Class I Arkansas River, KS

The Arkansas River from Great Bend, Kansas to the Kansas/Oklahoma border provides 192 miles of scenic water trail and riparian corridor wildlife habitat. The river meanders through the expansive prairie, rich pastures and farmland, passing along many cities and small towns as it goes. It then winds its way back out into the countryside and into Oklahoma, gaining flows from smaller tributaries such as Grouse Creek and the Walnut River along the way.

 

A major tributary to the Mississippi River, the Arkansas served numerous Native Americans as they travelled along its length. In the mid 1800’s, travelers on the Sante Fe Trail followed the river through the state of Kansas as they hauled goods to and from Sante Fe.

 

Today, as towns, cities and communities have formed around its fertile banks and agricultural practices dominate the landscape, the Arkansas River provides recreational paddling, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities via the 22 existing access points. Additional access sites are both planned and in progress to make the Arkansas River an even more accessible outdoor recreation destination.