Paddling near Fort Smith, AR

Set at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau rivers in Sebastian County, Fort Smith puts paddlers within reach of strikingly varied water. The big-river flatwater of the Arkansas River runs straight through town, while the Mulberry River—a National Wild and Scenic River roughly 50 miles northeast—delivers the region's premier Ozark whitewater. Nearby Lee Creek and Lake Dardanelle round out a dense network of creeks and reservoirs.