Editing Baxter County, Arkansas (section)

==Geography==
{{See also|Geography of Arkansas|Ozarks}}
Baxter County is located within the [[Ozarks|Salem Plateau]], a subregion of the [[Ozark Mountains]]. Land near [[Bull Shoals Lake]], [[Norfork Lake]], and along the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]] are within the [[Ozark Highlands (ecoregion)#White River Hills (39c)|White River Hills]] subregion, known for steep, rocky soils, spring-fed mountain streams, and oak-hickory-pine forest. Eastern Baxter County and a small area around Mountain Home are within the [[Ozark Highlands (ecoregion)#Central Plateau (39d)|Central Plateau]] subregion, known for comparatively flatter terrain more suited for hayfields, pastures, and housing, as well as [[karst]].<ref name=ark4>{{USGS|title=Ecoregions of Arkansas |comment=color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs |author1= Woods, A.J. |author2=Foti, T.L. |author3=Chapman, S.S. |author4=Omernik, J.M. |display-authors=etal | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Level_IV_ecoregions,_Arkansas.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802105344/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Level_IV_ecoregions,_Arkansas.pdf |archive-date=August 2, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The county has a total area of {{convert|586.74|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|554.36|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|32.38|sqmi}} (5.5%) is water.<ref name="area" />

The county is located approximately {{convert|110|mi|km}} southeast of [[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]], [[Missouri]], {{convert|152|mi|km}} north of [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], and {{convert|246|mi|km}} southwest of [[St. Louis, Missouri]].{{#tag:ref|Mileages from Baxter County to Springfield, Little Rock, and St. Louis are based on highway miles using Mountain Home for Baxter County.<ref>{{cite web
  |title=Google Maps (Search for Mountain Home, AR)
  |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mountain+Home,+AR/@36.337166,-92.4159165,13z
  |access-date= December 28, 2021 }}</ref>
|group=Note}} Baxter County is surrounded by sparsely populated Ozark counties on all sides: [[Fulton County, Arkansas|Fulton County]] to the east, [[Izard County, Arkansas|Izard County]] to the southeast, [[Stone County, Arkansas|Stone County]] to the south, [[Searcy County, Arkansas|Searcy County]] to the southwest, [[Marion County, Arkansas|Marion County]] to the west, and [[Ozark County, Missouri|Ozark County]], [[Missouri]] to the north.

===Hydrology===
[[File:Norfork Tailwater.jpg|right|thumb|[[Norfork Tailwater]], known for [[trout fishing]]]]
{{See also|List of lakes in Baxter County, Arkansas}}
Baxter County is within the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]] [[Drainage basin|watershed]]. The river has several important milestones in Baxter County: beginning along the western boundary of Baxter County, the White River is impounded to form the [[Bull Shoals Lake]] [[reservoir]] by [[Bull Shoals Dam]], which spans the Baxter-[[Marion County, Arkansas|Marion county]] line. South of the dam, the White River forms the western boundary of Baxter-Marion county line until [[Buffalo City, Arkansas|Buffalo City]], when the [[Buffalo National River]] empties into the White, with the White continuing across Baxter County from west to east. South of [[Salesville, Arkansas|Salesville]], the [[North Fork River (Missouri–Arkansas)|North Fork of White River]] empties into the White via the [[Norfork Tailwater]] downstream of [[Norfork Dam]].<ref>{{ cite web |author= Office of Water Quality |title= Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Assessment Report |url= https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/planning/integrated/303d/pdfs/2016/final-2016-305b-report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407024740/https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/planning/integrated/303d/pdfs/2016/final-2016-305b-report.pdf |archive-date=April 7, 2020 |url-status=live |publisher= [[Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality]] |location= North Little Rock, Arkansas |year= 2016 |access-date=January 4, 2022 }}</ref> Within the county, Barren Fork, Big Creek, Bruce Creek, Hightower Creek, Leatherwood Creek, and Moccasin Creek are important watercourses.<ref>{{Cite map |publisher = DeLorme |title = Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer |location = Yarmouth, Maine |edition = Fifth |page = 20, 21, 34 |date = 2018 |scale = 1:127,000 |isbn = 9781946494207 |oclc = 1066245581 }}</ref>

===Protected areas===
Baxter County contains a small section of the [[Buffalo National River]] near Buffalo City where the river empties into the White River. Almost all land in Baxter County south of the White River is part of the [[Ozark National Forest]]. Within this area, a subdivision of the Ozark National Forest known as the [[Leatherwood Wilderness]] is located along [[Arkansas Highway 341|Highway&nbsp;341]] (Push Mountain Road). Another part of the Ozark National Forest is also protected in the Sylamore Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA is known as a destination for hiking, fishing, and hunting [[wild turkey]], bear, squirrel, and [[deer]]. Camping is available at [[Blanchard Springs Caverns]], Gunner Pool, and Barkshed areas and a [[gun range]] is open to the public.<ref>{{ cite web |author=Arkansas Game and Fish Commission |title= Recreation opportunities abound around Sylarmore [sic] |date= April 16, 2021 |work=The Batesville Daily Guard |url=https://www.guardonline.com/news/recreation-opportunities-abound-around-sylarmore/article_36c5c9f6-f361-5af6-bc3d-8d71f95be198.html  |access-date= February 26, 2023 }}</ref> The [[Ozark Highlands Trail]] passes through the Leatherwood Wilderness and Sylamore WMA.

The [[Bull Shoals-White River State Park]] is along the downstream shoreline of [[Bull Shoals Lake]] at the [[Bull Shoals Dam]]. The park contains campgrounds, a marina, and visitor center. The dam tailwater is well known for [[trout fishing]].

Norfork Lake WMA is a series of protected walk-in hunting areas along [[Lake Norfork]] covered in hardwood forest with some pine and ranging topography. The four Baxter County units are Indian Head Unit, Chapin Point Unit, Seward Point Unit, and the Bennett's Creek Unit. The WMA is managed for deer, turkey and small game and attracts waterfowl during migration.<ref>{{Cite web |author= Staff of the AGFC |publisher= Arkansas Game and Fish Commission |title= Norfork Lake WMA |url= https://www.agfc.com/en/zone-map/739/ |location= Little Rock |format= PDF |date=  |access-date= October 10, 2022 }}</ref>