Global InformationGeography of Arkansas information
The geography of Arkansas varies widely. The state is covered by mountains, river valleys, forests, lakes, and bayous in addition to the cities of Arkansas. Hot Springs National Park features bubbling springs of hot water, formerly sought across the country for their healing properties.[1][2] Crowley's Ridge is a geological anomaly rising above the surrounding lowlands of the Mississippi embayment.
The Buffalo National River, as it flows through The Ozarks to the White River, is a popular tourist attraction. It was designated the first national river in 1972 after years of conservation efforts in opposition to a United States Army Corps of Engineers plan to dam the river. The Arkansas River enters the state near Van Buren and flows southeast through Little Rock to empty into the Mississippi River near Arkansas Post. Most of the river serves barge traffic to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.[3] Through south Arkansas, the Ouachita River and the Saline River run roughly parallel to the Arkansas, and the major rivers in northeast Arkansas are the White River and St. Francis River. The Red River runs through the southwest corner of the state.
Arkansas has many manmade lakes across the state, many are the basis for state parks, wildlife management areas, or other recreation. Bull Shoals Lake, DeGray Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita all have state parks along their shores, and Beaver Lake, Table Rock Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are also major recreation lakes in the state.[4]
The Ozarks is a broad term for many mountainous counties in northwest Arkansas. This region is usually referred to the Ozarks because the term Northwest Arkansas is the colloquial name for the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area, including Benton, Madison, Washington counties in Arkansas and McDonald County, Missouri.[5] The Ozark, however, span from the Arkansas River in the south through north central Arkansas. The Boston Mountains subset contain highest peaks in the Ozarks.[6]
- ^ "Hot Springs National Park". National Park Service. February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ Bryan, Kirk (August–September 1922). "The Hot Water Supply of the Hot Springs, Arkansas". The Journal of Geology. 30 (6). The University of Chicago Press: 425–449. Bibcode:1922JG.....30..425B. doi:10.1086/622931. OCLC 30653669.
- ^ "What is the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System?". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. April 26, 2010. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ Arkansas State Parks Guide, 2011. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas of the United States and Puerto Rico, December 2009 (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Geography Division. United States Census Bureau Economics and Statistics Administration. August 31, 2010.
- ^ Purdue, A. H. (November–December 1901). "Physiography of the Boston Mountains, Arkansas". Journal of Geology. 9 (8). The University of Chicago Press: 694–701. Bibcode:1901JG......9..694P. doi:10.1086/620967. OCLC 41344070. S2CID 129914010.