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What area do you define as the Ozarks?


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I know some people have some differing views on what constitutes that Ozarks. But more and more I'm seeing people that seem to be extending the range. More and more I seem to see people referring to places in the Arkansas River Valley and the Ouachitas as the Ozarks. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette even had an article the other week talking about Booneville and referred to it as an Ozark town. Did I miss something? Did anything that appears as a hill in Arkansas suddenly become a part of the Ozarks? I've never seen the Ozarks/Ouachitas used interchangeably. Technically the Arkansas River Valley is also a subdivision of the Ouachitas. The only exception could be the area around Ozark. I've seen mentions before and never thought too much about it. But it seems like I keep seeing more and more references of places south of the Arkansas River as being the Ozarks. I don't know for some reason it's irked me. Seems to me if you live in Arkansas you could at least learn to correctly know where things are. Maybe it's because the Ozarks is a popular term that many people know. Where as people outside this area don't really know much about what the Ouachitas are, or even how to pronounce them.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one that this subject irks. There really isn't a "River Valley." It's not a physiographic region of Arkansas. That was made up by the Dept. of Parks & Tourism. I know it has characteristics of a river valley...but it's a part of the Ouachitas. Petit Jean, Nebo, and Magazine are all Ouachita Mountains. It's always bothered me that The National Forest Service designated the National Forest that covers Mt. Magazine, as part of the Ozark National Forest, even though the mountain is clearly a Ouachita Mountain. Go figure. I've attached a map of the true phyisiographic regions. I saw the other day where Woolly Hollow State Park, just north of Conway was stated as being in the foothills of the Ozarks, when in actuality, it's in the foothills of the Ouachitas...with the Ozarks several miles to the north, near Clinton. Ughhhh...you're right...the people that are writing about places in Arkansas should know what they're talking about.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one that this subject irks. There really isn't a "River Valley." It's not a physiographic region of Arkansas. That was made up by the Dept. of Parks & Tourism. I know it has characteristics of a river valley...but it's a part of the Ouachitas. Petit Jean, Nebo, and Magazine are all Ouachita Mountains. It's always bothered me that The National Forest Service designated the National Forest that covers Mt. Magazine, as part of the Ozark National Forest, even though the mountain is clearly a Ouachita Mountain. Go figure. I've attached a map of the true phyisiographic regions. I saw the other day where Woolly Hollow State Park, just north of Conway was stated as being in the foothills of the Ozarks, when in actuality, it's in the foothills of the Ouachitas...with the Ozarks several miles to the north, near Clinton. Ughhhh...you're right...the people that are writing about places in Arkansas should know what they're talking about.
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These are some of the ones I found: Boktuklo Mountains, Caddo Mountains, Cedar Mountains,

Cossatot Mountains, Crystal Mountains, Kiamichi Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, Phillips Mountain, Pine Mountains

I've seen others...like you mentioned athens piedmont It's hard to find info on the subdivisions of the ranges. It'd be much easier if they didn't subdivde them at all.

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These are some of the ones I found: Boktuklo Mountains, Caddo Mountains, Cedar Mountains,

Cossatot Mountains, Crystal Mountains, Kiamichi Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, Phillips Mountain, Pine Mountains

I've seen others...like you mentioned athens piedmont It's hard to find info on the subdivisions of the ranges. It'd be much easier if they didn't subdivde them at all.

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I saw on a real estate site where the president of the agency said that Little Rock is in the foothills of the Ozarks lol.

I guess it's like you said...some people see hills and mountains, they call them the Ozarks. The Ozarks get so much attention, I guess,

due to the subculture there...I'm not sure. The Ouachitas are hardly known outside of Arkansas...and then half the people here want to

call most of the Ouachitas, the Ozarks lol. I like the Ouachitas much better than the Ozarks...I like ridges and mountains with flat valleys in between. The Ozarks are quite different. That's what is so crazy...if people would pay more attention to their surroundings, they'd notice how different the two ranges are. The main one being that the Ozarks run north to south, while the Ouachitas run east to west. Ok, I'm done lol.

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