The Purgatoire River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in southeastern Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, United States

United States

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

. The river is also known locally as the Purgatory River or the Picketwire River. The Purgatoire River originates at the confluence of the North Fork Purgatoire River and Middle Fork Purgatoire River near Weston

Weston, Colorado

Weston is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The Weston Post Office has the ZIP Code 81091....

 in Las Animas County, Colorado

Las Animas County, Colorado

Las Animas County has the largest area of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Las Animas County takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally called El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en Purgatorio, which means "River of the Lost Souls in...

, and flows generally east-northeastward approximately 196 miles (315.4 km) to a confluence with the Arkansas River in John Martin Reservoir State Park

John Martin Reservoir State Park

John Martin Reservoir State Park is a state park in Colorado. It is known for being a prime birdwatching location There is also year-round fishing at the lake. In addition to being a state park this state park part of an Arkansas flood control project and is home to a and ....

 near Las Animas

Las Animas, Colorado

200px|right|thumb|St. Mary's [[Catholic]] Church in Las AnimasThe city of Las Animas is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Bent County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,410 at the 2010 census. Las Animas, located in southeast...

 in Bent County, Colorado

Bent County, Colorado

Bent County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of frontier trader William Bent. The county population was 5,998 at U.S. Census 2000...

. The Purgatoire River drains an area of 3447 mi2. 96.4% of this area is in Colorado, the remaining 3.6% is in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

.
The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site

Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site

The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site is a 235,896 acre U.S. Army base in southeastern Colorado. The Piñon County Maneuver Site is a training site for Fort Carson.-Setting:...

is a large military base located along the western bank of the Purgatoire river. Plans by the U.S. army to expand the base have been controversial. Citizen's groups have succeeded in stopping the planned expansion as of 2011.