Photo by Edward C. Robison III.
Located near BeaverTownBridge on Highway 62 West of Eureka Springs.
One of the best preserved battlegrounds of the Civil War, Pea Ridge National Military Park has a self-guided driving tour, walking trails and an interpretive museum. Located on Highway 62 just north of Rogers, Arkansas.
Photo by Tommy Hornbeck.
One of the nation’s premier trout fisheries, Roaring River Missouri State Park features fishing, hiking and more. The park is home to more than 600 species of plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the state. Roaring River Spring gushes 20 million gallons of water daily and the 1930’s CCC facilities are a historical asset to this natural park. Located on Highway F in Cassville, Missouri.
Inspired by the Sainte Chappelle, a light filled gothic chapel in Paris, Thorncrown Chapel was designed by the world famous architect E. Fay Jones who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. Thorncrown Chapel is #4 of the Architectural Institute of America’s Top Ten Architectural Features of the Twentieth Century. Located on Highway 62 in Eureka Springs.
One of the Top Ten Destinations in the State of Arkansas, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is home to 100’s of big cats. Tour the refuge and see tigers, lions, leopards, cougars and more everyday 9am-5pm. Learn about the plight of abandoned, abused and neglected big cats in the United States and Turpentine Creek’s mission to care for them. Located on Highway 23 in Eureka Springs.
Cradled by the bluffs of War Eagle Creek, Withrow Springs Arkansas State Park is a peaceful setting of unspoiled natural beauty with hiking trails, fishing and more. Located on Highway 23 in Huntsville, Arkansas.
Built in 1949, the picturesque yellow bridge crosses the White River at the Town of Beaver on Highway 187. This historic crossing was first recorded in 1847 and was crossed by General Sterling Price following the Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War in 1862. It has appeared in the movie Elizabethtown and the TV mini-series The Blue and the Grey. The wooden plank bridge accommodates only one lane of traffic and is the last remaining suspension bridge of its kind in Arkansas. Located on Highway 187.
Built in 1963 on the White River, Beaver Dam was one of the first reservoirs in the country to provide for municipal and industrial water. Beaver Lake is home to 12 recreational parks and is recognized nationally as a fishing destination. The “Queen of the White River Lakes” is two miles wide and seventy-three miles long stretching from Eureka Springs to Fayetteville with more than 400 miles of shoreline.
Bald Eagles make Beaver Lake their home. The Van Winkle arm of Beaver, an undeveloped area of the lake, has one of the largest concentrations of Bald Eagle. Eagle Watch Tours from Hobbs State Park offer a chance to see the icon of American freedom in its natural habitat. Located on Highway 187.
The 42nd Annual Eureka Springs Antique Auto Festival in Pine Mountain Village.
Staying Over? Check out Eureka Springs Lodging and great deals for two wheels.
All over the “lower 48”, men and woman who love their motorcycles are marking days off of their calendars as they count down to when they will pull on their leathers, fire up their bikes and start their adventurous ride to the Arkansas Ozarks and one of “America’s Distinctive Destinations”, Eureka Springs. The reasons are two-fold and it all centers on “pork” …The Pig Trail and Bikes Blues & BBQ. The Pig Trail is a not-so-straight ribbon of asphalt; in fact, the ribbon that looks like someone has scraped it across the edge of a scissor blade. It stretches, for all practical and awesome purposes, from Interstate 40 near Ozark (AR) north along State Highway 23 to Eureka Springs, the gateway to northwest Arkansas. This 80-mile route is universally praised in motorcycle magazines, on biker websites, and even by The Discovery Channel for being one of the best in America. For example, MotorycleRoads.com has elevated the Pig Trail to the number eight position in their most recent “top 100” poll. BikerBudz.com gives it a “highly recommend” while Motorcycle-USA.com refers to it as “my new favorite ride”.
The official National Scenic Byways’ 19-mile portion of the Pig Trail starts as you enter the Ozark National Forest from the south and ends near Brashears (AR) as you exit the national forest to the north. This route, which crosses both the Mulberry and the White rivers, has so many S-curves that motorcyclists are forced to make dozens of ultra-quick right-to-left-to-right and back again leans; perfect first-gear switchbacks. But riders should not think the challenge of the ride is limited to “the forest”. It starts once you exit Interstate 40 heading north and doesn’t end until you put down your kickstand for the night in Eureka Springs.
“The Scenic Byways section of the Pig Trail may be like the most thrilling point in a roller coaster ride,” one biker explained, “but like a roller coaster, the runs on either side (11 miles to the south; 50 miles to the north) are pretty exciting too. For me, every year between late August and the Hunter’s Moon is when I enjoy the full 80-mile ride. ‘Cuz if you’re gonna ride the Pig Trail, ya gotta go whole hog.”
