Ken Smith’s Buffalo River Country photography exhibition at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History through December 31, 2022.
Celebrating Buffalo River Country Sandra Cox Birchfield, Communications and Marketing Manager, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale, Arkansas It is an Ozark ritual. Wait for a good rain. Load up the canoe or kayak. Then head for Ponca for a five-hour float to Kyles Landing. The not-so-faint-of-heart may set their sights on Woolum, a 50-mile ride from the Ponca launching point. The nearby trails lead deep into the Arkansas Ozark mountains to bluffs, some creating natural shelters, and scenic overlooks. The bursts of reds and yellows in the fall can be breathtaking. Experienced hikers might journey into one of the wild caverns off the beaten paths, while others may prefer those that have been developed commercially and bear intriguing names like Hurricane River Cave or Mystic Caverns.
In his 1967 book, The Buffalo River Country, Kenneth L. Smith brought awareness to the watershed and its surrounding hills. Published by The Ozark Society, Smith’s photographs, maps, and travel narratives played a role in the society’s mission to get the Buffalo designated a national river, the first to be granted the distinction in the historic 1972 event. On the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, Arkansas, presents the photographic exhibit, Ken Smith’s Buffalo River Country, which features 24 images with 22 from Smith’s 1965 exploration of the Buffalo River watershed. The collection highlights the beauty 45
