Search for wildlife in a canoe on Arkansas water trails.

New routes are coming to Arkansas Water Trails, a program initiated by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission to highlight Arkansas as prime paddling territory.

A water trail, says Kirsten Bartlow, director of the program and Watchable Wildlife Coordinator for AGFC, is also known as a blue trail or paddle trail.

"Basically it’s paddling some kind of riverway or bayou," Bartlow says. "And it’s such a great way to view wildlife. We can be so much quieter in a boat. And really ease up on wildlife. Hiking, you might make a lot of noise on the rocks or crunching through the leaves. Also you can paddle in the heat of summer … it opens up a longer season for folks to get outside.”

Trails are added to the program, which was created in 2009, as site assessments are completed and maps developed. Unlike hiking or biking trails that have to be built, water routes are already there.  "Our job is to get the infrastructure in place,” Bartlow says. This includes providing route signs and maps for the trail. 

There are two official Arkansas Water Trail routes open: Wattensaw Bayou near Des Arc and Arkansas Post Water Trail.

 Bartlow said they are close to adding three other trails. Two (planning fall openings) will be on the Dagmar Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Brinkley at Robe Bayou (with cypress trees that are more than 850 years old) and Bayou De View where the ivory-billed woodpecker was supposedly spotted). Both trails are flat-water paddles in cypress and tupelo and bottomwood hardwoods.

Another trail in the works is on 24 miles of the Ozark stream Crooked Creek. Other planned routes include Grassy Lake on Bell Slough WMA in Mayflower, St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA and Cutoff Creek WMA.

There are no plans to develop any whitewater streams since whitewater is a seasonal sport and the focus of the trails is wildlife viewing.

To aid in creating a water trail in your community, visit the Arkansas Water Trails homepage or e-mail Kirsten Bartlow at kpbartlow@agfc.state.ar.us.