The "Arkansas" National Forest?

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside 1,663,300 acres of the unreserved and unappropriated public lands in Arkansas to be known and administered as the Arkansas National Forest. It is the largest and oldest national forest in the southern region of the United States. The Weeks Law of 1911, authorizing the federal purchase of forest lands, was later used to add thousands of acres.

On April 29, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge renamed the Arkansas National Forest the Ouachita National Forest. Ouachita is the French spelling of the Indian word Washita, which means “good hunting grounds”.

Today, the Ouachita National Forest comprises nearly 1.8 million acres, spanning thirteen Arkansas counties and two Oklahoma counties. Forest occupies 415,857 acres(83%) of the land in Montgomery County. Six locations in the forest, comprising 65,000 acres, have been designated as wilderness areas by Congress. These protected sections of the forest are the most rugged, scenic, and secluded places in all of Arkansas and the South.

National forests were created to ensure a perpetual supply of timber for industrial and commercial use; to preserve the forest cover, which regulates the flow of streams for irrigation, domestic use, and water-power development; and to provide for the use of all forest resources in ways which will make them of greatest ultimate service.

The U.S. Forest Service provides numerous recreational amenities within Montgomery County’s portion of the national forest, including campgrounds, day-use and scenic areas, hiking and backpacking trails, and many miles of backcountry roads for touring. Due to limited signage on most back roads, it is advisable to take along a national forest or county map. The Talimena Scenic Drive is a National Scenic Byway that meanders through the forest. The most extensive hiking trail is the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, which spans 223 miles, with 192 miles of that route lying within the Ouachita Mountains.

Visitors to public lands can help protect the integrity of recreation areas and open spaces by utilizing the “pack-it-in, pack-it-out” principle. Taking trash and other items with you helps reduce the amount of trash buildup, preserves the environment, and protects wildlife.