Arkansas Ozarks

Route description

Eureka Springs is a Victorian spa town built on steep hillsides, with winding streets, stone buildings and springs. The streets are narrow and parking is tight, so leave a motorhome at a campground and use the town’s trolley. From there, drive through the hills via Harrison and AR-7 to Jasper.

Jasper is the base for the Buffalo National River, America’s first national river, which flows free between tall limestone bluffs. Near Ponca, Boxley Valley is the place to see elk, especially at dawn and dusk in the fields beside AR-43, and the Lost Valley trail leads to a waterfall and a cave. Canoe trips on the upper river are best in spring, when the water is high enough.

AR-7 south from Jasper is a designated scenic byway with steep grades and sharp curves across the Ozarks, crossing the Arkansas River valley and then the Ouachita Mountains. It ends at Hot Springs, where the ornate bathhouses of Bathhouse Row line Central Avenue in Hot Springs National Park, and a couple still offer thermal baths. Short trails lead up the hill behind them.

The route ends in Little Rock, the state capital, where you can visit Central High School National Historic Site and the Clinton Presidential Center by the Arkansas River. Take AR-7 slowly in a large motorhome, and allow extra time. Late October is the best time for fall color, and spring is best for paddling.