The Basics
Leader Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
Phone: (870) 356-4186 (Caddo District Office)
Brochure: Leader Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
(courtesy USFS)
Closest Towns: Glenwood, Langley, Mena
Directions: Albert Pike Access: From Langley, head north on AR Hwy 369 for approx. 5.8 miles.
Caney Creek Wilderness Access: From AR Hwy 8 just East of Mena, head South on AR Hwy 375 for approx. 16.2 miles (Hwy 375 becomes County Road #64 along the way). Turn Right at the fork in the road onto FR#38 (still also CR#64). Follow this Forest Road South approx. 4 miles to the Buckeye Trailhead, or continue another 1 mile South to the Caney Creek Trail East Trailhead.
About Leader Mountain
It's hard to imagine the perfect turkey hunt and not have that setting be in the Ozarks or Ouachitas. The remoteness of these areas and their dense oak/hickory forests, along with abundant water sources, provide an ideal habitat for healthy numbers of turkeys. The only problem is, many people know this fact about the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, and it can sometimes be difficult to find an area to hunt in that is not too overcrowded.
Thankfully, the Ouachita National Forest offers hunters 11 walk-in turkey hunting areas, plus an additional 6 wilderness areas as well. Although wilderness areas are never open to motorized traffic, most of the rest of the National Forest is. That is why the USDA Forest Service has teamed up with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the Arkansas Wild Turkey Federation to set aside areas of the National Forest that are closed to vehicle traffic during turkey hunting seasons, providing hunters with the solitude they need for a successful hunt without unnecessary interuptions.
Most of these walk-in turkey hunting areas have a few roads that allow access into the interior, but the roads are typically closed from early spring through late summer, except for foot traffic only. This not only ensures hunters a better quality hunting experience, but it also helps protect the turkeys as well from overuse of these areas by vehicular and all-terrain use, especially during the critical nesting and rearing seasons of the turkeys.
Leader Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
This area, located between the Albert Pike Recreation Area and the Caney Creek Wilderness Area, offers over 9,000 acres of quality turkey habitat. There are several access points around the area, with the main access being at the Albert Pike Rec Area, or one of the two trailheads on the east side of the Caney Creek Wilderness Area. These two trailheads, the Buckeye Trail and the Caney Creek Trail, are located across the road from the western boundary of the walk-in turkey area. Albert Pike sits on the eastern boundary. Access points are also available on the north side, off of FR#512, and from the south side along FR#106.
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