, Knoll and White Buffalo-Nicholson started a hiking club three years ago in an effort to build a group of people with which to hike. After leading many of those expeditions, someone suggested to Knoll that he guide people for a living.

The idea flourished between Knoll, Metcalf and White Buffalo-Nicholson, who have been working for the past year to establish their new business. On and Off the Beaten Path has its concessionaire license from the National Park Service to guide in the Buffalo National River area. There are more than 100 miles of maintained trails within the park.

On and Off the Beaten Path offers a Fall Color Tour and a Waterfall Tour. The Waterfall Tour would normally just be offered in the spring. But excessive amounts of rain this fall have the water running strong. The group also guides hikes to Hawksbill Crag, Pedestal Rocks, Sam’s Throne, Buzzard Roost, Natural Bridge, Goat Trail, and Tea Table Bluffs.

The tours offered change with the seasons, and some involve bushwhacking, meaning there is no established trail. These are only available as day hikes. Knoll said the threesome also constantly talk to the locals about bluffs and other scenic places that have yet to be discovered in hopes of offering new experiences. White Buffalo-Nicholson added that the tours are flexible.

Tours start at $25 per person, with some costing $45 per person. The price includes provision of a daypack containing basic essentials, such as a small first aid kit, rain gear, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, bottled water, and a plastic waste bag. Knoll said purchasing hiking gear is an investment, so this lets people find out if they like hiking before buying equipment. The guides carry additional supplies, including navigational equipment, rope, insect repellent, poison ivy wash, sunscreen, maps, permits, and first aid and emergency equipment. (Link here for more details on costs and essentials.)

On and Off the Beaten Path expects their visitors to range from locals to visiting tourists.  The guides are also interested in helping kids discover what nature has to offer. In this era of technology, kids are often enticed to be more sedentary in front of televisions, computers, and video games rather than exploring the outdoors.

“Even some of the people that have lived in this part of the country all of their lives haven’t hiked the area,” White Buffalo-Nicholson said.

For adults, Knoll said the rewards of hiking are not only exercise, but that it is also a tool to curb stress.

“You lose yourself out there,” he explained.