Arkansas is made for road trips. In my opinion, one of the best ways to explore the state is driving the backroads. It is here that you are going to discover mountain overlooks, tiny towns, old bridges, swimming holes, roadside restaurants, and so many places that you won’t find when your purpose is just to get from point A to point B.
Emily and I (Karen) love putting together Arkansas road trips and then driving them ourselves, looking for the historic, delicious, scenic and sometimes just plain interesting stops along the way.
Some of the road trips below follow Arkansas’s designated scenic routes, while others are routes we’ve put together ourselves. You can drive some of them in a few hours and turn others into an entire day or weekend.
Great Road Trips in Arkansas
Scenic 7 Byway: Overlooks and the Ozarks
Scenic 7 was Arkansas’s first designated scenic byway and is probably the best-known scenic route in the state. It runs from the state line in the south all the way north almost to Harrison. We have explored most of it in bits and pieces, but we have driven the section from Russellville north multiple times.Â
This is a great section of the route even if you don’t make any stops. If you are driving straight through it will take about 2 hours. However there are many great stops and short side trips along the way.
The road begins to rise into the Ozarks shortly after you leave Russellville. Expect to have your ears do some popping as you ascend! You will then drive the winding road through the mountains to its end just south of Harrison.
Some of the stops include amazing vistas like the Rotary Ann overlook and the Arkansas Grand Canyon.
If you are hungry you can have a meal with a view at the Cliff House or dine in a historic restaurant at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper. Speaking of Jasper, I would suggest taking a quick stroll around the square of this charming mountain town.
There are also several great side hikes. The hike at Alum Cove has a natural bridge or you can go to Pedestal Rocks and see the Arkansas version of a hoodoo.
We have a post with ALL the great stops on this route so that you can make it your own.
Jasper Disaster: Winding Roads and Buffalo River Country
If you like the Scenic 7 drive and want to spend even more time exploring the Jasper and Buffalo River area, you should drive the Jasper Disaster. Believe me, there is nothing disastrous about this gorgeous 60-mile loop through the Ozark Mountains.
It follows Highways 7, 74 and 43 and is said to have 316 curves. I didn’t count them, but I can confirm that this road is very, very winding!
It’s absolutely a great road trip even if you simply drive the route and enjoy the scenery, but there are so many great stops that you could easily spend a full day or even a weekend exploring this area.
Some of my favorite stops are around the Buffalo National River. You can see the river at Pruitt or at Steel Creek. Steel Creek Campground just might be the most beautiful campground in Arkansas and it is on a gorgeous stretch of the river.
There are several waterfall hikes along this route, making it a great road trip for spring when the water is flowing. If you only want to do one waterfall hike it should be Lost Valley and Eden Falls.
You can also look for elk in beautiful Boxley Valley, wander the small downtown in Jasper, eat at the historic Ozark Cafe, or have an ice cream at the old-fashioned Daisy Queen 7 South dairy bar.
We have an entire post with all the stops and side trips so that you can pick and choose and make the Jasper Disaster your own.
Three Arkansas State Parks in One Day
The Arkansas River Valley has three mountains rising from it. Technically they aren’t mountains, but mesas. But, hey, they look like mountains to me and here in Arkansas we call them mountains.
Each of these three flat-topped mountains has a state park at the summit. They are Petit Jean State Park on Petit Jean Mountain, Mount Nebo State Park on Mount Nebo, and Mount Magazine State Park on Mount Magazine. You can see all three parks in less than two hours if you just drive from one to another with no stops.Â
However, this road trip is worth a full day.
The route runs roughly east and west and Mount Nebo is in the middle. All three of these state parks have absolutely stunning mountain views and all three have lodging so you could even make this an overnight getaway.
If you are trying to decide which state park should get most of your time…I would say Petit Jean.
Mather Lodge is a CCC-built structure with the huge log construction reminiscent of this era. The hike to Cedar Falls begins just behind the lodge. I won’t lie, the hike is steep. You descend sharply to the bottom of a valley and then follow a flat trail to the waterfall in a box canyon.
It’s an amazing sight especially when the water is flowing well. Just remember you have to climb back up!
Don’t skip Mount Nebo. The Rim Trail goes all the way around the edge of the mountain which means you get to see all the best vantage points.
Of course, the views from Mount Magazine are considered to be some of the best in the state. There is an expansive patio with rocking chairs that make this a relaxing stop. You might even get lucky and see some hang gliders soaring in the sky there as well.
