The Medicine Lodge River is a 130 miles (209.2 km) tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River in southern Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

 and northern Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Via the Salt Fork and Arkansas

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...

 rivers, it is part of the watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

.

The river rises in Kiowa County, Kansas

Kiowa County, Kansas

Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,553...

 and flows generally southeastwardly through Barber County

Barber County, Kansas

Barber County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,861. Its county seat and most populous city is Medicine Lodge...

 in Kansas and Alfalfa County

Alfalfa County, Oklahoma

Alfalfa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 6,105. Its county seat is Cherokee. Alfalfa County was formed in 1907 from Woods County. The county is named after William H...

 in Oklahoma, past the Kansas towns of Belvidere

Belvidere, Kansas

Belvidere is an unincorporated community located along the Medicine Lodge River in Kiowa County, Kansas, United States.-History:The post office was established April 26, 1890, and discontinued November 23, 1996....

, Sun City

Sun City, Kansas

Sun City is a city in Barber County, Kansas, United States, along the Medicine Lodge River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 53.-Geography:Sun City is located at...

 and Medicine Lodge

Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Medicine Lodge is the most populous city in and the county seat of Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,009.-19th century:...

. It joins the Salt Fork of the Arkansas in Oklahoma, about 5 miles (8 km) north-northeast of Cherokee

Cherokee, Oklahoma

Cherokee is a city in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,630 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alfalfa County.-History:Cherokee is the location of the Cherokee IOOF Lodge No...

.

The United States Board on Geographic Names

United States Board on Geographic Names

The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...

 settled on "Medicine Lodge River" as the stream's name in 1968. According to the Geographic Names Information System

Geographic Names Information System

The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...

, it has also been known historically as "A-ya-dalda-pa River," "Medicine Lodge Creek" and "Medicine River."

History

The Medicine Lodge River got its name from a large hut built by the Kiowa indians, who believed the water from the river had healing properties if ingested or inhaled in a sauna type room.