| Ouachita National Forest | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
 Ouachita National Forest | |
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| Location | Arkansas /Oklahoma,United States |
| Nearest city | Hot Springs, AR |
| Coordinates | 34°30′N94°15′W / 34.5°N 94.25°W /34.5; -94.25 |
| Area | 1,784,457 acres (7,221.44 km2) |
| Established | December 18, 1907; 117 years ago (December 18, 1907) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Ouachita National Forest |
TheOuachita National Forest is a vast congressionally-designatedNational Forest that lies in the western portion ofArkansas and portions of extreme-easternOklahoma, USA.
The Ouachita National Forest is the oldest National Forest in the southern United States. The forest encompasses 1,784,457 acres (7,221 km2), including most of the scenicOuachita Mountain Range. Six locations in the forest, comprising 65,000 acres (263 km2), have been congressionally-designated aswilderness areas.
Ouachita is the French spelling of the Indian wordWashita, which means "good hunting grounds". The forest was known as Arkansas National Forest on its establishment on December 18, 1907; the name was changed to Ouachita National Forest on April 29, 1926.[1]
Rich in history, the rugged and scenic Ouachita Mountains were explored by Europeans in 1541 byHernando de Soto's party ofSpaniards.French explorers followed, flavoring the region with names likeFourche La Fave River.
The area including the forest nearly became a 165,000-acre (670 km2)national park during the 1920s, but a last-minutepocket veto byPresidentCalvin Coolidge ended the effort. The bill had been pushed byU.S. SenatorJoseph T. Robinson andU.S. RepresentativeOtis Wingo, bothDemocrats, andState RepresentativeOsro Cobb, then the onlyRepublican in the Arkansas legislature. Cobb had been invited to meet with Coolidge before the proposal was killed because of opposition from theNational Park Service and theUnited States Department of Agriculture,[2] presumably because of the nearby location ofHot Springs National Park. Coolidge proposed expanding the forest into Oklahoma which would be realized in 1930 when the forest was extended into Le Flore County, Oklahoma.
In a magazine article, Cobb described the area that he had sought to protect for future generations, located approximately midway betweenLittle Rock andShreveport,Louisiana, as within relatively easy driving distance of 45 million Americans, many of whom could not afford long trips to the national parks in the western states. He compared flora and fauna in the Ouachita forest to those of the southernAlleghenies, a division of theAppalachian Mountains.[3] Cobb continued:
A visitor standing upon one of the many majestic peaks in the area of the proposed park is thrilled by a panoramic view that cannot be had elsewhere in the South Central States. With cheeks flushed by the invigorating mountain breezes, the mountain climber is rewarded by an inspiring view of countless and nameless peaks, mountain groups, dense forests, and inviting valleys, all merging into the distant horizon. ... there are many mountain streams, now moving slowly in narrow but deep pools, then churning with savage ferocity down some water-worn precipice, leaving in its wake snow-white sprays ... Fed by crystal springs and like so much molten silver these streams flow their turbulent courses unappreciated and rarely visited. ...[4]
The endangered and raremaple-leaf oak occurs in the forest, which also contains extensive woodlands of stuntedNorthern Red Oak,White Oak,post oak, andBlackjack Oak at elevations over 2,500 feet (760 m) and on steep, dry slopes. Much of these woodlands, being of little commercial value, were never logged and the extent ofold growth forest within them may total nearly 800,000 acres (3,200 km2). There are also old-growth woodlands ofEastern Redcedar,Gum Bumelia,Winged Elm, andYaupon along some streams.[5] These vast unbroken reserves of old-growth forest make up the largestvirgin forest in the United States, barring only the vast timber reserves in Alaska'sTongass Forest.[6]
TheTalimena Scenic Drive, which is Highway 1 in Oklahoma and Highway 88 in Arkansas, is aNational Scenic Byway which meanders through the forest. The Scenic Drive passes through old-growth oak woodlands on Winding Stair and Rich Mountains.[5]
Forest headquarters are located inHot Springs, Arkansas.
