Canoeing is the staple of our business and the oldest form of strolling down the Buffalo River. There are several lazy sections of our entire stretch, but also a few challenging spots. A seasoned canoe veteran should not have much problem reading the current and finding a line to safely pass the deadfall littering the passes. Many first timers even come back unscathed and excited about the many close calls they had. Then there are the unlucky souls who thought they had everything under control only to find out the hard way that the Buffalo River has it's way of lulling you into a sense of false easiness. They come back shoeless and phoneless with only one paddle but usually with a smile on their face and a story to tell. If you want the true Buffalo River experience, canoeing is the way to go.
Next we have the ever increasing kayak experience. Our made in Tennessee Jackson Riviera has become the one person Cadillac of the river. Very beginner friendly and super comfortable, these beauties come highly recommended by every person who sits in one. They are also highly maneuverable making your chance of tipping over much lower. Our kayaks also sit much lower to the water making a more stable platform. The only drawback is the storage area. There is ample space for a lunchbox style cooler or even a small to medium size standard cooler, but if you want a large cooler, you may consider the canoe a better option.
Then there is the lazy special- the innertube. These are the ultimate form of relaxation. They also have drawback, though. Those use to controlling a canoe may have a hard time finding themselves at the mercy of the current. There may be sections you prefer walking your tube a few feet so that you don't get "pingponged" around too much risking a hole punctured by a pointy branch lurking just about the water line. If you are going down as a group I suggest a quick disconnect system for when you find your group entering a gauntlet of deadfall because if one tube goes on one side of a log and the other tube goes on the other side, you will find out just how much powerful the river can be. In these cases, you just disconnect and harmlessly flow through and reconnect on the other side.
Here at Bone's Canoe & Campground, we want your Buffalo River experience to be a pleasurable one, so hopefully this will help demystify some of the confusion on what option you choose! We hope to see you soon!