Check out our post that gives you all the details about how to see three of the best state parks in Arkansas in one day.
Two Iconic Arkansas Restaurants, One Road Trip: Oark to Altus
This is a loop road trip that Emily and I came up with because we wanted to combine two of the most iconic Arkansas restaurants with some stunning scenery. Leave hungry and allow enough time to eat!
You could do this 80-ish mile drive in two hours with no stops. But I suggest taking your time so that you can have both lunch and dinner.
From Clarksville you are going to head north into the mountains to the small town of Oark and the Oark General Store and Cafe. This is your first food stop, you are going to have either an old-fashioned southern breakfast or a juicy and delicious hamburger…and pie, don’t miss out on the pie.
From there this road trip takes you alongside the gorgeous blue-green waters of the Mulberry River. There are also some hikes and waterfalls along the way and, depending on the season, you could even float or swim the Mulberry.Â
There are two outfitters along this route. Both Byrd’s Adventure Center and the iconic Turner Bend have kayak and canoe rentals as well as camping and cabins.
And speaking of food…we were speaking of food weren’t we? Byrd’s Adventure Center also has a really good restaurant, the Riverfront Restaurant. But it is only open on weekends and only open seasonally.
After Turner Bend you’ll head south to Altus in the Arkansas wine country. This is home to the state’s first winery, Wiederkehr. If you arrive before they close and have a designated driver you could do a wine tasting, but you will definitely want to eat at the Weinkeller restaurant.
Have the cheese fondue as part of your meal. Trust me on this.
Then head back to Clarksville to complete the loop. We also have a post with everything you need to know to take this road trip.
Eureka Springs Loop Road Trip: Quirky and Beautiful
Eureka Springs is one of the most famous and, in my opinion, quirkiest towns in the state! We just love it and visit often.
We recently invented a little loop road trip that leaves and returns to Eureka Springs so that we could explore more of the surrounding area.
I would suggest that you start your road trip with coffee and breakfast at Mud Street Cafe which is a great Eureka Springs restaurant in the downtown area. Don’t forget to take a look through the glass floor while you are there!
From Eureka head to Lake Leatherwood City Park to see the beautiful spring-fed lake, take a little walk, and see the Bigfoot sculpture. Arkansas has a lot of Bigfoot legends including the famous Fouke Monster in the southern part of the state.
From there you will drive toward the small town of Beaver and cross the Little Golden Gate Bridge of Arkansas. Surprised that Arkansas has a little Golden Gate Bridge? It’s small. And older. And painted a golden orange. And I always get a little nervous driving across it but the views are worth it.
If you’re hungry have lunch at Angler’s Lake and Steak, which has a bit of its own quirky decor and really good food.
After that you have to make a stop at Thorncrown Chapel. In fact, I rarely go to Eureka without a stop at Thorncrown. Standing in that glass sanctuary with the Ozark forest on every side always gives me a feeling of peace.
This road trip is a perfect way to see even more of the beauty and strangeness that is Eureka Springs.
Ouachita Mountain Backroads
I think that the Ouachita Mountains are so overlooked. We go to Mena often and came up with this little road trip that takes you to some of the best scenic spots in the area.
You will be driving on dirt backroads for part of the route but it can be done in a car. I like this road trip for late spring or early summer as it has several swimming spots. There are no restaurants on this road trip so be sure and pack drinks and snacks…or a full lunch!
Start in the town of Mena, perhaps after breakfast at the Skyline Cafe, and then head to the Brushy Creek Recreation Area on the Cossatot River. This is a day use area with restrooms and picnic tables and a nice gravel bar for relaxing or swimming.
Next will be Shady Lake Recreation Area, a beautiful mountain lake and swimming and picnic area or you might choose to drive a few miles down the road to Bard Springs which also has beauty and picnicking and swimming.
It’s after this that you will hit the dirt road that will take you to Little Missouri Falls. This is not the tallest waterfall in the state but it is beautiful. And yes, you can swim…and picnic. After that you will drive some more dirt roads and experience stunning vistas before arriving at the paved road that will take you back to Mena.
If you want to make this wonderful drive you can read about all the details in this post.
Talimena Scenic Drive
The 54-mile Talimena Scenic Byway is such a special route…even though only 18 miles are in Arkansas! This byway is ALL about the views. The road follows the crest of the Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountains.
