Last updated: October 29, 2023
Place
Toad Suck Park
Photo/USACE
Quick Facts
Location:
93 Park Road Bigelow, AR 72016 at Toad Suck Lock & Dam
Significance:
This spot was a stop along the Trail of Tears Water Route on the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. There was a ferry in operation here from 1820 to 1971 and a tavern from 1830 to 1850. These locations would have witnessed countless Native Americans as they were being forcibly relocated.
MANAGED BY:
"Intelligence has also reached us from above, from which it is probable that the Boats cannot take up the present Party & also the freight, without much delay. As this would endanger the health of the people...It is desirable to proceed with all possible dispatch, as besides other reasons the Small-Pox is in this section of country..." - Lt. Edward Deas, April 12, 1838
Toad Suck Park is located along the banks of the Arkansas River where the flat boats passed by on their journey to Oklahoma. Logbooks for the vessels transporting the Cherokee highlight the difficulties of water travel, and the Trail of Tears exhibit at Toad Suck Park looks at two weeks on the Arkansas River. There is a Trail of Tears exhibit at signage on site.
The name Toad Suck actually spans back to the early 1800s when the water in the river would get very low and create a "suck." A suck was a great place for toads and frogs to live in the shallow water. It was in these shallow water areas that the steamboats would get stuck. Getting stuck extended the time on the river, and the longer the Cherokee and other tribes were trapped on the river during removal increased the likehood of other problems such as disease.
Toad Suck Park is 51 miles by water from Indian Territory, the end of the Trail of Tears Water Route.
Site Information
Location (93 Park Road Bigelow, AR 72016 at Toad Suck Lock & Dam)
Amenities
48 Class A Campsites, Restrooms/Showers, Picnic Sites/Group Shelters, Playground, Boat Launch, Sightseeing, ADA accessible
Safety Considerations
More Site Information
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Trail of Tears: Arkansas River Water Route Itinerary
You can visit multiple Water Route sites on the Arkansas River by following the Trail of Tears: Arkansas River Water Route Itinerary. Each site features one aspect or story about the Cherokee and Creek experience traveling the Trail of Tears by water, highlighting the challenges and complexities that arose daily on the Arkansas River.