Fort Smith sits on the Arkansas River at the edge of the Ozark foothills, a city whose frontier history still shapes its downtown and riverfront. Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves the story of the frontier fort, the federal court, and Judge Isaac Parker, whose courtroom heard cases from Indian Territory in the late 1800s. Garrison Avenue anchors downtown with historic buildings, murals, and shops, while the Arkansas River gives the city a working waterfront and trails for walking and cycling.