“The highway going up to Eureka Springs and all those around that town,” he continued, “are one exhilarating rush. I hub out of Eureka, a funky, biker-friendly mountain town with lots of places to stay, lots of places to play. I’ll spend four or five days searching out new Ozark roads with new crazy curves and new breathtaking sights. It’s like a rally every day. Plus Eureka’s only about 45 minutes from Fayetteville and the ‘triple-B’, Bikes Blues & BBQ.”
For Bikes Blues & BBQ the aforementioned “whole hog” is dressed, seasoned, grilled till tender, slathered with sauce, and then served up razorback-style when more than 400,000 bikers converge on Fayetteville (AR) for the four fabulous days of this event in September. This year this awesome fall festival goes from September 18th through the 21st. “One of the best parts of Bikes Blues & BBQ,” a biker from Central Texas, who has not missed any one of the previous 13 annual events, proudly stated, “is that you don’t just get a festival, you get the Pig Trail and all of its Ozark side-roads. Me and my group like to arrive a couple days early or stay a couple days late to make sure we have plenty of time for day rides to and around Eureka on their fantastically freaky yellow-striped trails. We only wish we had routes like this back in Texas.”
Find new, thrilling nearby motorcycle rides in the Ozarks.
If you are unable to attend the “triple-B event” do not despair, because “does Mother Nature have a deal for you” in October and often through early November! There is no more lovely autumn color than the reds, oranges, golds and violets of the Ozarks when fall falls. To help you with perfect timing, the State of Arkansas, beginning in September each year, has a “fall color updates” page on their very popular Arkansas.com website. And speaking of the State of Arkansas, their Department of Parks & Tourism has developed a short movie that will whet your appetite and make you hungry for a motorcycle vacation to “The Natural State”. It just so happens that a local motorcycle enthusiast who is also the Mayor of Eureka Springs, Morris Pate, narrates the movie. His narration begins with him and his 2001 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic parked in front of the “Little Golden Gate Bridge” just a few minutes west from downtown Eureka.
“The Beaver Bridge is a landmark that must not be missed,” bragged Mayor Pate. “This beautiful old wooden suspension bridge was built in 1949 and is 554 feet long, only 11 feet wide and has been painted a bright yellow. Because it is so narrow, traffic can only move one way at a time across the span. So hold your breath and grip tight, this is one bumpy and thrilling ride on two wheels.” So whether you ride the Ozarks in late summer, late fall or anytime in between, you will be glad you did. “No matter how many other motorcycle routes you’ve been on,” concluded our Texas biker, “once you’ve conquered the Pig Trail and its web of side-roads, you’ll be happier than a hog in slop.”
Make Eureka Springs your hub for Ozark rides. Check out Eureka Springs Lodging and great deals for two wheels.
Photo by Edward C. Robison III.
With attention to the Northwest Arkansas region on a high mark with the opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Civil War, tourism leaders in the region have come together in the development of The Arkansas Art Trail. “A large group of new visitors to the area will be drawn to Bentonville for the opening of the museum; however these same touring vacationers will also want to know what else is available in the region. The Arkansas Art Trail will provide those answers” stated Rachael Moyer, CEO of Historica Consulting and the driving interest behind the concept.
“The Arkansas Art Trail is a project to map sites in the Natural State where nature inspires art.” Modeled much in part to the Thomas Cole Art Trail in the Hudson Valley, Arkansasarttail.com will feature Breathtaking vistas, mountain views, nationally significant sites, and natural settings are complimented by architectural features and made meaningful by local heritage and cultural sites. Arkansasarttrail.com includes ten stops that include such well known destinations as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or Downtown Eureka Springs but also guides you lesser known but nationally significant points of interest such as Boxley Valley or Inspiration Point. The website provides resources to guide you on your actual or virtual journey along the Trail encouraging touring vacationers to wear comfortable shoes open your eyes and prepare to be inspired.
Realistically, viewing the Arkansas Art Trail in its entirety can take 3-7 days depending upon how long you choose to linger at each site or how many side trips you take. The trail has been organized into 3 legs that take an average of one day to complete. Side trips have been noted that include additional features you may find inspiring. Samples of each leg are provided on the website with breathtaking photography provided by Edward Robison III.
Throughout the year, events relating to the Trail including guest speakers, gallery strolls, open studio tours and guided walks are held and will be promoted by arkansasarttrail.com with active blogs and social media as a vital component of the effort.
“Overnight on the trail” at one of Eureka Springs Lodging and get great deals for two wheels.
