The Ozark National Forest covers more than one million acres, mostly in northwest Arkansas. The southernmost portion runs along the Arkansas River valley south to the Ouachita Mountains. The northern boundary extends beyond Lone Rock to Matney Mountain in Stone county. On the west the forest patchwork touches Oklahoma.

The "Ozarks" are really part of the Boston Mountains and the southern end of the Springfield Plateau. The Boston Mountains are characterized by narrow V-shaped valleys that are bordered by a combination of steep-sided slopes and vertical bluffs of sandstone and limestone soaring beside clear streams. The vegetative cover is upland hardwood of oak-hickory with scattered pine and a brushy undergrowth, dominated by such species as dogwood, maple, redbud, serviceberry and witch-hazel. This makes the Ozark National Forest one of the favorite places for visitors in the spring when the dogwood and redbuds are in bloom, and in the fall when the Forest turns into a brilliant display of oranges, reds, yellows and greens.

The St. Francis National Forest, located on the east central edge of the state, derives its name from the St. Francis River. Most of the Forest is situated on Crowley's Ridge, but some is in the low, flat lands along the Mississippi and St. Francis Rivers. The St. Francis National Forest is the only place in the National Forest System where the public can experience the awesome grandeur of the "Father of Waters," the mighty Misssissippi River, from the shoreline. The forest covers over 20,000 acres and has a variety of the finest bottom-land hardwoods in the country. The St. Francis provides ideal habitat for a large variety of wildlife including whitetail deer, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit and waterfowl.

For over 25 years, spectacular cave formations have drawn visitors to Blanchard Springs Caverns. Located on the Sylamore Ranger District, 14 miles northwest of Mountain View, Arkansas, the caverns offer the visitor a view of the subterranean world below, one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves anywhere. Enter a "living" cave where glistening speloeothems, like stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstones are slowly changing. These crystalline formations are the result of minerals deposited by dripping water. The Dripstone Trail Tour, open year-round, shows about a half-mile of huge rooms and sparkling formations. The Discovery Trail Tour, open only in the summer, is longer and more strenuous. It contains the Natural entrance as well as a peek at the water-filled third level of the caverns. The last part of the tour contains great flowstones and crystalline formations.