Like I said, it’s the journey, not the destination, that makes the trip. But how to describe a destination as best as possible and an even better trip? As fall hits us, it’s the best time – and possibly our last chance – to ride the Ozarks before winter.
Scan the QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER
Instead of the usual big bikes, we ride our own clutches – Bill on his Kawasaki KLR650 and me on the Husqvarna 701 Enduro geared for our adventure.
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Big Singles are a great way to travel, especially if you’re not in a hurry. That made them perfect for our trip as the route I chose required backing up to take in the sights and cornering.
Our anti-clockwise route begins in Clarksville, Arkansas, goes a short way north on Highway 21 and then turns east on Highway 292 to join Highway 123, a great road to climb. up the mountain via the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. Highway 123 follows Little Piney Creek and then Hew Creek, along the way with beautiful waterfalls.
At Sand Gap, Highway 123 connects to Highways 7 and 16. We continue east on Highway 16, which is a fun ride, with a runway that offers confident grip. on many bends, even with our dual sport tyres.
In Clinton, we headed south on US 65 and followed Highways 92 and 16 around the south side of Lake Greers Ferry, turning north on Highway 5 near Heber Springs.
Our first day destination was Mountain View, a small town of 2,900 people surrounded by the Ozark Mountains and near the beautiful White River. It is also known as the “Folk Music Capital of the World”. During the summer months, folk and country music groups gather in the city park, providing families with all-night entertainment, especially on Saturdays. In the spring and fall, when the nights are too cool for musicians to pluck stringed instruments, they play in the afternoon. It’s a popular attraction, so book your hotel in advance. As you might expect, there’s not a lot of foraging and grinning in the winter.
From Mountain View we headed north on Highway 5, and just before the intersection with Highways 9 and 14, we turned left onto Swinging Bridge Road, named for the wooden cable-stayed bridge that spans the Creek South Sylamore is clear. Just west of the bridge, mountainous Highway 14 brings us to the Blanchard Springs Recreation Area with its streams, caves, and cliffside hiking trails. Mirror Lake, famous for its rainbow trout, is supplied with cold water from Blanchard Springs. Near the lake, one can walk on the wooden walkway and descend the stone steps to reach the place where the stream flows from the cave. Pretty cool. Below Mirror Lake Dam, another trail takes you to the ruins of a corn mill built in the early 1900s and the bottom of Mirror Lake Falls.
On the map, Highway 87 looked like it would be interesting, so we drove it back to Mountain View. That’s a good choice!
From Mountain View, we cycled north again on Highway 5 along the scenic White River and past charming sites like Calico Rock, Old Joe and Norfork. A short ride west on Highway 201 brings us to the twists and turns of Highway 341 (Push Mountain Road) into the Leatherwood Wilderness.
At Highway 14, we turned west again and crossed Big Creek and the Buffalo River. If you’re driving through here in hot weather, Buffalo is a great place to cool off, with parking and entrance at Dillard’s Ferry.
Just south of Yellville (if you cross Crooked Creek, you’ve gone too far), we turn west on Highway 235 and head south until it ends at US 65. We continue Continue west, turn onto Highway 123 again near Western Grove and go south. We crossed the Buffalo River again just before reaching Piercetown.
Instead of taking a short 10-mile drive west on Highway 74 to Jasper, we continued south on Highway 123 through what is called Arkansas Grand Canyon, take the long way to Jasper via Highway 7. After just a few miles on Highway 123, my Husky’s low fuel light came on, but we were still about 45 miles away from “good” gas. ” in Jasper. I asked myself, should I stop at a gas station on 123rd and get low gas or take a risk and buy the good stuff? I chose the latter – and ran out of gas just seven miles south of Jasper. Next time I’ll know: A gallon of gas is cheaper than none at all! Bill’s KLR had barely enough fuel left to get him to Jasper, and after a roadside nap we were on the road again.
Jasper is a lovely little town, and just north of it, after crossing Buffalo again, is Highway 74, an often overlooked but wonderful motorway route. We headed west to Highway 43 – famous for elk sightings – and then headed west on Highway 21 and again south on 74.
Highway 74 connects us to the famous Pig Trail Scenic Road (Highway 23). Feeling bolder than necessary, I tried to use the Husky’s superior strength to get out of Bill’s KLR, but he pulled the KLR’s throttle and hung after me. As fast as we dared to go, some guy on a multi-cylinder crotch rocket blew us away and disappeared from view. One good thing about driving a thumper is that you feel like you’re going fast when in reality you’re not.
Highway 23 took us out of the Ozarks onto Interstate 40 and then back home to Oklahoma.
Riding the big 650-mile Singles in two days isn’t bad at all. In fact, in the mountains of Arkansas, it was a great deal of fun.
