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HOW ABOUT A ROAD TRIP ---
A GREAT WAY TO SPEND
A DAY IN ARKANSAS' OZARKSby B.W. Lusk
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As a kid, I can remember one of the things I enjoyed doing the most with my folks was going for a drive in the country. I can still hear my mother saying to my dad "Are we lost?" and my dad's standard reply was "I'm not lost, I'm right here!" How we always got to that point is another matter for discussion! We'd all climb into the car and take off in some direction for the day or even the weekend without much thought as to where we were headed; much less what we were going to find when we got there. I did know that by the time we returned home, we would have had a real adventure rambling throughout the countryside and finding interesting places to see and visit where we had never been before.
Long before the region was a vacation destination, Arkansas' Ozark Mountains was one of those places we would often go to. To this day, I still find myself following this routine when I'm looking for a short getaway or break from the daily routine. Here are some of the places that you'll enjoy for a little adventure and a lot of breathtaking scenic beauty and fun. This can be a day-trip, a weekend trip or something to fill out your vacation plans while in the region. In any case, you'll enjoy any of these routes with lots to see, places to explore, good food to eat and nice folks to visit with. One other point…you don't have to spend a bag of money to have a good time.
All year around, people just like you and me hit the roads to find what the region has to offer; and what it has to offer is the main reason vacationers return here year after year. In the fall (the peak season for outdoor festivals, county fairs and all sorts of celebrations), you'll find the local folks enjoying the season and wanting to share it with the visitors to the area. In the spring, you'll find that the mountains come alive with trees budding and flowers blooming, and plenty of available canoeing. Summer brings the vacationers who are looking for camping, hiking, spelunking, fishing, boating, golfing, birding and an assortment of other adventures.
For an introduction to the region (and an excellent starting point!), it is recommended that you plan a stop at the modern Tyler Bend Visitor Center along Hwy. 65 N. in northern Searcy County (Phone - 870-439-2502). This is a good starting place to branch out from, as it is located on the famous Buffalo National River, off a major highway, and easy to find. The whole region offers great canoeing, hiking, camping, mountainside cabin rentals, cavern tours, stream and lake fishing and pretty much whatever else you're looking for and it is all accessible from this point.
From here, you can go west to the Newton County area, North to the Boone County area, or East and Northeast to the Marion County or Baxter County areas of the region. In any case, you can spend a day or several days.
If you head north from here, you'll wind up in Harrison and Boone County. Once here, you will want to stop at the Boone County Visitors Information Center. Once you have finished this area, you have two choices. First, you can take the Peel Ferry Tour featuring rolling hills, farmlands, mountain vistas And a beautiful, free ferry ride across Bull Shoals Lake, making this tour a memorable one.
Your second choice is a trip starting in Harrison and taking you to Newton County… a favorite, because it includes Scenic Highway 7, the oldest designated National Scenic Byway, considered by many to be the most popular drive in the state. Famous for its autumn views, Scenic 7 winds its way through the Ozarks and Newton County deep into the rugged Ozark Mountains. Starting out from Harrison, you can go as far as Russellville and still be in the region. But you may want to plan your day in and around Jasper, the county's largest town and county seat. There are state parks and national forest districts (named scenic byways) along this route. There are plenty of scenic overlooks and side roads that will take you along the Buffalo National River and throughout the county. You can explore the Little Buffalo River Valley area or in the eastern part of the county and western part of Searcy County, you can explore the Ozark Highland Tour.
Going south on U.S. 65 through Marshall, take a short drive east on Ark. 27 to Hwy. 14. At Harriet, you can pick up the Ozark Adventure Tour going north on Hwy 14. It will take you through Eastern Searcy County and bring you to the lower stretches of the Buffalo National River and Buffalo Point. A former state park created in the 1930's, Buffalo Point is now operated by the National Park Service. If you want to stay in this area, you will find canoeing and commercial cabin rentals available.
From Buffalo Point, you can go northward on Scenic Hwy. 14. On the way, you will be able to take a side trip to Rush Historic District. Just eight miles off Hwy 14, south of Yellville, the town of Rush was founded during the 1880's after the discovery of zinc. Now managed by the National Park Service, the "ghost town" still shelters remains of era homes and ore smelter. After leaving here, head back to Hwy 14 and on north to Yellville and Marion County to U.S. 62/412 and then drive east a short ways to nearby Flippin. Of interest to bass fishermen, Flippin is the home of Ranger Boats, known as the "Cadillac of bass boats." While in Flippin, you can park your car and take a train ride along the banks of the famous White River.
This area is know as Twin Lakes because of the construction of two massive lakes on the White and North Fork rivers in the 1940's by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's a popular travel destination since Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes provide boating, fishing, and a host of outdoor activities including trout fishing below the big dams. Along this route as you go toward Baxter County, there are a couple of side trips you may want to make. The first is Cotter. Here you take old Hwy 62B to Cotter Bridge. Constructed in 1930, this rainbow-arched bridge is ranked among the most beautiful spans in mid-America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Follow this road around and back to 62B for a trip to the past.
The second side trip worth the time is down Highway 126 to Buffalo City. Here you will be able to see the area where the Buffalo National River merges into the White River…truly a beautiful drive.
Once back on Hwy. 62, you will want to travel east to visit Mountain Home, the largest town in the region. Mountain Home offers excellent travel amenities including a regional convention center, a hospital and plenty of shopping.
From Mountain Home, you again have two choices. You can follow the Ozark Isle Route featuring a nature lover's paradise --- full of wildlife, flora, and birds. Or you may continue going south on Ark. 5 to the Norfork community. Here you can visit the city museum and the oldest two-story log house in the state -- the historic Wolf House.
There are plenty of places to ride to and visit. You can spend several days seeing them or make several short trips of a day or two at the time. One last point…visit any of the Chambers of Commerce in the region and they can provide additional information and (usually) maps.
All rights reserved. ©1999-2004 B.W. Lusk - May be use with written permission and reciprocal link to ShopTheOzarks.com. For more information, contact B.W. Lusk.
