Ben Fruehauf IV may very well have the best side gig in all of Arkansas.
“I tell people that I’m an attorney,” Fruehauf said. “I tell them that, and they don’t care, but when I say my family runs a canoe rental, they’re like, ‘That’s awesome. Tell me more about that.’”
There are plenty of family-owned businesses out there, but few are like Buffalo Camping & Canoeing. Nestled in north Arkansas in Searcy County, Buffalo Camping & Canoeing operates out of the Gilbert General Store and has served as a doorway to Arkansas’ breathtaking Ozarks region for decades. It is where Arkansans and tourists alike rent canoes, kayaks, cabins and accessories or simply stop for advice on the top spots to explore on the Buffalo River.
The Buffalo has proven to be a generational river.
That may sound quaint, but it is part of a booming — and necessary — business. Data provided to the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism by the Bentonville-based community development think tank Heartland Forward found that outdoor recreation contributed $7.3 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2023 alone while supporting or creating more than 68,000 jobs. Almost 8 percent of Arkansas’ tax revenue comes via outdoor recreation, and $26.9 million was generated in 2026 alone via a 2-percent tourism tax.
“It’s just like any other business,” said Deke Whitbeck, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. “It is a relationship business. Arkansas is such a small state. I say we’re a phone call and a half away from everybody in this state. It is important for us to connect with those who are passionate about the outdoors, about preserving and conserving the outdoors for the next generation. That’s really what it’s all about.”
Ben Fruehauf IV of Buffalo Camping & Canoeing in Searcy County with Ben Fruehauf V.
(Photos provided by Fruehauf)
Fruehauf knows a thing or two about generations. His grandfather, Ben Fruehauf Jr., was a decorated Air Force colonel who had served in the Vietnam War. His final post was at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, and he caught the outdoors bug floating on the Illinois River with his two sons, Billy and Ben Fruehauf III.
“They heard about the Buffalo River, and they went to go floating,” Fruehauf said.
So they did, spending a day in the Arkansas August heat. Love at first paddle, it was not.
“My dad would always tell me it was an awful trip,” said Fruehauf. “He said he never wanted to see the place again because they took a raft out in August.”
Not only that, but what was planned as a two-day trip ended up taking three. But that third day brought them to Gilbert, and the three clambered out of their canoe to the nearby Gilbert General Store to take a breather. It was all Ben Fruehauf Jr. would need.
“Take a look around, Biff,” he told his son, referring to a long-running family nickname. “This is heaven on earth.”
“He took some time and decided, ‘Hey, I want to buy some land out here before it becomes a national park,’” Ben Furehauf IV said.
Things took off from there. Dyed-in-the-wool river rats and Buffalo newbies alike find their way to Buffalo Camping & Canoeing, loving not only the one-stop-shop convenience of Gilbert General Store but also the close proximity to the river.
Stories such as Fruehauf’s, stories of a distinct love for the Arkansas wilderness that gets passed down from generation to generation, matter deeply to Trey Reid. As assistant chief of communications for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Reid has written about the Arkansas outdoors for most of his life, and also hosts The Wild Side on 103.7 The Buzz. Like anyone connected to the Arkansas outdoors scene, Reid recognizes and appreciates the truckload of revenue generated from the Natural State’s wild attractions.
It runs deeper than just money, however; it is the memories. Children learn the basics of fishing from their parents or grandparents. Lifelong friends gather to go on annual hunting trips. College students looking for a fun and inexpensive weekend experience love to get out on the water. With all that is offered and so many places to find it, it is hard to imagine anyone logging serious time in Arkansas without being touched by nature one way or the other.
“Beyond the economic importance, it’s culturally important,” Reid said. “It means a lot to Arkansans. I mean, we are the Natural State, and we love our natural places.”
Reid said revenue generated from hunting and fishing sales has remained relatively predictable, while those numbers are decreasing in other parts of the country.
“Honestly, across the nation, if you look, you’ll see downward trends in hunting and fishing license sales,” Reid said. “We haven’t seen as much of that.”
In fact, Arkansas’ numbers for certain specific pursuits continue to grow.
“One thing we’ve seen is that Arkansas is immensely popular among waterfowl hunters,” Reid said. “Participation is really at an all-time high in regards to duck hunting.”
According to a study from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expenditures from migratory bird hunters in Arkansas totaled $306.39 million — about $4.25 million per day over a single waterfowl season.
Fruehauf believes the people who service and work to protect the Buffalo are the state’s greatest resources.
Those numbers are likely to continue well into the future, just like the steady stream of floaters making their way to Gilbert and Buffalo Camping & Canoeing, yet nothing is a given. Over at the Game and Fish Foundation, Whitbeck spends a lot of time thinking about access. Activities like hunting and fishing are a way of life for many Arkansans, but for newcomers or the curious, things such as equipment, designated seasons and licenses can feel complex and even a little intimidating.
“There is a lot of hard work and energy and effort that goes into making those places accessible to Arkansans who wouldn’t otherwise have public access,” Whitbeck said. “I think the No. 1 challenge for the agency — and for conservation or wildlife, period — is access.”
Whitbeck lauded the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for its extensive educational resources, which include online guides for fishing, boating, hunting and other pursuits. Just like the Fruehaufs, other families are out there, waiting to experience their own stories of wonder and bonding in the Arkansas outdoors.
“Arkansas’ greatest resource is not outdoor recreation,” Fruehauf said. “It’s not its mountains. It’s not its rivers. It’s not its lakes. It’s the people who service it.”
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