They are an extension of the Boston Mountains of Arkansas to the east and the southwestern margin of the Ozark Plateau.
[1] The Depression-era bank robber Charles Arthur ("Pretty Boy") Floyd was raised in the Cookson Hills.
[1] The region is a rugged dissected plateau with numerous peaks and ridges up to 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level.
They are heavily wooded, predominantly oak, with patches of black walnut and hickory trees.
[1] The J. T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve is located in the Cookson Hills.