Ouachita National Forest spans western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma across most of the Ouachita Mountains, making it the oldest national forest in the southern United States. Created in 1907 as Arkansas National Forest and renamed in 1926, it preserves a name derived from the Indigenous word Washita, meaning good hunting grounds. Explored by Hernando de Soto’s expedition in 1541 and later by French explorers, the region retains traces of that history in local place names. The forest is especially significant for its rugged mountains, streams, extensive old-growth and largely unlogged woodlands, protected wilderness areas, scenic drives, trails, rivers, and broad opportunities for conservation and recreation.