Located in Searcy County, Arkansas, Buffalo National River is a dark sky place. It sits roughly 18.1 km (11.2 mi) WNW of Marshall. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
The Buffalo National River, in Northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is 153 miles (246 km) long. The lower 135 miles (217 km) flow within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where the stream is designated the Buffalo National River. The river flows through Newton, Searcy, Marion, and Baxter Counties, from west to east. The river originates in the highest part of the Boston Mountains of the Ozarks, flows out onto the Springfield Plateau near the historic community of Erbie, and finally crosses a portion of the Salem Plateau just before joining the White River. The Park is home to the state's only elk herd. The upper section of the river in the Ozark National Forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is designated as a National Scenic River and a National Wild River.From the Wikipedia article “Buffalo National River”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buffalo National River the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 60° ENE | 8:32 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 119° ESE | 5:01 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Buffalo National River, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:21 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:37 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 72 | 77 | 83 | 90 | 95 | 107 | 108 | 114 | 102 | 93 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | -2 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 53 | 56 | 52 | 42 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this dark sky place
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Buffalo National River, closest first.
Waterfall
Natural ArchNatural ArchWaterfallWaterfall
CaveNatural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tyler Bend Campground4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Spring Creek Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Richland Creek Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buffalo Point25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Rush Campground28 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buffalo National River?
What time is golden hour at Buffalo National River?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buffalo National River?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buffalo National River?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buffalo National River?
How far is Buffalo National River from Marshall?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata), Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.