Big Creek is a 221-mile (356 km) stream in the central Great Plains of North America. It is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, and the entirety of its length lies in the U.S. state of Kansas.[2]
Big Creek originates in the High Plains of northwestern Kansas.[3] Its source lies in extreme northwestern Gove County.[2] From there, it flows generally east-southeast through the Smoky Hills to its confluence with the Smoky Hill River in southwestern Russell County.[3]
In Ellis County, Kansas, Big Creek flows through the cities of Ellis and Hays.[3] In Ellis, it is dammed to maintain a small reservoir, Big Creek Lake.[4][5] In Hays, the creek runs through the campus of Fort Hays State University.[6]