Discover Valliant

Valliant is located on U.S. Highway 70. Travelers will find two distinct themes: the history of a place whose founding was connected to a railroad, and the landscape around Pine Creek Lake, about eight miles to the north. You can therefore consider the town’s historical connections and the lake’s recreational opportunities as separate focuses of your trip.

Valliant’s History and the Railroad

A notable chapter in the town’s history dates to 1902: the Choctaw Townsite Commission surveyed and platted Valliant for the Arkansas and Choctaw Railroad, which was under construction. The town’s name also points to this railroad history. Valliant was named after Frank W. Valliant, a railroad official. Railroad construction is therefore an important reference point both for the town’s planning at the time and for the history of its name.

School History as a Distinct Local Connection

The Alice Lee Elliott Memorial Academy operated from 1886 next to the center of Valliant and closed in 1936. It was a boarding school for children of Black people who had been freed from slavery. In the Valliant area, the Academy received its new name in 1912, after David Elliott provided funds for a new dormitory in memory of his wife, Alice Lee.

Another historical connection is the Valliant School Gymnasium-Auditorium. It was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from 1936 to 1937 and was added to the National Register on September 9, 1988. The two dates mark different phases: the WPA project in the 1930s and its later listing on the Register. The Academy and Gymnasium-Auditorium represent different institutions: a boarding school on the one hand, and a WPA project on the other.

Pine Creek Lake: Scenery and Recreation

For scenery and recreation, Pine Creek Lake is about eight miles north of Valliant. In the broader area, the lake is surrounded by the forested Kiamichi Mountains. Its shoreline is 74 miles long, and there are four developed recreation areas at the lake. Hiking is also one of the activities available there. The shoreline length describes the lake along the water’s edge, while the four recreation areas refer to individual places for recreation. Together, these details offer several points to consider when planning a visit.

Campgrounds on Different Sides of the Shore

Pine Creek Cove Campground is on the eastern shore of Pine Creek Lake in Valliant. Little River Park Campground is on the northwestern shore and has 55 campsites for tents and RVs. The locations on opposite shores offer a simple way to distinguish between them geographically; Little River Park also has designated tent and RV use. Campsite numbers and campground facilities may change. Check the latest information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Broken Bow, Idabel.

See the broader travel guide: McCurtain County.