Long Branch, Arkansas, US |
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| Usual Difficulty | III-V (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 2 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 267 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 450 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Buffalo | ||||
| virtual-45503 | 5.00 - 10.00 ft | III-V | 00h51m | 2.58 ft (rc= -0.5 ) |
Note: Jan. 2009 ice storm deposited
lots of wood in the creek, creek is currently most likely unrunnable. The
combination of Steep banks and lots of dead red oak trees (thanks to the borer beetle
infestation) tend to clog the creek with wood from time to time, so keep look out.
This is a very small creek 2 miles long, plus the last 3.5 miles of the EFLB. Each mile of Long Branch drops 267 feet, but each mile also contains a shorter steeper gorge where the main action awaits. The put-in only drains 0.5 square miles of watershed, which doubles just before the upper gorge drops start. The lower gorge drains only 2.3 square miles. Gradient #s are for Long Branch only. Tight slots, fast slides, waterfalls, undercuts, deadfall. Highlights are the first and last sets of drops. Must run the last 3.5 miles on the East Fork Little Buffalo which will be at high water.
Put-in: Go North on CR 28 from Hwy 16 at Deer and head toward Wayton. This road takes you past the Alum Cove NFS recreation area. Continue for 2 miles North past the rec. area and park on the side of the road. Drag West down the through the woods aiming for the confluence of the top two forks. (Elevation 1800).
Take-out: Reach the take-out by continuing North to the community of Wayton from
the put-in. Turn left (West) on CR 96 at the Wayton Baptist Church. Go 2.3 miles and turn left
(South) on CR 95. Snow cemetery is on the right. Continue ~2.5 miles down the mountain to the
community of Murray. Be sure to check out the scenery on the way down. Especially the small but
tall waterfall above the first creek crossing. At the bottom of the hill, there are a couple of
houses on the right then a triangle intersection. To the left, Willis Park is beside the creek at
the low-water bridge and the will probably have standing water in the field. Park at the
community building next to the park at the intersection. Be sure to thank any locals and leave a
donation for this facility. (Elevation 1065)
Alternate is to park on the river left on the road by accessing from Hwy 16 at Swain. See
the East Fork Little Buffalo for
description. Parking area will be underwater and very few wide spots are on the road, so parking
is sparce.
Description
The creek starts out very small and narrow with a 0.25+ mile long shoal. Shortly after crossing an ATV trail a third fork enters from the left. Immediately below this fork is the first set of drops known as the waterpark. A slide into an auto-boof, a 10+ foot waterfall, another slide with an autoboof, finishing with a ramp to the right into a flume.
After these first bedrock drops, the creek enters boulder drops. The next horizon line is an interesting double drop named 'Duck and Cover'.
Lots more nice class III/IV for the next mile with some nice drops like "Baby Zwick's", as it resembles the move from Zwicks on the Green Narrows, and 'Switchback'. Haunt Hollow enters from river right to add a little more water before the meat of the lower gorge begins.
The bottom gorge offers very steep banks and 450+ ft/mile for a third mile. Big complex boulder drops with holes, pin potential and undercuts. The portages are worse! The lower gorge consists of back to back drops with small eddys scattered about.
Just around the corner from the pool below 'Freeride' is the East Fork Little Buffalo. Long Branch enters ~0.5 miles below 'Johnson's Falls' so get ready for 3.5 miles of big water through the meat of the EFLB at flood! This is class IV+ big water with juicy holes, swirlies and crosscurrents.
If you have the time and energy at the bottom, catch a quick run on Stepp Creek, which enters the EFLB at the takeout.
Check out some video from this creek in the Ozark Update section of LVM issue #13.
More info and photos at:
Long Branch at Lance's Whitewater Page
$20.00
DVD is fundraiser for the Arkansas Canoe Club.
Look for 1.5" or more rain at Deer, Mockingbird Hill and Murray within the last 6 to 12 hours.
Also look for the Buffalo at Boxley gauge to be > 6.5 ft.
