If you could only take one scenic road trip in Arkansas, today’s journey would be our choice. Not only does this drive feature some of the most beautiful waterfalls, bluffs, and parks in the whole state but this drive also includes quite a few scenic backroads. Let’s take the Natural Dam to Boxley Valley drive for a full day’s adventure that will never be forgotten.
One of our favorite scenic drives in Arkansas is so much more than a quick loop along a nice stretch of highway.
Facebook/Arkansas Motorcycling The Natural Dam to Boxley Valley Scenic Drive is a wonderful mix of old highways and backroads filled with bluffs, trails, and waterfalls. The driving time for the trip is about six hours and if you add in time to explore some of the stops this trip can easily fill the whole day.
The drive begins at the Natural Dam, Arkansas’ own little Niagara Falls.
Flickr/Hiker.Guy30 For a map of the first half of the trip, use this link.
From Natural Dam we’ll head north to AR-59 towards our next gorgeous destination.
Google Maps AR-59 will run into Liberty Hill Road. Our first backroad will be off of it, aptly named Peaceful Way. This is the back entrance into Devil’s Den State Park. Many of the stops along this scenic drive are perfect for an overnight camping trip and Devil’s Den is the first of these detours. Whenever you’ve wrapped up your Devil’s Den visit we’ll continue east onto AR-74.
Traveling east from AR-74 to US 71 will eventually lead us to another state park, Lake Fort Smith.
TripAdvisor/HenryMudd From US 71, take a left onto Shepard Spring Road. This road leads to Artist Point Lookout as well as Lake Fort Smith State Park. Like with Devil’s Den, feel free to spend as much time as you want in this stunning area. This park also contains the trailhead for the Ozark Highlands Trail, which is a full adventure on its own.
White Rock Mountain will be our next point of interest as we continue our drive eastwards.
Flickr/Granger Meador The bluff views from atop the mountain are unbelievably gorgeous. From White Rock, we will take a backroad to reach a more familiar highway.
Today’s scenic drive is filled with fantastic stops but one of the more unexpected detours is actually another scenic drive — the Pig Trail.
Facebook/Arkansas State Tourism We’ll just hop on it for a minute to reach Fly Gap Road but feel free to cruise a loop along the famed Pig Trail before doing so. For the last half of our trip, use this map.
You’ll feel pleasantly lost in the backroads before reaching our next stopping point.
Facebook/Oark General Store If you’ve only stopped for a quick picture or two along our drive this will be about three and a half hours into our journey. The Oark General Store is the tastiest stop along the way.
After Oark, we’ll go east to reach AR-21 and from there we’ll start our final portion northward.
Flickr/Granger Meador After taking CR 5440 to AR-21, we’ll head north. Boxley Valley is the “end point” of the drive but it’s not quite the final destination. Since you’re in the area you may as well take CR 5 for a quick detour to Hawksbill Crag. It is the most photographed spot in Arkansas after all.
Congratulations! We’ve reached the end of our beautiful Arkansas tour.
Flickr/Jonathan Ball Before heading out on this lovely drive, be sure to read through Arkansas.com’s What To Know to ensure you hit all the correct backroads.
What was your favorite stop along this scenic route? Share with us in the comments below!
Facebook/Arkansas Motorcycling
The Natural Dam to Boxley Valley Scenic Drive is a wonderful mix of old highways and backroads filled with bluffs, trails, and waterfalls. The driving time for the trip is about six hours and if you add in time to explore some of the stops this trip can easily fill the whole day.
Flickr/Hiker.Guy30
For a map of the first half of the trip, use this link.
Google Maps
AR-59 will run into Liberty Hill Road. Our first backroad will be off of it, aptly named Peaceful Way. This is the back entrance into Devil’s Den State Park. Many of the stops along this scenic drive are perfect for an overnight camping trip and Devil’s Den is the first of these detours. Whenever you’ve wrapped up your Devil’s Den visit we’ll continue east onto AR-74.
TripAdvisor/HenryMudd
From US 71, take a left onto Shepard Spring Road. This road leads to Artist Point Lookout as well as Lake Fort Smith State Park. Like with Devil’s Den, feel free to spend as much time as you want in this stunning area. This park also contains the trailhead for the Ozark Highlands Trail, which is a full adventure on its own.
Flickr/Granger Meador
The bluff views from atop the mountain are unbelievably gorgeous. From White Rock, we will take a backroad to reach a more familiar highway.
Facebook/Arkansas State Tourism
We’ll just hop on it for a minute to reach Fly Gap Road but feel free to cruise a loop along the famed Pig Trail before doing so. For the last half of our trip, use this map.
Facebook/Oark General Store
If you’ve only stopped for a quick picture or two along our drive this will be about three and a half hours into our journey. The Oark General Store is the tastiest stop along the way.
After taking CR 5440 to AR-21, we’ll head north. Boxley Valley is the “end point” of the drive but it’s not quite the final destination. Since you’re in the area you may as well take CR 5 for a quick detour to Hawksbill Crag. It is the most photographed spot in Arkansas after all.
Flickr/Jonathan Ball
Before heading out on this lovely drive, be sure to read through Arkansas.com’s What To Know to ensure you hit all the correct backroads.
You can read more about Devil’s Den, Artist Point, White Rock Mountain, the Pig Trail, Oark General Store, or Hawksbill Crag by clicking on the links above.
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