Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1970 as an overlay project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. 

The refuge protects a very unique habitat found within the Arkansas River flood plain that includes bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands. It provides habitat for many species of migratory birds and food and cover for other resident wildlife, like white-tailed deer, bobcat, beaver and the American bald eagle.  

Within the refuge, ancient campsites dating as far back as 1100 AD serve as reminders of Native Americans that traveled through or lived in this area and depended on the Arkansas River. Before the arrival of European settlers, Caddoan and other cultures relied on this landscape for centuries. During America’s Civil War, the Arkansas River would serve as a historic boundary between Union and Confederate forces that found themselves stationed on opposing sides of the river. 

Today, the 20,800-acre Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge and the wildlife and habitat it protects are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the only national network of lands and waters managed for the benefit of wildlife.