Ozark–St. Francis National Forest

Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
Location	Arkansas, U.S.
Nearest city	Russellville, AR
Coordinates	35°16′30″N 94°28′32″W / 35.27500°N 94.47556°W
Area	1,159,801 acres (4,693.55 km2)
Established	March 6, 1908; 116 years ago
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Ozark-St. Francis National Forests

The Ozark – St. Francis National Forest is a

Ozark Mountains; and St. Francis National Forest on Crowley's Ridge

. Each forest has distinct biological, topographical, and geological differences.

Description

Together, the two forests are home to 23 developed

campgrounds, and include nine swimming areas, 395 miles (636 km) of hiking trails, and 370 miles (600 km) of streams for fishing. The majority of the trails in what are now the Ozark National Forest and St. Francis National Forest were constructed under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps

(CCC).

The Forest contains 11,000 acres (45 km²) of

Northern Red Oak.^[1] The Forest is also home to six different endangered species

.

Several

Mount Magazine Byway offers scenic overlooks of the Arkansas River Valley, and the Sylamore Scenic Byway offers a scenic drive to the Blanchard Springs Caverns. Forest headquarters are located in Russellville, Arkansas

.

Ozark National Forest

The Ozark National Forest encompasses 1,200,000 acres (4,856 km²)

Ozark Mountains in northern Arkansas. The forest includes the highest point in Arkansas, Mount Magazine, and Blanchard Springs Caverns. The southern section of the forest lies along the Arkansas River Valley south to the Ouachita Mountains

.

The forest was created in 1908 by proclamation of President Theodore Roosevelt.^[3] The forest is home to over 500 species of trees and woody plants. Hardwoods, predominantly oak and hickory, comprise the majority of the forest. The forest contains five designated wilderness areas and several Wildlife Management Areas.

The Ozark Highlands Trail, built and maintained by over 3,000 volunteers, is the longest hiking trail in the forest and extends for 165 miles (270 km) from the Buffalo National River to Lake Fort Smith State Park in the far western portion of the state. The forest also contains several multi-use trails including the Pedestal Rock Trail and the Alum Cove Natural Bridge Trail and a few wheelchair-accessible trails.

In addition to the hiking trails, the forest provides trails designated for

horseback riding, canoeing, mountain biking, and all-terrain vehicles

. The longest horse trail is the Sylamore Trail with a length of 80 miles (130 km). This trail passes over rocky bluffs, into deep hollows, and across mountain streams. The Huckleberry Mountain Horse Trail has a stop at the Sorghum Hollow Horse Camp which was built and maintained by local horsemen.

Ozark National Forest is located in parts of 16 counties. In descending order of forestland they are

ranger district offices located in Clarksville, Hector, Jasper, Mountain View, Ozark, and Paris

.

Wilderness areas

There are five officially designated

wilderness areas lying within Ozark National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System

.

St. Francis National Forest

The St. Francis National Forest was established on November 8, 1960 by President

ranger district offices located in Marianna. The majority of the Forest is situated on Crowley's Ridge, but it extends into the low, flat lands along the Mississippi and St. Francis Rivers

. St. Francis National Forest is the only place in the National Forest System where the public can enjoy the Mississippi River from the shoreline.

While lacking the broad range of recreational activity available in other national forests, St. Francis National Forest is known for its fishing. The two largest lakes, Bear Creek Reservoir and Storm Creek Lake, enjoy large populations of Largemouth bass, Crappie, Warmouth, and Channel catfish.

References

^ "Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Ozark-St. Francis National Forests". United States Forest Service Southern Region. 2005. Final Environmental Impact Statement, p. 365
^ ^a ^b U.S. Forest Service: Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
^ "Ozark National Forest Created". The Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas: Gazette Publishing Company. March 8, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

External links

[feis-1] "Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Ozark-St. Francis National Forests". United States Forest Service Southern Region. 2005. Final Environmental Impact Statement, p. 365

[USDA-2] U.S. Forest Service: Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

[3] "Ozark National Forest Created". The Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas: Gazette Publishing Company. March 8, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

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