Poison Springs State Forest

Poison Springs State Forest
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Poison Springs State Forest
Map showing the location of Poison Springs State Forest
Poison Springs State Forest
LocationCamden, Arkansas, United States
Coordinates33°37′52″N 93°01′37″W / 33.6312233°N 93.0268325°W / 33.6312233; -93.0268325
Area23,506 acres (95.13 km2)
Elevation289 ft (88 m)
Established1957
Named forPoison Spring
Governing bodyArkansas Forestry Commission

The Poison Springs State Forest encompasses 23,506 acres (9,513 ha) in Ouachita and Nevada counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and is under the authority of the Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC). The name derives from the 1864 Battle of Poison Spring, so-called because of a legend about the poisoning of local water at the time of the battle. The actual battle site is preserved as Poison Springs Battleground State Park, located on 85 acres (34 ha) inside the forest.[1]

Within the forest are numerous campsites, with more than 350 annual permits issued. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) oversees hunting and fishing on 22,162 acres (8,969 ha) of the forest that it designated a Wildlife Management Area in 1972, qualifying it for Protected Area status. Within that area, management is split between two state agencies. The AGFC oversees the management of the Poison Springs State Forest Sand Barren portion, while the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (ANHC) oversees management of the Arkansas Oak Natural Area and the Oak-Pine Forest Preserve Natural Area.[2]

  1. ^ "Poison Springs State Forest". Arkansas Forestry Commission. Arkansas Agriculture Department. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Poison Springs WMA". Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Retrieved March 22, 2017.