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Recreation Activities

Fishing

With about 19,000 acres of river surfaces at normal navigation pool, fishing is excellent throughout the year. Every fish native to Arkansas can be found in the Arkansas River.

Record fish catches are common occurrences in the Arkansas River, which abounds in bream, crappie, white bass, large mouth bass, hybrid bass, strip bass, and several species of catfish.

Hiking

Tollantusky Trail

1.3 mile trip-approximately 45 minutes

The Tollantusky Trail is located along the Arkansas River in Cadron Settlement Park, about 5 miles west of Conway. The trail is named for Tollantusky, a distinguished chief of the Arkansas Cherokees, who came to Arkansas from Tennessee in 1809.

Historians believe he lived at Cadron until 1817. As a representative of the Cherokee Indians, he traveled to Washington, D.C. to sign treaties with the U.S. Government. Tollantusky died in 1818, 15 years before the "Trail of Tears" in which his people were moved across Arkansas and relocated in Oklahoma Indian Territory.

Walking time for the 7500 foot, meandering trail is a leisurely 45 minutes. Rest benches are provided for weary hikers and the trail is well marked, so take your time, follow the signs, and enjoy the walk.

The Cadron Blockhouse

Located in Cadron Settlement Park

The Cadron Blockhouse is a replica of a structure that was built in the late 18th century. It is a joint venture of the Conway Chamber of Commerce and the Faulkner County Historical Society in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

It is believed that the building was constructed in the late 1700’s, as there are several references to it in old French and Spanish documents.

The Cadron Blockhouse was a multiple use structure. It was used as a trading post, as a residence, as a public gathering place and for defense purposes. When the French trappers and other early settlers were in this area, the Osage Indians occupied the land north of the Arkansas River. When the Osage were on the warpath the settlers used the blockhouse as a place for refuge.

Before the reconstruction was begun, archeologists uncovered what appeared to be a stone foundation. They also found color stains in the soil that indicated what could have been a foundation log. Numerous artifacts were found at the blockhouse site, including trade beads, metal buttons, gunflints, musket lock, shot, square cut nails, tableware and fragments of china.

The blockhouse is made of Arkansas cypress. The logs are rough sawed 6" x 12", some measure 24 feet in length. The overhead beams, which serve as the floor joists for the second floor, are 22 feet long. The corner notching is a half dovetail or weather notch which is designated in such a manner to "shed" water.

The first floor measures 18’ x 36’. The second floor is 22" x 40", which provides a two foot overhang around the building. This feature provided the defender with an advantage to fire down on an attacking enemy. The roof has a 45° pitch, which was very common during the period. It is made of 24" split cedar shakes. Note there are four fireplaces, two on each floor. The hardware for the doors and shutters and also fireplace cranes were handmade from an early pattern. The chimney stones were obtained from numerous old home sites in this area.

Updated/Reviewed: 30 Jan 2008