Boston Mountains

Buffalo River from river trail overlook near Steel Creek in the Boston Mountains

The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply dissected plateau. They are located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma portion of the range is locally called the Cookson Hills. The rocks of the region are sedimentary layers of the Paleozoic age. The highest ridges and peaks are capped by Pennsylvanian sandstone and shale. The deeply eroded valleys are cut into Mississippian limestones and below that layer Ordovician dolomites.

The Boston Mountains form the southwestern part of the Ozark plateau. They are the highest and most rugged part of the Ozarks. This is because of their young age relative to the other sections. The highest point is 2,578 feet. It has valleys 500 to 1,550 feet deep. Turner Ward Knob (TWK) is the highest named peak. It is in western Newton County, Arkansas and rises to 2,463 feet (751 m).

The Boston Mountains are the source of several rivers and streams. They flow out from the mountains in all directions. The Boston mountains are the sources of the White River, the Buffalo River, the Kings River and War Eagle Creek. Other rivers and streams having their headwaters in the Boston Mountains include the Illinois River, the Mulberry River, Lee Creek, Frog Bayou, Big Piney Creek, Illinois Bayou, and the Little Red River. To the south, the Arkansas River valley separates the Boston Mountains from the Ouachita Mountains.