Little Blue River in Nebraska, courtesy Wikipedia.
The Little Blue River is a 245-mile-long river that runs through southern Nebraska and northern Kansas.
The Little Blue rises just south of Minden in Kearney County, Nebraska. It flows east-southeast past Hebron and Fairbury, Nebraska, to Marysville, Kansas, before joining the Big Blue River at Blue Rapids, Kansas.
Pony Express riders followed the river, defining the wagon train routes first used by Oregon Trail emigrants.
The waters of Little Blue River, once noted for the namesake blueish tint, were later muddied by silt runoff from plowing.
Today, the river is used for irrigation and various recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, tubing, and kayaking.
Various animals, including turtles, garden snakes, coyotes, and white-tailed deer, live along the river.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated April 2025.
Also See:
Nebraska – The Cornhusker State
Sources: