Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) has traditionally been thought to be almost exclusively mediated by CD4⁺ effector T cells. Here, we provide evidence for the existence of mouse CD8⁺ T cells that are specific for an epitope of the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). Using a panel of truncated MOG peptides, we have identified the minimal epitope recognized by these T cells as MOG 37–46. This peptide, while possessing relatively low affinity for H‐2D^b, efficiently stimulates IFN‐γ production from MOG‐specific CD8⁺ T cell lines in vitro and induces EAE in vivo. To further characterize the magnitude and kinetics of expansion of the MOG‐specific CD8⁺ T cell population in vivo, we used MOG 37–50/H‐2D^b MHC tetramers to visualize MOG‐specific CD8⁺ effectors in the peripheral lymphoid organs and central nervous system during the course of EAE induction and progression. Our results identify MOG‐specific CD8⁺ T cells in the central nervous system prior to and after the onset of disease, suggesting that CD8⁺ T cells are a possible target for therapeutic intervention during EAE.