With its central location in Missouri, Buffalo is the perfect destination for your next RV trip. Home to roughly 3,300 residents, this town displays relaxed charm. While it was platted in 1841, Buffalo's first post office was not built until 1846. The town is named after its founder's hometown, Buffalo, New York. Uniquely, Buffalo, Missouri honors October 23 each year as Weird Al Yankovic Day. It also recognizes one of the town's notable residents with Peggy Kay Day every June 23.
While Buffalo, Missouri is a quiet community that is located just off the Niangua River, it offers great opportunities for its residents and visitors to enjoy. For example, both the Buffalo Art Walk and Craft Fair and the Southwest Missouri Celtic Heritage Festival and Highland Games are held here each year. It also is home to two city parks, which are the Dallas Community Park and Buffalo City Park. These recreational areas are ideal for outdoor fun with playgrounds, gardens, picnic spots, and more. You can also enjoy a live musical performance at Maple & Main or head to the local bowling alley.
Just outside of the city limits, several notable protected areas enhance the landscape and offer various other recreational activities. Some of these are the Lead Mine Conservation Area, the Barclay Conservation Area, the Goose Creek Conservation Area, Bennett Spring Access, and Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery. Only a short drive down the road, you can discover Pomme de Terre Lake and entertainment venues in Bolivar.
Campgrounds Near Buffalo, Missouri
Lambert's Café RV Park is a family-owned RV park that has been a popular home away from home for travelers since 1999. Its 34 pull-through RV sites are available year round, and they have full hookups and wireless internet access. During your stay, you can enjoy a delicious meal at the renowned Lambert's Café. Lambert's Café RV Park offers both short-term and long-term stays. Rates are $32.51 per night, $189.62 per week, and $600 per month.
Paradise in the Woods RV Park is a rustic RV park with gravel roads, level pads, and several amenities for you to enjoy. The grounds are expansive and feature 42 well-spaced RV sites with full hookups. Guest services include a propane filling station, wireless internet, restrooms, and showers. Paradise in the Woods RV Park also has a horseshoe pit, a swimming pool, a fishing area, and a few outdoor games. The rates are $30 daily, $150 weekly, and $250 monthly.
Cooks RV Motor Park is located in nearby Springfield and provides several amenities, well-manicured grounds, and large RV sites. Some sites are shaded, and all have full hookups with wireless internet available. Both pull-through and back-in sites are available. During your stay, you can access amenities like a dog wash area, a large laundry room, and a bath house. Rates at Cooks RV Motor Park start at $40 per night.
State Parks Near Buffalo, Missouri
Ha Ha Tonk State Park is located just south of Camdenton and spans 3,700 acres along the Lake of the Ozarks. The remnants of a stone mansion that was built in the early 1900s are a highlight. This mansion has castle-like architecture. The landscape is equally stunning with bluffs, sinkholes, a large spring, and caves. In addition, the Ha Ha Tonka Karst Natural Area covers 70 acres of the park. There is a 15-mile hiking trail system as well as opportunities for swimming, fishing, boating, and picnicking.
Withrow Springs State Park is a popular destination for locals and visitors. It covers 786 acres in northern Arkansas and runs along War Eagle Creek. Many people visit the park because it is a launch site for float trips. Withrow Springs State Park also has five miles of hiking trails, amenities for camping and several picnic sites. In addition, a gift shop, tennis courts, softball fields, and a group pavilion are available.
Honey Creek State Park is located close to the Oklahoma-Missouri state border near the small town of Grove. Covering only 30 acres, this small park runs along the shoreline of Grand Lake. There are almost 150 camping sites available in the park. Recreational activities are centered around the water and include swimming, boating and fishing. A courtesy dock, a boat ramp, and a courtesy fish cleaning station are available. In addition, Honey Creek State Park has individual and group picnic areas, a playground, a swimming pool, restrooms with showers, and a children's playground.
National Sites Near Buffalo, Missouri
George Washington Carver National Monument was established in 1943 as the first national monument for a non-president and an African American. Carver is historically recognized for his promotion of alternating crops to minimize soil depletion. He was also a Tuskegee Institute professor, the author of 105 peanut food recipes, and a recipient of the NAACP's Spingarn Medal. The grounds cover 240 acres and include Carver's boyhood home. Some areas remain unspoiled with woods, prairies, and rolling hills. There is a short nature trail that makes it easy to appreciate the landscape. Also at the national monument is an educational film and a museum with an interactive exhibit.
The Buffalo National River originates in the Boston Mountains in the Ozarks, and it flows for 135 miles. Along the river, the state's only elk herd resides. The upper section of the river is defined by highlands, waterfalls, caves, bluffs, springs, sink holes, and karst. The lower section levels off. The area is home to 300 species of aquatic plants and wildlife. Recreational opportunities here include camping, fishing, hiking, floating, and canoeing.
At the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site in nearby Independence, Missouri, you can tour the long-time residence of President Truman and his family. The home, which was built in 1867 and modified in 1885, has Victorian and Gothic architecture. Guided tours of the home and grounds are available. During a tour of the home, you can view several thousand artifacts that belonged to Truman and his family. The city also offers self-guided tours to learn more about Truman.
National Forests Near Buffalo, Missouri
Mark Twain National Forest covers more than three million acres in southern Missouri. The St. Francis River flows through the forest and is popular for kayaking and other water adventures. On the grounds, you can visit Greer Spring, which is the largest natural spring in the forest. The Top Trail National Scenic Byway makes it easy to explore the landscape and offers 30-mile views at some points. In addition, hiking and biking along the Ozark Trail system are popular ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest.
Ouachita National Forest crosses over more than 1.7 million acres in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The woodlands are home to several oak species growing on steep hillsides. The area has never been logged, so many of these are old-growth trees. The Talimena Scenic Drive passes through the area and up the Rich Mountains. Backpacking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, and mountain biking are great ways to spend time in Ouachita National Forest.
Ozark and St. Francis National Forests are separate forests that are jointly managed. These forests, which are in the Ozark Mountains and on Crowley's Ridge, are beautifully unique with different landscapes and wildlife. Between the two forests, you will find 370 miles of streams, 395 miles of hiking trails, nine dedicated swim areas, and 23 campgrounds. Most of the trees in these forests are old-growth trees, including various types of oak and pine trees. Points of interest include Blanchard Springs Caverns, the Mount Magazine Byway, the Scenic 7 Byway, the Mulberry River, the Buffalo National River, and others.