The Old River Trail follows the old horse route used by early settlers in the area to move up and down the river. Unlike most trails in the area, the Old River Trail stays in the Buffalo River canyon, allowing unique views of the river and the bluff-walls. The route generally follows the course of the river, staying on the shallow side (insides of the bends), which means it crosses the river over once per mile. The western side (especially between Steel Creek and Kyle's Landing) sees heavy traffic by both hikers and horse-back riders due to its proximity and access to the campgrounds, many popular scenic points, ease of navigation. From of Kyle's Landing westward, the route becomes less and less frequented. The Boy Scout camp keeps the area immediately west of Kyle's Landing well groomed, but from their camp onward, the trail is becomes notoriously overgrown and challenging to navigate. At the most extreme, the trail runs into wide open, unmaintained fields of underbrush (especially dense briar patches and blackberry brambles). These fields are hundreds of meters across with no defined or preferred path across. The trail reliably continues from on the other side, but navigating back into the woods at the correct point can prove challenging. Similarly, with tens of river crossings throughout the route, navigating across the rocky banks (making the trail particularly difficult to see) can prove challenging. At times, the yellow-blazed trail is well marked and it is easy to move quickly from one side to the other, but more often than not, you have to follow your instincts and "think like a horse" to find the best crossing and where the trail continues oon the opposite side of the river. Al-in-all, this trail is a hefty challenge in the area and an exciting, unique adventure in America's first National River Wilderness.
