Ouachita Mountains | Arkansas, Hot Springs, Ouachita National Forest | Britannica (original) (raw)

Ouachita Mountains, a rugged range of large hills that continues the Ozark Mountains in the United States. The Ouachita Mountains extend approximately 225 miles (360 km) east to west from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Atoka, Oklahoma, and approximately 50–60 miles (80–95 km) north to south from the Arkansas River valley to the northern margin of the Coastal Plain. The ridges trend generally east–west and are approximately the same height. The highest elevation (2,950 feet [899 metres]) in the range is Rich Mountain in Le Flore county, Oklahoma, near the Arkansas border. Hot Springs National Park lies in the Ouachita Mountains. Native Americans had visited the area’s hot springs for centuries before the region was designated as a national “reservation” (nature preserve) at the beginning of the 19th century. The word Ouachita is derived from an Indian tribal name. Oak and pine forests cloak the hills, covering some 1.8 million acres (about 2,800 square miles), and cultivation is restricted to the more-favourable valley bottoms.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.