Falcon Bottoms Natural Area is an excellent example of the narrow, but highly diverse, natural communities that occur along small-to-medium sized streams of the Coastal Plain. Bayou Dorcheat, which flows through the natural area, is considered to be one of the most intact and important Arkansas streams west of the Ouachita River. The relatively unaltered landscape of the bottomlands and associated rare species and plant communities found along Bayou Dorcheat contribute to the site’s overall high quality. Most of the natural area is occupied by a bottomland forest community dominated by willow oak and overcup oak in the seasonally flooded areas and bald cypress in the wetter areas. High knolls and terraces support a lowland pine-oak forest community. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) holds a conservation easement on the area as a result of a North American Wetlands Council Act (NAWCA) grant.
DIRECTIONS
From Interstate 30 in Prescott, take U.S. Highway 371 south to State Highway 53. Take State Highway 53 south to Falcon. At Falcon turn east on State Highway 355 and travel approximately 3 miles to Dorcheat Bayou. The natural area lies to the north and south of the bridge crossing along the Bayou.
HUNTING
Specific types of hunting are allowed on this natural area. For details, see the Falcon Bottoms Natural Area WMA listing in the current Arkansas Hunting Guidebook. Take all necessary safety precautions when visiting this area.