The forest contains a number ofhiking,mountain biking andhorseback riding trails. The most extensive hiking trail is theOuachita National Recreation Trail, which traverses 223 miles (359 km) across the region. This is a well-maintained backpacking, hiking trail with overnight shelters in several portions of the trail. Mountain biking is also allowed for some sections of the trail.
Camp Clearfork was originally constructed by theCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is on Clearfork Lake, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Hot Springs onU.S. 270. Reservations are required for camping and may be made through the Womble USDA Office.[7] The campground has six dorm/cabins which can hold up to 10 people each, three staff cabins that hold five to six people each, a dining hall, a recreation hall and accessible flush toilets and showers.[8]
In the Oklahoma section of the forest, the 26,445-acre (107 km2)Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area and six other designated areas offer visitors a full range of activities with more than 150 campsites, a 90-acre (36 ha) lake and an equestrian camp.
Southeast of Idabel, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation manages the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area, a 5,814 acres (23.53 km2) wetland area donated to the USFS by The Conservation Fund in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hunting (no lead shot) and fishing are allowed there. The area is also a destination for birdwatchers.
Canoeing andfishing are popular activities on theMountain Fork River,Caddo River,Little Missouri River andOuachita River within the bounds of the forest. TheCossatot River, said[by whom?] to be the most difficult whitewater river between the Smoky and Rocky Mountains, also passes through the forest.
Rockhounds frequent a geologic belt several miles wide containing high concentrations of very purequartz crystals. Visitors and rock collectors are free to pick up loose crystals within the belt for personal use and may dig for quartz with the permission of the district ranger.
A network of wilderness areas are found in the national forest, protecting the sections of the forest that have had the least amount of human intervention. These areas harbor some of the most rugged, scenic and secluded places in all of Arkansas and the South.
The 13,139-acre (53.2 km2)Black Fork Mountain Wilderness is located in both Arkansas and Oklahoma and contains significant old-growth forests.[5] It protects beautiful, rugged vistas and clear mountain springs.
The 9,754-acre (39.5 km2)Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness is located solely in Oklahoma.
The 14,290-acre (57.8 km2)Caney Creek Wilderness is located in the southwestern part of the forest in Arkansas. It is known for its rareAppalachian mixed mesophytic forest biome and high levels of biodiversity,[9] as well as rare reserves of moist-hardwood old growth forest.
The 11,141-acre (45.1 km2)Poteau Mountain Wilderness is located in the north-central range of the Ouachita mountains in Arkansas.
The 6,301-acre (25.5 km2)Dry Creek Wilderness is located in the north-central ranges of the Ouachita Mountains nearMagazine Mountain. It is the state's second-smallest wilderness is known for scenic overlooks and high, secluded sandstone bluffs.[10]
The 10,181-acre (41.2 km2)Flatside Wilderness is located in the extreme-eastern segment of the Ouachita National Forest, nearLake Maumelle and Little Rock. This rarely-visited wilderness has some of the highest and most panoramic views in Arkansas[11] and winding, tumbling clear mountain streams and waterfalls.[12]
Ouachita National Forest is located in 13 counties in western and central Arkansas and two counties in southeastern Oklahoma. They are listed here in descending order of forestland within the county. Also given is their area as of 30 September 2007.[13] Roughly 80% of the forest's area is in Arkansas, with the remaining 20% in Oklahoma. In Arkansas, there are localranger district offices located inBooneville,Danville,Glenwood,Jessieville,Mena,Mount Ida,Oden,Perryville andWaldron. In Oklahoma, they are located inHodgen,Talihina and north of Broken Bow. Even though the Ouachita National Forest is far from being the largest, its twelve ranger districts are the most of any in the National Forest system. The giantTongass National Forest inAlaska is second with nine ranger district divisions.[14]
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