Flatside Wilderness

In the extreme eastern Ouachita Mountains is a Wilderness that takes its name from Flatside Pinnacle, a 1,550-foot rock outcropping just outside the northeast boundary. In 2019 the Wilderness was expanded, and the added acres were named the Bethune Woods-Flatside Wilderness addition in honor of former Representative Ed Bethune. Dominating the skyline are White Oak Mountain, the highest point in the Wilderness at 1,650 feet, and Forked Mountain, at 1,350 feet. From overlooks on the eastern and western sides, the forest below looks like an unbroken canopy of pines and hardwoods. Several small creeks flow through the area. Spanning the entire Ouachita National Forest from east to west, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail starts near Flatside Pinnacle and crosses the Wilderness for 10 miles of rugged hiking to White Oak Mountain. Off-trail hikers will encounter some of the remotest parts of Arkansas.