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Buffalo | ||||||||||||
| virtual-45503 | 5.00 - 10.00 ft | III-V | 00h51m | 2.58 ft (rc= -0.5 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9y330d10h17m | @Long Branch Wayton to Murray (2+3.5 miles) [AR] |
Long Branch Saloon
|
0 cfs | Lance Jones |
| 9y330d11h17m | Long Branch [AR] |
4th drop
|
n/a | Lance Jones |
No Comments
Users can submit comments.| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -0.3 | Put-in Parking | N/A | |
| 0.2 | The Waterpark | IV |   |
| 0.4 | Duck and Cover | IV+ |  |
| 0.8 | Baby Zwicks | IV | |
| 1.0 | Switchback | IV | |
| 1.6 | Entrance to Lower Gorge | 5.0 | |
| 1.7 | Particle Separator | 5.0 | |
| 1.8 | Long Branch Saloon | IV+ | |
| 1.8 | Freeride | 5.1 | |
| 2.0 | EFLB Confluence |
Park along Hwy 327/CR28 about 1.8 miles north of Alum Cove Rec. Area. Head downhill to the West to the creek.
4th dropThe first horizon line is a steep fast slide dropping 12-15 ft with an autoboof into the small pool, followed shortly by a 8-10 ft waterfall (run on far right), followed shortly by a 20-ft steep fast slide with another autoboof into a small pool. Leave the pool far right in a narrow slide, ramp up on the right bank to avoid slamming the boulder on river left and ride the flume out the bottom.
Duck and CoverAfter these first bedrock drops, the creek enters boulder drops. The next horizon line is an interesting double drop named 'Duck and Cover'. The first 4-ft drop is under an overhanging rock into a sticky boiling hole. The second part offers a nasty slot with pin/piton potential on river left or shallow slide down river right.
Rapid with similar move as 'Zwicks' on the Green River Narrows in NC. The drop is not as tall nor the hole as sticky.
As the name indicates, a tight move requiring a switch of direction.
Entrance slot feeds a couple of holes banked by a sieve. Two more defined drops immediately follow, both of which have potential for pins. The first as the creek turns to the left, the second as the creek turns right. A decent eddy is available before the next rapid.
Particle SeparatorName has dual meaning. First meaning, the rapid requires a 3-ft boof to the left, over the broken ledge, aiming for a boat wide slot on river left beside the 'separator' rock and over an 8-ft ledge at the bottom. Going right of the separator rock will take you into a nasty looking notch which is not recommended. An undercut boulder looms at the bottom right. Second meaning, it separated the boaters from the walkers on the first descent (The portage is high and tough on either bank.
Long Branch SaloonThis one looms directly below 'Particle Separator'. Majority of the flow funnels left toward a house size boulder. Enter the door to the left onto the tongue beside the pillow and get ready for a punch in the face from the hole at the bottom of the 10-ft drop. At high water this hole could become nasty as the creek is constricted between the large boulder on the left, the cliff on the right and water pouring straight down into the deep pool.
Exit from the pool leads to a small boof into a water slide flume.
FreerideThis rapid drops 40+ ft over 100 yards. A long complex rapid starting with 3 boulder slot moves followed by a 5-ft boof into a small eddy on the left. There is no stopping after this eddy until the pool at the bottom. From this eddy it drops over a cluttered 4-ft rock pile. Best line is middle to right, ride the bow high on the right bank as it turns back to the left. Negotiate a route through some trash rocks down the right side as the creek turns back to the left. Line up for an 8-ft boof onto a slide. Hit the boof right with left angle to avoid the right shelf rock and the hole and undercut wall on the left. Once on the slide, quick acceleration takes over toward the final 10+ foot waterfall. Punch through the curler pushing you right on the approach to the waterfall. You want to be left to avoid the large boulder on the bottom right side of the falls.
reach
state
reachlink
Wayton to Murray (2+3.5 miles), Long Branch Arkansas, US (mobile)
