The 3 Most Dangerous Snake-Infested Rivers in Arkansas

The beauty of Arkansas is endless with mountains, lakes, and rivers it's a fisherman's paradise and an outdoor adventurer's little bit of heaven. But where there's beauty there's danger lurking around the corner.

Snake-Infested Rivers

There are 6 major rivers in the state of Arkansas while all of them are beautiful there are 3 that are listed as the Most Snake-Infested Rivers in Arkansas according to A-Z Animals.

White River

The White River is the 20th longest river in the United States and is located in the Buffalo National Forest in the northwestern part of the state. It's a hot spot for canoeing, kayaking, mountain climbing fishing, and other recreational sports. There's a local legend here about the White River Monster, a gigantic prehistoric-type fish that still swims the murky waters. But perhaps the White River has more than a mythical underwater creature, snakes, and lots of them including the venomous copperhead and the cottonmouth live here. These snakes are hard to spot because their color blends in with their surroundings so be careful where you dip your toes into the river. The White River got its name from a French explorer who coined the name, "La Riviere Blanche" which means White River, after seeing white sandbars all along the river bank.

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is the 6th longest river in the United States, the 45th largest river in the world, and the second longest tributary to the Mississippi River. It is known for its abundance of wildlife, fish, and birds. Another popular river for hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. Many dangerous and venomous snakes have made this river their habitat from rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, and coral snakes. Several species of non-venomous snakes live around the Arkansas River as well, just call it a snake haven.

St. Francis River

The St. Francis River is 426 miles long and runs along the Arkansas-Missouri border state line. This river is known for some of the best fishing in the state for its variety of fish species, fishing and camping are popular in this area. The St. Francis  River is crucial for irrigation and supplying drinking water to the region but like most rivers, it has its share of venomous and non-venomous snakes too like the cottonmouth, coppermouths, the hognose snake, and other water snakes.

Enjoy these rivers while visiting Arkansas but just keep an eye out for snakes and stay away from brush piles, rocks, and low-lying areas where snakes may thrive.

And if you're on the White River look out for the White River Monster!