Kiamichi Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Kiamichi Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Oklahoma
. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains
that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas
, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore
, Pushmataha
, and McCurtain
counties near the towns of Poteau
and Albion
. The foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Haskell County
, Northern Le Flore County, and Northern Pittsburg County. Its peaks, which line up south of the Kiamichi River
, reach 2,500 feet in elevation. The range is the namesake of Kiamichi Country, the official tourism designation for southeastern Oklahoma.
Black bear
, coyote
, bobcat
, deer
, cougar, mink
s, bat
s, bald eagles, varieties of woodpeckers, doves
, owls
, road runners
and 328 vertebrate species
are native to this region.
The Kiamichi Mountains are ancient. By projecting the existing mountains down to their subsurface roots geologists know that they once stood as tall as the modern-day Rocky Mountains
, which are much younger. The highly serrated, jagged appearance of the Rockies and other tall mountain ranges may be attributed to their youth. By contrast the Kiamichi Mountains, which are much older—and now shorter—feature the highly eroded characteristics common among much older mountains.
Geologists generally define a mountain
as a natural landform
topping at least 1,000 feet in elevation. Numerous of the mountains, particularly those along the Kiamichi River’s lower reaches, measure between 700 and 900 feet in elevation. Although called “mountains” they are, more formally, hills.
Precise definitions of the extent and scope of the Kiamichi Mountains have never been formally assigned. They constitute more of a cultural construct than formal geographical designation. Local residents generally identify the mountains as those occurring on either side of the Kiamichi River
along the full extent of its course, until it flows into the flat coastal plain of southern Oklahoma
.
Several groupings of mountains—all subranges of the Ouachita Mountains—may be found in southeastern Oklahoma, some of them associated with the Kiamichi Mountains, and some not.
North of the Kiamichi Mountains are the Winding Stair Mountains, named by early American explorers
for their cascading appearance as a series of stair steps.
East of Little River are the Bok Tuklo Mountains, which are commonly considered a continuation of the Kiamichi Mountains, although far removed from the namesake river
. These mountains take their name from Bok Tuklo County in the old Choctaw Nation
. Bok Tuklo, in the Choctaw language
, means “two creeks” and refers to Lukfata Creek and Yasho Creek, both in McCurtain County, Oklahoma
.
Portions of the mountains are protected by the Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness
National Wildlife Refuge and the Ouachita National Forest
. The wildlife refuge includes much of the Kiamichi River’s upper reaches and headwaters. The National Forest exists as two spurs, or arms, of its larger area in Arkansas
, and may be found in Le Flore County and McCurtain County.
Substantial portions of the mountains are owned by timber
companies, who operate massive tree plantations consisting of fast-growing pine trees. Logging
is the region’s chief industry
.
Tourism
is also important, although it makes a smaller economic impact. The Talimena Scenic Drive
, connecting Talihina, Oklahoma
with Mena, Arkansas
is a popular destination during autumn. [Fishing] is popular year-round, as is hunting
during hunting season.
Oklahoma’s state government has designated southeastern Oklahoma as Kiamichi Country
, in an effort to identify and market its tourism potential. Several flood control
reservoirs built and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the state, including Broken Bow Lake
, Clayton Lake, McGee Creek Lake, Pine Creek Lake
, and Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
, are framed by views of the mountains and add to the area’s scenic beauty.
Due to the restricted nature of land ownership in the region—with much of it owned by the federal government or timber companies—the Kiamichi Mountains remain rustic, rural, economically undeveloped and with few population centers.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains
Ouachita Mountains
The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The range's subterranean roots may extend as far as central Texas, or beyond it to the current location of the Marathon Uplift. Along with the Ozark Mountains, the Ouachita Mountains form the U.S...
that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore
Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Le Flore County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 48,109. Its county seat is Poteau. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma is the federal...
, Pushmataha
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...
, and McCurtain
McCurtain County, Oklahoma
McCurtain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 33,151. Its county seat is Idabel.-Geography:...
counties near the towns of Poteau
Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,520 at the 2010 census, ranking fifth in the Greater Fort Smith Area. It is the county seat of Le Flore County...
and Albion
Albion, Oklahoma
Albion is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census.- History :A United States Post Office opened at Albion, Indian Territory on December 6, 1887 and is still in operation....
. The foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Haskell County
Haskell County, Oklahoma
Haskell County is a county located in the southeast quadrant of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 11,792. Its county seat is Stigler. The county is named in honor of Charles N. Haskell, who was the first governor of Oklahoma....
, Northern Le Flore County, and Northern Pittsburg County. Its peaks, which line up south of the Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
, reach 2,500 feet in elevation. The range is the namesake of Kiamichi Country, the official tourism designation for southeastern Oklahoma.
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, cougar, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
s, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, bald eagles, varieties of woodpeckers, doves
Doves
Doves are an English alternative indie rock band, originating from Wilmslow, Cheshire. The band comprises brothers Jez Williams and Andy Williams , and Jimi Goodwin . The members started working seriously together after meeting at The Haçienda in Manchester. Doves' unofficial fourth member is...
, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, road runners
Roadrunner
Roadrunners are birds of the genus Geococcyx.Roadrunner or Road Runner may also refer to:* Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, an animated character based on the bird** The Road Runner Show, compiled cartoons including the character...
and 328 vertebrate species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are native to this region.
The Kiamichi Mountains are ancient. By projecting the existing mountains down to their subsurface roots geologists know that they once stood as tall as the modern-day Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, which are much younger. The highly serrated, jagged appearance of the Rockies and other tall mountain ranges may be attributed to their youth. By contrast the Kiamichi Mountains, which are much older—and now shorter—feature the highly eroded characteristics common among much older mountains.
Geologists generally define a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
as a natural landform
Landform
A landform or physical feature in the earth sciences and geology sub-fields, comprises a geomorphological unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography...
topping at least 1,000 feet in elevation. Numerous of the mountains, particularly those along the Kiamichi River’s lower reaches, measure between 700 and 900 feet in elevation. Although called “mountains” they are, more formally, hills.
Precise definitions of the extent and scope of the Kiamichi Mountains have never been formally assigned. They constitute more of a cultural construct than formal geographical designation. Local residents generally identify the mountains as those occurring on either side of the Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
along the full extent of its course, until it flows into the flat coastal plain of southern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Several groupings of mountains—all subranges of the Ouachita Mountains—may be found in southeastern Oklahoma, some of them associated with the Kiamichi Mountains, and some not.
North of the Kiamichi Mountains are the Winding Stair Mountains, named by early American explorers
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
for their cascading appearance as a series of stair steps.
East of Little River are the Bok Tuklo Mountains, which are commonly considered a continuation of the Kiamichi Mountains, although far removed from the namesake river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
. These mountains take their name from Bok Tuklo County in the old Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
. Bok Tuklo, in the Choctaw language
Choctaw language
The Choctaw language, traditionally spoken by the Native American Choctaw people of the southeastern United States, is a member of the Muskogean family...
, means “two creeks” and refers to Lukfata Creek and Yasho Creek, both in McCurtain County, Oklahoma
McCurtain County, Oklahoma
McCurtain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 33,151. Its county seat is Idabel.-Geography:...
.
Portions of the mountains are protected by the Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness
Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness
The Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Created by an act of Congress in 1988, the wilderness covers an area of 9,754 acres . Contained within Ouachita National Forest, the wilderness is managed by the U.S...
National Wildlife Refuge and the Ouachita National Forest
Ouachita National Forest
The Ouachita National Forest is a National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of eastern Oklahoma.-History:The Ouachita National Forest is the oldest National Forest in the southern United States. The Forest encompasses , including most of the scenic Ouachita Mountains...
. The wildlife refuge includes much of the Kiamichi River’s upper reaches and headwaters. The National Forest exists as two spurs, or arms, of its larger area in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, and may be found in Le Flore County and McCurtain County.
Substantial portions of the mountains are owned by timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
companies, who operate massive tree plantations consisting of fast-growing pine trees. Logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
is the region’s chief industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
.
Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is also important, although it makes a smaller economic impact. The Talimena Scenic Drive
Talimena Scenic Drive
The Talimena Scenic Drive is a National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma and extreme western Arkansas spanning a stretch of Oklahoma State Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88 from Talihina, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas....
, connecting Talihina, Oklahoma
Talihina, Oklahoma
Talihina is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States, its name originating from two Choctaw words, tully and hena, meaning iron road. Iron road is reference to the railroad that the town was built around. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
with Mena, Arkansas
Mena, Arkansas
Mena is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County.It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad . It was Stilwell who decided Mena would be the name of this new town along the route to...
is a popular destination during autumn. [Fishing] is popular year-round, as is hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
during hunting season.
Oklahoma’s state government has designated southeastern Oklahoma as Kiamichi Country
Kiamichi country
Southeastern Oklahoma, also known by its official tourism designation, Kiamichi Country, encompasses the southeastern quarter of the state of Oklahoma. The term "Kiamichi Country" was coined by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation as one of six travel destination regions within the...
, in an effort to identify and market its tourism potential. Several flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
reservoirs built and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the state, including Broken Bow Lake
Broken Bow Lake
Broken Bow Lake is a reservoir in southeast Oklahoma, located on Mountain Fork River and north of the town of Broken Bow. It is one of the largest lakes within the state of Oklahoma, and a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors from neighboring Texas.The lake stretches...
, Clayton Lake, McGee Creek Lake, Pine Creek Lake
Pine Creek Lake
Pine Creek Lake is a lake in McCurtain County and Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, USA. It is located east of Rattan and north of Sobol.The lake, which was built in 1969, impounds the waters of Little River, Pine Creek, and Turkey Creek. It is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood...
, and Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
Sardis Lake is a reservoir in Pushmataha County and Latimer County in Oklahoma, USA. The dam impounding the lake is located approximately north of Clayton. The lake covers with of shoreline. The lake is an impoundment of Jackfork Creek, a tributary of the Kiamichi River.The lake's normal pool...
, are framed by views of the mountains and add to the area’s scenic beauty.
Due to the restricted nature of land ownership in the region—with much of it owned by the federal government or timber companies—the Kiamichi Mountains remain rustic, rural, economically undeveloped and with few population centers.