In northeastern New Mexico and far western Oklahoma, the headwater portion of the river is known as the
Dry Cimarron River, due to there being another
Cimarron River (Canadian River tributary) that runs wholly in New Mexico and has its headwaters in the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains.. The name is related to the river not being completely dry, but sometimes its water entirely disappears under the sand in the riverbed. The Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway follows the river from Folsom to the Oklahoma border. The waterway becomes simply the Cimarron River after being joined by
Carrizozo Creek just inside the Oklahoma border, west of
Kenton, Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, it is further joined by
North Carrizo Creek north-northeast of Kenton, Tesesquite Creek further to the east of Kenton, and
South Carrizo Creek yet further to the east. The Cimarron's water quality is rated as poor because the river flows through natural mineral deposits, salt plains, and saline springs, where it dissolves large amounts of minerals.
Lower Cimarron Spring on the riverbank was an important watering and camping spot. • In 1831,
Comanche Indians killed
Jedediah Smith (a famous hunter, trapper, and explorer) on the Santa Fe Trail near the Cimarron River. His body was never recovered. • In 1834, General
Henry Leavenworth established Camp Arbuckle (Fort Arbuckle) at the mouth of the Cimarron River. • On September 18, 1906, a bridge across the Cimarron near Dover, Oklahoma Territory, collapsed beneath a
Rock Island train bound for
Fort Worth, Texas, from Chicago. The bridge was a temporary structure unable to withstand the pressure of debris and high water. The railroad had delayed replacing it with a permanent structure for financial reasons. Several sources report that over 100 people were killed, but the figure is disputed. The true number may be as low as four. ==See also==