Leatherwood Wilderness

Leatherwood Wilderness is a 16,792-acre federally protected wilderness area in Arkansas, managed by the Forest Service. It offers primitive backcountry hiking and backpacking in a roadless setting where motorized and mechanized travel are prohibited. This is genuine wilderness—a place to experience solitude and undeveloped landscape on foot, with all the rewards and demands that entails.

Visitors should expect true backcountry conditions: no maintained infrastructure, no motor vehicles, no mountain bikes. Leave No Trace principles are not optional guidelines but the ethical foundation of wilderness travel. Carry what you need, camp responsibly, and pack out all waste. Access requires hiking from trailheads outside the wilderness boundary; there are no roads or developed facilities within the area itself.

Season and weather matter. Spring through fall offers the most reliable hiking window, though Arkansas weather can be wet and changeable year-round. Winter conditions can make backcountry travel hazardous. Come prepared with map, compass, water, and navigation skills—this is not a place for casual strolls. The wilderness is there to be walked through quietly, respected, and left as you found it.