Mena and the Ouachita Mountains
Mena sits at the base of Rich Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains, the county seat of Polk County in western Arkansas near the Oklahoma border. The town has about 5,650 residents and serves as the gateway to the Talimena National Scenic Byway, a 54-mile road that follows the crest of the Ouachita range between Mena and Talihina, Oklahoma. The drive reaches elevations over 2,600 feet and offers some of the longest sight lines in the Interior Highlands.
Rich Mountain, at 2,681 feet, is the second-highest point in Arkansas. Queen Wilhelmina State Park occupies the summit and includes a lodge that has been rebuilt multiple times since the original was constructed in 1898 by railroad investors hoping to create a mountain resort. The park offers hiking trails, miniature railroad rides, and views extending 60 miles on clear days. The surrounding Ouachita National Forest covers over 1.8 million acres across Arkansas and Oklahoma, and recreational users access it through trailheads near Mena.
The city gained unexpected notoriety in the 1980s when the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport was linked to allegations of CIA-connected drug smuggling during the Iran-Contra affair. The stories have never been fully substantiated by official investigations, but they remain a persistent part of the town's public image. The airport continues to operate for general aviation and occasional charter flights.
Timber, tourism, and small manufacturing drive Polk County's economy. Rich Mountain Community College provides two-year degrees and workforce training. The annual Polk County Wildflower Festival and fall foliage season along the Talimena Byway bring visitors who support a modest hospitality industry of cabins, bed-and-breakfasts, and locally owned restaurants.
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Mena sits at the base of Rich Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains, the county seat of Polk County in western Arkansas near the Oklahoma border. The town has about 5,650 residents and serves as the gateway to the Talimena National Scenic Byway, a 54-mile road that follows the crest of the Ouachita range between Mena and Talihina, Oklahoma. The drive reaches elevations over 2,600 feet and offers some of the longest sight lines in the Interior Highlands.
Rich Mountain, at 2,681 feet, is the second-highest point in Arkansas. Queen Wilhelmina State Park occupies the summit and includes a lodge that has been rebuilt multiple times since the original was constructed in 1898 by railroad investors hoping to create a mountain resort. The park offers hiking trails, miniature railroad rides, and views extending 60 miles on clear days. The surrounding Ouachita National Forest covers over 1.8 million acres across Arkansas and Oklahoma, and recreational users access it through trailheads near Mena.
The city gained unexpected notoriety in the 1980s when the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport was linked to allegations of CIA-connected drug smuggling during the Iran-Contra affair. The stories have never been fully substantiated by official investigations, but they remain a persistent part of the town's public image. The airport continues to operate for general aviation and occasional charter flights.
Timber, tourism, and small manufacturing drive Polk County's economy. Rich Mountain Community College provides two-year degrees and workforce training. The annual Polk County Wildflower Festival and fall foliage season along the Talimena Byway bring visitors who support a modest hospitality industry of cabins, bed-and-breakfasts, and locally owned restaurants.
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