Visitors urged to practice safe elk viewing

A bull elk (left) and a cow elk graze in Boxley Valley, along Arkansas 21 during a past autumn. Elk can be seen from the highway mornings and evenings in meadows of the Boxley Valley and Ponca areas. 
(Arkansas Game and Fish/Mike Wintroath)
A bull elk (left) and a cow elk graze in Boxley Valley, along Arkansas 21 during a past autumn. Elk can be seen from the highway mornings and evenings in meadows of the Boxley Valley and Ponca areas. (Arkansas Game and Fish/Mike Wintroath)

National Park Service officials expect heavy traffic in Boxley Valley Historic District this fall, with visitors arriving for hiking, hunting, horseback riding and elk viewing in October and November.

Visitors are reminded to stay safe when viewing elk an all wildlife by maintaining appropriate distances and to create safe situations by parking only in designated parking areas.

Elk viewers along Arkansas 43 and Arkansas 21 should use only designated roadside parking areas to allow traffic and emergency vehicles to move through Boxley Valley. Parking or stopping on a state highway is strictly prohibited unless wildlife is actively crossing the road.

Visitors should respect private property by not blocking driveways or crossing fences. Always maintain a safe distance of at least 150 feet from all wildlife.

Hikers are reminded that congestion is expected daily at popular trailheads like Lost Valley, Ponca, Centerpoint and Compton. Hikers and horseback riders are encouraged to arrive early in the morning to find a parking spot. Rangers will be on duty to assist with parking and traffic control in high-use areas.

Visitors are urged to have backup plans in the likely event that a designated parking lot is full when they arrive.

As a reminder, Eden Falls Cave on the Lost Valley Trail remains closed currently as a public health precaution.

Learn more about the elk at Buffalo National River and safe viewing practices at https://www.nps.gov/buff/learn/nature/elk.htm .

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