7 Up With A Twist

Arkansas may be best known as being the home of a certain former President, but driving enthusiasts know there’s more to the state than its link to the White House. Indeed, Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway, which runs south/north through the west central part of the state, epitomizes the natural beauty of Arkansas, passing through towns rich in diversity and history.

The southern portion of Scenic 7 is a gentle roller-coaster ride across the Ouachita Mountains. northern sections, the ride becomes more thrilling thanks to the highway’s twists and turns through the Ozark Mountains. Occasionally, the road rides the tops of mountain ridges for panoramic views before descending to wide valleys and tiny villages.

This trip starts at DeGray Lake, a 13,800-acre welcome mat to the Ouachita Mountains. The DeGray Lake Resort State Park has all the amenities you’ll need to enjoy a water-logged respite, either for the day or overnight. From DeGray, Scenic 7 winds north through the countryside toward Hot Springs. On the outskirts town, you’ll pass the docks of the Belle of Hot Springs, a 400-passenger excursion boat that plies waters of Lake Hamilton.

Native Americans were the first to discover the healing properties of Hot Springs water. Hernando Soto was the first European to visit these parts back in 1541. But the thermal springs at Hot Springs really took off as a tourism attraction during the 1870s, when the first spa resorts were built here. Present day visitors can soak in Bathhouse Row, which features eight turn-of-the-20th-century spa buildings in the heart of town. Fordyce Bathhouse is the most opulent of the group, serving as a visitor center and museum. Stained glass windows, marble and mosaic tile floors, and an ornate fountain grace the interior of the 1915 Spanish Renaissancestyle building. Bathhouse Row is the epicenter of Hot Springs National Park, where you will find a campground, 30 miles of stunning hiking trails, and picnic areas in scenic mountain gorges.

The next stretch through the Ouachita National Forest affords the fine views that earned Scenic 7 its scenic byway status. The route makes ear-popping descents and steep climbs as the Ouachitas loom taller and the valleys narrow. The environs of Centerville provide bucolic scenes of cattle and horses grazing in rolling, white-fenced pastures. Crossing the flat Arkansas River floodplain, Scenic 7 enters the old river town of Dardanelle, where tall, bare Dardanelle Rock at its northern edge served as a landmark for explorers and pioneers. Among the cottages and Victorian homes on Front Street rises the ancient Council Oak. Beneath this imposing tree, Chief Black Fox and other Cherokees reluctantly agreed to hand over part of their treaty-given lands along the river to white settlers in 1820.

Heading north again on Scenic 7, you will come to Russellville, right on the Arkansas River and home to Lake Dardanelle State Park. The park encompasses the Dardanelle Lock and Dam. The by-product of the dam is the 34,000-acre, 50-mile long Lake Dardanelle, with a shoreline filled with scenic tentacle-like inlets and coves.

Moving on down the road into the Ozark Mountains, you will soon encounter a sign announcing “Very Crooked and Steep Next 3-1/2 Miles,” as Scenic 7 curves and plummets downhill into the Newton County seat of Jasper. The small town radiates from its weathered stone courthouse. From Jasper, guides take small groups on day-long and overnight trips into the rugged Buffalo River landscape to learn about Native American, Pioneer, Civil War and Outlaw history. Some of the nature trips involve easygoing hikes, while others are more challenging and include activities such as canoeing, caving and horseback riding.

The journey from Jasper to Harrison is filled with more eye-popping views. You’ll cross the Little Buffalo River, then curve past the Buffalo National River Visitor Center. The road then heads through the forests and towering limestone bluffs lining the Buffalo National River. On an uphill curve, a marker commemorates the site where stone was quarried in 1836 for the Arkansas contribution to the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.

Scenic 7 heads next into historic Harrison, dubbed one of the best small towns in America. And it’s easy to see why. A shining illustration of the appeal of the town is the Hotel Seville, a Spanishstyle castle built in 1929. The hotel stands as the focus of Harrison’s nationally-recognized downtown historic district. Only one building in the district, a gas station, is less than 50 years old. Downtown can best be experienced by taking the Main Street Harrison Historic Walking Tour, which includes parks, theaters, the courthouse and the county jail, built in 1914.

Twenty-five miles later, you are near the endpoint of Scenic 7. The last town along the way is Diamond City. This quaint lake resort has several small roadside motels and diners that provide a last bit of flavor to a trip that serves to enhance all of your senses. The very last stop, however, is Bull Shoals-White River State Park. This is a fisherman’s haven, providing 105 riverside campsites, a dock offering rental motorboats, a playground, a picnic area and hiking trails. This is one of the country’s premier trout fishing areas, so pick up a pole and see what you can catch. Even if your line comes up empty, you can just sit back and enjoy the fact that the drive along Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway has captured your imagination and your spirit.