USFS · National forest · Arkansas

Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

The Ozark – St. Francis National Forest is a United States National Forest that is located in the state of Arkansas. It is composed of two separate forests, Ozark National Forest in the Ozark Mountains; and St. Francis National Forest on Crowley's Ridge. Each forest has distinct biological, topographical, and geological differences.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.5 million acresUSFSAR41 campgrounds within 10 mi47 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
1fire
active
Ar State Assist Gilbert · 38 mi from the center · 75 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateArkansas
Size1.5 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0810, region 08
Center point35.6851, -93.2932
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

Boundary map

8 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

21 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 20 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Barkshed Campground
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Bayou Bluff Point of Interest
First-comeAR
FS · Inside
Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area
First-come17 sites
FS · Inside
Blanchard Springs Campgrounds
First-comeAR
FS · Inside
Blanchard Springs Recreation Area
Reservable24 sites
FS · Inside
Brock Creek Lake Recreation Area
First-comeAR
FS · Inside
Cove Lake Recreation Area
Reservable37 sites
FS · Inside
Gunner Pool Campground
Reservable4 sites
Show 4 more

29 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 47

The Forest Service lists 47 recreation sites in this forest, among them 13 campgrounds, 7 backpackings, 5 OHV trails, 5 viewpoints. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 47

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Ar State Assist Gilbert

    38 mi from the center point · 75 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National River · 9 mi
Buffalo National River
National Historic Site · 14 mi
Fort Smith National Historic Site
National Military Park · 24 mi
Pea Ridge National Military Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 686 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

1.5 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in?

Arkansas.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

21 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Barkshed Campground, Bayou Bluff Point of Interest and Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area. 41 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 47 recreation sites here, including 13 campground campgrounds, 7 backpackings and 5 ohv trail ridings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.685, -93.293. Buffalo National River is 9 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Ozark-St. Francis National Forest right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Ar State Assist Gilbert at 38 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

Buffalo National River (9 mi), Fort Smith National Historic Site (14 mi) and Pea Ridge National Military Park (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

686 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Centennial Baptist Church and Centennial Baptist Church.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Ozark–St. Francis National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.