Much of Central Arkansas lies in the Ouachita Mounta ins, one of our state’s seven ecoregions. The Ouachitas, like the Appalachians in the eastern United States and the Marathon Mountains in Texas, were formed as entire continents collided and created the supercontinent Pangaea starting around 500 million years ago.
The Ouachitas may have been as high as 10,000 feet at one time but have eroded deeply since then and today their highest peak is Mt. Magazine, 2800 feet in elevation.
Today they are home to many endemic species of plants and animals—that is, species that are found nowhere else in the world--such as the Ouachita mountain goldenrod, Ouachita blazing star, and Rich Mountain salamander.