St. Francis National Forest

At 22,600 acres, the St. Francis is one of the smallest and most diverse national forests in the country. It features a variety of the finest bottomland hardwoods in the country and provides an ideal habitat for a large variety of wildlife including whitetail deer, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit and waterfowl.  Within the forest are a number of lakes to explore, including Hornor Neck Lake, a small oxbow lake about 20 minutes from the downtown. These lakes and the Mississippi River attract a large number of anglers to the area with popular game fish including bass, crappie, bream and catfish. Arkansas State Parks is currently developing the Mississippi River State Park on 550 acres within the national forest.The state park areas will serve as recreation sites within the forest while the Forest Service will continue managing the forest and its resources. The St. Francis is the only national forest that touches the Mississippi River.