For motorcyclists, Arkansas Highway 16 is one of the top freeways in the Ozarks with the added advantage of being one of the least-used highways in the state. It is mostly known to local drivers and some savvy travelers but is overlooked by most visitors because it doesn’t lead anywhere in particular.
Another reason it’s barely known is that it doesn’t have a cool nickname like the “Pig Trail” section of Arkansas Expressway 23. So I’d suggest a 160-mile stretch from Fayetteville to Fayetteville. Clinton is thus known as the “Ozarks Scenic Highlands Skyway. “
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Arkansas Highway 16: ‘Your ultimate choice road’ … by car at least
Highway 16 begins northeast of Arkansas at the Oklahoma border and runs southeast through about two-thirds the width of the state. From Fayetteville to Greers Ferry, it winds from small town to small town through small communities with unique names like Swain, Nail, Deer, Lurton, Witts Springs and my personal favorite, Ben Hur.
If you’re traveling by car from Fayetteville to Greers Ferry, Highway 16 should be your final route of choice. That’s exactly what makes it great for racers. From Fayetteville, heading east on Highway 16 out of town is fairly pedestrian, but as you pass Elkins, the road crosses the 710-mile upper portion of the White River.
The highway becomes more zigzag as it climbs up into the highlands of the Ozarks. At Brashears, Highway 16 intersects the Spectacular Pig Trail section of Highway 23 for about 4 miles until Hawkins Hollow and becomes very zigzag.
A look at the Arkansas State Highway map shows that the highway has more than enough squiggly lines to please the sporty driver. And it has more than enough deadly scenery to please the train driver.
Just 10 miles from Boston, Highway 16 broke out atop the ridge and up there. Then the highway defines what I call the “Ozarks Split”. The creeks and rivers to the south of the highway empty into the Arkansas River while those to the north flow into the White River. The result of climbing the ridges on Highway 16 is that you often get spectacular views and views of both sides of the road at the same time – hence my suggestion to call it the Ozarks Landscape Plateau.
Arkansas Highway 16: Watch for Deer… and Ben Hur?
The 161-mile trip from Fayetteville to Clinton takes up to four hours, depending on how many stops you make. But if you don’t stop along the way, you’ll miss out on exciting experiences with locals in unique places with those unique names.
For example, there is a small spot on Highway 16 called Fallsville. At the very least, I like the town for its ironic name of a top-level motorway stop, as it contains a four-letter word for riders if ever. Fallsville is located at the western junction of Highway 16 and Arkansas Highway 21, and despite its odd name, it’s a great spot for a getaway. Aside from the great roads, it’s places like Fallsville that make the Ozarks great for riders looking to experience the local culture.
If you’re inclined to hike (not a good idea in July or August), you can head to Glory Hole Falls, 5.7 miles northeast of Fallsville on Highway 16/21 . It’s beautiful, especially when the water is fast. Each hike is a mile, downhill to the falls and uphill on the way back.
Twenty miles east of Fallsville (and about 11 miles past where Highway 16 splits from Highway 21) is a real metropolis compared to Fallsville. The town of Deer has a convenience store and a public school whose mascot is aptly named Antlers. Only in the Ozarks!
A few miles from Deer, Highway 16 joins the southbound Arkansas 7th Highway, where the roads share the same right of way, and eventually joins Arkansas Highway 123. The prominent Arkansas trio of highways – 7, 16 and 123 – both dynamite lines. National Route 7 is designated as “Scenic Number 7.” Highway 123, like 16, is a lesser known road that should be on every motorist’s must-see list.
The streets follow separate paths at Sand Gap – formerly Grand Gap and Pelsor – where you’ll find the old Hankins Country Store. During peak riding season, hang around for a while and you’re sure to meet riders from all over the country.
I like Deer so much, the name of my favorite place along the way has to be a dot on the map called Ben Hur, where there are no shops or businesses. It’s just a small community with a great name. According to an article in the Arkansas Times, the town was named in honor of actor Charlton Heston, presumably a nod to his 1959 film of the same name. In Heston’s twilight years, he asked the town’s fathers to consider renaming it “Cold Dead Hands,” but to no avail.
There are dirt roads that zigzag through the area on either side of Highway 16. One of my favorites is the Hurricane Wilderness Ramble, which begins in Deer. These are great trails for ADV riders. But no matter which way you go, you’ll enjoy passing through this zigzag Scenic Ozarks Plateau.
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