Buffalo National River Named One Of America’s Most Underrated

MSN Travel ranked Arkansa’s Buffalo National River as one the country’s most underrated. The list looked at parks that see as few as 14,000 visitors per year, but the editors believe are worth the trip.

Comparatively, Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw more than 10 million visitors in 2014.

Some are less popular because a remote location makes them harder to access, or their rugged terrain scares away newbies. Others are overshadowed by a more famous neighboring park. Still others are local favorites that remain hidden gems.

Others on the list include Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Great Basin National Park in Nevada and Wrangell – St. Elias National Park in Alaska.

Reviews were glowing of Buffalo National River:

This river offers 135 miles of canoeing and rafting opportunities, plus hiking trails, gravel bars, and swimming holes for those who choose to explore on foot. Buffalo River became America’s first national river in 1972 amid great controversy, as developers wanted to dam the river into a reservoir. When you see leafy forests blanketing the tops of sandstone bluffs 400 feet above the river, you’ll be glad they didn’t. Steel Creek showcases some of the most striking sandstone cliffs, and the zinc-mining ghost town of Rush is fun to explore. But the real centerpiece is the river itself, called one of the country’s best float streams by National Geographic.

To see the full list, click here.