What this means is that you have vistas on both sides of the road. I really like that there are multiple places to pull-off to enjoy the views.
From the mountain town of Mena head up the mountain and you will soon arrive at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. This state park has a nice lodge and many of the rooms have beautiful views across the Ouachita Mountains. If you prefer camping there are also cliffside campsites at the park.
Lover’s Leap is a nice hike with a great pay-off view at the end.
Overall though, this is not a road trip that requires hours and hours. I would suggest driving it out and back and plan to stay either in Mena or at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. This road trip is definitely about the drive more than the destination.
Mount Magazine Scenic Drive: From Paris to Havana
That’s Paris, Arkansas and Havana, Arkansas y’all.
If you’ve done our three state parks in one day road trip, then you might have already done a section of this route, but I still think it’s worth doing in its entirety.
Paris is a cute little town with a really charming square. Best of all it has its own replica of the Eiffel Tower and the locks of love bridge. From Paris you will head up the mountain to Mount Magazine State Park.
This park is absolutely worth a stop and maybe even a stay. The rooms are nice and have glorious views. It is one of the best state parks in Arkansas with a lodge.
After enjoying the park continue on back down the mountain to the town of Havana. You will pass some stunning overlooks and I do suggest pulling over…but my second favorite stop on this route after the state park is Cove Lake Recreation Area.Â
This is a pretty little spot where you can picnic, hike around the lake, fish, kayak, and there is even a swimming beach here if you are traveling in the summer.
We have a post with information about the full route.
Great River Road: America’s Road
Emily and I recently drove the Great River Road from the southern Arkansas Delta to the Missouri State Line. We did it in the dead of summer, which…I don’t actually recommend. But I do recommend this route any other time of year.
This one is about history and culture and food and the fascinating Delta lifestyle. The Great River Road roughly parallels the Mississippi River all the way from the Louisiana Gulf Coast to Minnesota.
It’s not actually one route but a series of connecting roads with various driving options. The Arkansas portion is the longest route on this list. Emily and I took two full days to do it but even driving straight through this would take more than 5 hours.
We started at the Greenville Bridge which crosses from Mississippi into Arkansas then headed north.
There are so many stops along the way! I’m not going to try to name them all here.
I will say you will definitely want to see Lake Chicot State Park. Lake Chicot is the largest natural oxbow lake in the US! I thought the experience of kayaking on the lake through the cypress trees was pretty magical.
Also stop at the Mississippi River State Park. They have a great visitor center and a place to view the Mississippi River. I was surprised to learn that you can’t usually see the river along the Great River Road.
There are so many good places to eat along the way that it was hard to narrow them down. However, I have decided on the two that I most recommend. The first is Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in the town of Marianna. This iconic restaurant has attracted attention from foodies all over the world. The second is the Wilson Cafe in Wilson, Arkansas. They do farm-to-table upscale southern food really, really well.
Some other highlights on the Great River Road in Arkansas are the Delta Cultural Center in Helena. If you time it right you can even see the production of the longest running blues radio show in the US, King Biscuit Time. Helena also has views of the might Mississippi and a great distillery, Delta Dirt.
Keep heading north and stop in the town of Wilson. I’ve already mentioned the Wilson Cafe, but the town itself is a gem and definitely worth a stop.
Some of the other small towns in this area are Blytheville and Osceola. Blytheville is home to a historic Greyhound Bus Depot which I thought was really cool to see. Just after Blytheville you will pass under the historic US 61 arch into Missouri and the Arkansas portion of the Great River Road is complete.
Driving this route made me want to, someday, drive the entire Great River Road. The Mississippi River is such a part of not just Arkansas, but American history.
Which of these Arkansas road trips is best for you
- Best for first-time Arkansas visitors: Scenic 7 from Russellville to Harrison
- Best for spring waterfalls and winding roads: Jasper Disaster
- Best for expansive mountain views: Three State Parks
- Best for foodies: Clarksville/Oark/Altus
- Best for quirky stops: Eureka Springs Loop
- Best for warm weather/getting away from it all: Ouachita Backroads
- Best for a relaxing scenic drive: Talimena
- Best for an overnight mountain getaway: Mount Magazine
- Best for history, culture and a longer trip: Great River Road
- Best in fall: Honestly, all of them.
Arkansas is particularly good for road trips in fall, but there really isn’t a bad season if you choose the route to fit the weather. Choose a route and have fun taking the slow way and exploring the back roads and truly hidden gems of the Natural State!
