The Overland Directory · Southeast
Overland businesses in Arkansas
Builders, mechanics, 4x4 shops, outfitters, campgrounds and guides in Arkansas, and a free way to get build quotes while the list grows.
Buffalo National River, Arkansas
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Why Arkansas is two mountain ranges, one undammed river and a hundred lakeside campgrounds
Arkansas is a low state with two real mountain ranges inside it. The U.S. Geological Survey puts the high point at 2,753 feet on Magazine Mountain in Logan County and the low point at 55 feet on the Ouachita River in Ashley and Union counties, so everything you drive fits inside about 2,700 feet of relief. Federal agencies hold 3,174,549 acres, 9.4 percent of the state’s 33,599,360, and four fifths of that is national forest: 2,593,690 acres under the Forest Service.
- Acres of federal land 1
- 3.17M
- 9.4 percent of Arkansas’s 33.6 million acres. The Forest Service holds 2,593,690 of them
- Acres in the Ouachita National Forest 5
- 1.8M
- Across central Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma. The oldest and largest national forest in the Forest Service’s Southern Region
- Acres in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests 19
- 1.2M
- More than a million in the Ozark, over 20,000 in the St. Francis on Crowley’s Ridge
- Acres of forest statewide 43
- 18.8M
- The Forestry Division’s figure for all Arkansas forest, of which only 2.6 million is national forest
- Magazine Mountain, the highest point in Arkansas 2
- 2,753 ft
- Logan County. The lowest point is 55 feet, on the Ouachita River
- Of free-flowing Buffalo National River 34
- 135 miles
- One of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. Established in 1972
- Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
- 130
- 100 Army Corps of Engineers, 19 Forest Service, 11 National Park Service. 115 take reservations
- Average annual precipitation 45
- 50.1 in
- NOAA’s long-term average for the state. Heavy rains can produce totals above 10 inches
Sources for this page
46
- Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Maps and Guides, including the five district Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Camping and Cabins, including the dispersed camping guidelines. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Fire. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Safety and Outdoor Ethics. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Mena-Oden Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Caddo/Womble Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Jessieville Winona Fourche Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Poteau/Cold Springs Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Talimena National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Rich Mountain. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Wolf Pen Gap Trail Complex. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Maps and Guides, including the seven district Motor Vehicle Use Maps and the 2026 summary of changes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Passes and Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Offices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Camping and Cabins, including the dispersed camping guidelines. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Safety and Outdoor Ethics. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Big Piney Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Ozark National Forest Scenic Byway (Scenic 7 Byway). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. St. Francis Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Buckhorn OHV Trails. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Brock Creek Trails. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Moccasin Gap. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Huckleberry Mountain. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Mill Creek Trail. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. White Rock Mountain Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Buffalo National River. Buffalo National River. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Buffalo National River. Basic Information, Directions and Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Buffalo National River. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Buffalo National River. Camping Rules. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Buffalo National River. Management, quoting Public Law 92-237. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Hot Springs National Park. Scenic Drives and Overlooks, and Basic Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Arkansas projects. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 2026-27 General WMA Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division. Forestry Division, and its Wildfire Danger and Burn Bans map. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Arkansas Department of Transportation. Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. State Climate Summaries 2022: Arkansas (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-AR). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Weather Service, Little Rock. Arkansas Weather Records and Climate Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.
What you need in Arkansas
- Overland builders Shops that take a stock truck, SUV or van and turn it into a vehicle you can live out of for a week or a year. Free quotes
- Sprinter van builders Upfitters and conversion shops that turn an empty Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a van you can live and travel in. Free quotes
- Fabricators Metal shops that design, cut and weld the parts you cannot buy off a shelf: bumpers, sliders, racks, skid plates, mounts and repairs. Free quotes
- Suspension Shops that set up springs, shocks and geometry for the weight you actually carry and the roads you actually drive. Free quotes
- Tires Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires. Free quotes
- Overland mechanics Independent mechanics who know what dirt, weight and distance do to a vehicle, and who will look it over like someone about to drive it a long way from help. Free quotes
- Diesel specialists Shops that live in diesel, from Sprinter vans to heavy-duty pickups, with the diagnostic tools and the patience these engines require. Free quotes
- 4x4 shops The all-round off-road shop: lockers, gears, armor, winches, lights and the knowledge of how they work together on your platform. Free quotes
- RV and van service Service for the house as well as the vehicle: electrical systems, heaters, plumbing, appliances, roofs and seals. Free quotes
- Overland outfitters Stores where you can see the gear before you buy it, and talk to someone who has used it. Free quotes
- Recovery equipment Winches, traction boards, ropes, shackles and the mounting points that make them safe to use. Free quotes
- Roof tents Dealers and installers for rooftop tents and awnings, and the racks that have to carry them. Free quotes
- Camping equipment Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate. Free quotes
- Expedition vehicle dealers Dealers and brokers for finished vehicles: expedition trucks, truck campers, adventure vans and the used rigs that come up when someone's trip ends. Free quotes
- Campgrounds Established campgrounds that welcome vehicle-based travelers, from public campgrounds on the way to somewhere to private camps worth a stay of their own.
- Adventure lodging Lodges, cabins, motels and ranches near the dirt, for the night you want a shower, a bed and someone else's cooking.
- Guides Guided trips and local guides for the places where knowing the ground matters: remote deserts, high passes, long river corridors and borders.
- Training Driver training, recovery courses, field repair and wilderness first aid, taught by people who do it for a living.
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