8 Wonderful Water Trails for Canoeing + Kayaking in Arkansas
As the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s watchable wildlife coordinator, Kirsten Bartlow’s job is to encourage people to use the state’s public lands for viewing wildlife, enjoying outdoor recreation and learning about conservation. Doing that via a water trail is easy when the state has thousands of miles of rivers, streams and bayous you can access for canoeing and kayaking in Arkansas, she says.
About 17 years ago, Bartlow connected with veteran paddler Debbie Doss, who was developing the nonprofit Arkansas Water Trails Partnership. Water trails are designated routes for kayaking or canoeing on lakes, rivers or bayous. The state’s first water trail was chosen in 2009. Bartlow says the 20th trail will open in 2025, with two more in development for 2026.
Whether you are a seasoned water explorer or new to the activity altogether, these eight Arkansas water trails are great places to grab a paddle and explore.
In This Article
Arkansas Post Water Trail
Arkansas County
Humans have paddled the bayous of Arkansas Post for centuries. Originally a Quapaw village, French explorer Henri de Tonti established the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi Valley in 1686, Bartlow says. Beaver, raccoon, mink, fox and rabbit were just some of the furs traded at Arkansas Post; today, you can still see beavers, deer and raccoons feeding near the bayou.
“It’s also a great place to see alligators,” Bartlow says.
Bayou Bartholomew Water Trail
Ashley, Jefferson and Lincoln Counties
“The bayou was one of the most important transportation waterways in the interior Delta in the 1800s,” Bartlow says. “People don’t often realize that a couple thousand years ago, this was actually the Arkansas River before it moved east. Now, this leisurely bayou winds its way 359 miles in the old riverbed.”
Considered the longest bayou in the world, its sheer length provides three access points to the 10-mile water trail. Whether you choose to kayak or canoe along this Arkansas water trail, make sure to watch for wintering waterfowl and migratory songbirds among the cypress and tupelo trees.
Bayou DeView Water Trail
Monroe County
The Cache-Lower White Rivers Wetland of International Importance includes an area called the “Big Woods,” the second-largest tract of bottomland hardwoods remaining in the U.S. Decades ago, eyewitnesses allegedly saw an ivory-billed woodpecker, a species thought to be extinct. Other observers remain skeptical.
“No matter which camp you’re in on the ivory-billed’s existence, this area is an amazing, imperiled habitat to paddle,” Bartlow says.
It’s the perfect place to unwind, sitting in a kayak or canoe and slowly paddling along this Arkansas waterway.
Debbie Doss of the Arkansas Water Trails Partnership says she loves the feeling of being in an ancient wetland surrounded by trees that are nearly 1,000 years old.
“I love how the seasons and the water levels change the bayou,” Doss says. “It’s never the same place twice.”
Crooked Creek Water Trail
Marion County
“A beautiful little Ozark stream,” says Bartlow, Crooked Creek is a designated Blue Ribbon Smallmouth Bass Stream. You can also fish for largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, Ozark bass and green sunfish along the trail’s 22 miles.
“It’s a great spot to snorkel to see some of our Ozark species, especially on a hot summer day,” Bartlow says.
Rent a canoe or kayak from one of several area outfitters or stop at the Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center to walk the interpretative trails in this part of Arkansas.
Cut-Off Creek Water Trail
Drew County
Arkansas is divided into seven ecological regions, and Cut-Off Creek flows south where the Coastal Plain meets the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Beavers, otters, raccoons, mink and deer are commonly seen along the water.
As you float the 8-mile trail, look for prothonotary warblers, fulvous whistling ducks, herons and wood ducks, Bartlow says. The Cut-Off Creek Ravines Natural Area is at the end of the water trail and features white oak and shortleaf pine at higher elevations and bald cypress in the lowlands.
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge Water Trails
Ashley and Union Counties
Three trails cross the expansive refuge’s 65,000 acres, offering multiple opportunities for viewing wildlife, especially migratory waterfowl, wading birds and bald eagles, while canoeing or kayaking along this beautiful Arkansas water trail.
“In the summer months, you can see lots of lotus and blooming lily pads,” Bartlow says. “It’s just beautiful.”
Located at the confluence of the Ouachita and Saline rivers, the refuge includes the world’s largest greentree reservoir, defined as bottomland hardwoods that shallow flood in the winter. Several varieties of oak, water hickory and sweetgum thrive at Felsenthal.
H Lake Water Trail
Arkansas County
If you’re very lucky, you might spot a black bear while canoeing or kayaking along this 3.3-mile loop water trail in Arkansas County.
“When habitat destruction nearly wiped out black bears, they hung on in what’s now the (Dale Bumpers) White River National Wildlife Refuge,” Bartlow says.
Forests and lakes interspersed with streams and bayous create a haven for native and migratory wildlife. “One of my favorite wildlife viewing experiences was on that trail when I saw roseate spoonbills and wood storks one September,” Bartlow says.
Lake Ouachita | Rabbit Tail Water Trail
Garland and Montgomery Counties
Looking for a fun overnight kayak or canoe trip in Arkansas? From Rabbit Tail’s 8.5 miles of trail, you can camp on one of the lake’s 200 islands or along the shore of the Ouachita National Forest.
“It’s also great for those who love to fish,” Bartlow says.
Outfitters nearby offer canoes and kayaks for rent. Lisa Logan, who runs Ouachita Kayak Tours in Hot Springs, has paddled all 975 miles of undeveloped shoreline that makes up Lake Ouachita, Bartlow says. During the winter, relish the chance to see and hear migrating common loons.
“The majority of my most magical wildlife viewing experiences have happened in a canoe,” Bartlow says. “Some of the most interesting wildlife interactions happen where the water meets the land.”
This article was sponsored by Arkansas Tourism.