Scenic 7 Byway Reviews

I drove the portion of Scenic 7 Byway between Russellville and Hot Springs in late September. The leaves were just starting to change color in a few of the trees at the higher elevations of the drive. Going the way that I went, you have to drive through Russellville and Dardanelle before you get to the scenic part of the drive. From there, you go through countryside and small towns until you get to the Ouachita National Forest. The most scenic part of this segment of the Scenic 7 Byway is within the National Forest.

The high point of the drive for me was a stop I made at one of the historical sites within the National Forest, the site of the Hollis Civilian Conservation Corps camp. There is a trail with interpretive signs winding through the site, and the foundations of many of the buildings as well as the fireplace from the recreation hall are clearly visible. Unfortunately, most of the interpretive signs have seen better days and appear to be marred by both time and vandalism. I’m extremely interested in CCC history, so this was an especially meaningful stop for me. Also, there is a restroom with composting toilets near the parking area. There is also a parking area and marker for where the Jessieville CCC camp was located, but no remains of the camp are visible there.

Continuing along, there is a visitor’s center near Jessieville, but I didn’t make time to stop there on this trip. You leave the National Forest behind in Jessieville and continue on through increasingly developed areas until you get to Hot Springs. There are several rock and crystal shops along this stretch of road near Hot Springs Village. I stopped at one and bought a few souvenirs.

In Hot Springs, the route takes you right through the historic part of town, including past Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park. Hot Springs was my final destination on this trip, so I continued on 7 until I got to my hotel.

We drove this road from Hot Springs to Harrison and I didn't see much of anything great about it. A few scenic views along the way, but mostly just an ordinary road. Was made out to be something spectacular, but it's not. If you want a real scenic drive, go to the Smoky Mountains instead.

We took a ride up Scenic 7 Byway from Hot Springs to Dardenelle on a Sunday in August, then IH 40 East to Hwy 5 then back to Hot Springs. There are lots of parks to stop at along the way and lots of vistas. It was a nice ride through the country. We stopped at a little flea market just north of Hot Springs and found some great deals. Then on through Hot Springs Village, though we didn't see anything worth stopping for on this trip. We made a side trip to Lake Ouachita State Park for a picnic lunch and should have done a swim too, but passed on it to get back on the road. Then up to Ironwood Springs picnic area which was a trailhead on the Ouachita Trail. Mosquitos drove us away from there. Headed up to Lake Nimrod State Park and literally had the entire place to ourselves. This looks like a nice place to camp. Headed further north to Dardenelle and got a great laugh out of the High School mascot - the Sand Lizard. We spent the next 20 minutes researching what a sand lizard was all the while laughing about it (they are not in the US by the way). The drive down Hwy 5 was very pleasant. The one thing we noticed is that there wasn't a bar anywhere along the way to pop in and have a drink as I guess the counties are dry. Other than that it was a very pleasant loop.

Highway 7 out of Russellville,ar. Stayed in Conway at wonderful Fairfield. Took a wrong turn going to Branson but turned out to be the best wrong turn! Out of Russellville we took highway 7 to Branson. Cliff restaurant on this highway recommended too. Beautiful scenery and mountain roads. Rest stop on the way clean and well maintained.

Torturously slow and winding two-lane with very few scenic glimpses throughout. We drove over 100 miles and between the small town slow-downs, the hundreds of sharp low-speed turns, the dramatic elevation changes and complicating rainy weather, we barely averaged 30mph on the drive. That would be fine if there was much to see - but with few exceptions, this can hardly be described as a scenic byway. Don't bother to target this unimpressive roadway - it ain't worth the aggravating driving.

We recently took 2 full days to drive up Scenic Byway 7, in central Arkansas. We started in Hot Springs and ended in Harrison. We spent the night about half way up 7, at Mount Magazine, which is about 18 miles west of the 7, but provided just another beautiful byway to take in the Quachita/Ozark Mountains, and the various national forests that cover this area.

There are a few small towns along the way, and you won't need to worry about necessities. They are nicely spaced apart, with nature making a command performance between. You see all sorts of environments: farm, field, forest, mountain, meadow, river/stream/pond/lake. We stopped at several viewpoints and the mountains were truly beautiful and if you can, go in the Fall. I have seen pictures and they provide color much more abundantly than I ever imagined they would. Any season would be nice, but Winter certainly wasn't the best. But we were happy with our short jaunt up the middle of AR, though it does veer west a bit.

One of the points we liked best was south of Harrison. You cross an old, green, iron bridge, over the Buffalo River. You can get some excellent shots of the river/waterfall thru the steel crossbeams of the bridge, and it provides a nice juxtaposition. Of course, make sure you have plenty of time, we had to turn around a few times to attempt this. :) Then go to the Pruitt Ranger Station for info, and park in the picnic area, you will enjoy this little stop very much. Access to the river is right there, by foot. During our visit, the water was green!

We stopped at 3 national forests; one national recreation area; one state park; there are many other state parks along the way. We would have loved to visit some tourist attractions, but by and large, they were not open during this time of year. The caves and caverns of the area, alongside of Highway 7, sound beautiful.

You will enjoy the trip very much and there are lots side trips along the way.

We drove two stretches of the Scenic 7 Byway in October as the fall colors were beginning to show. Some very beautiful views! Some people will complain about the steep, curvy road, but that's part of what makes it so enjoyable.

If you want to see someplace, get off the sterile Interstate. We took 4 days to see NW Arkansas and Hwy 7 was a big part of the drive. Good choice! We went from Arkadelphia to Harrison over two days with a night in Hot Springs. Parts of it are very scenic, grab some sandwiches and have lunch at Rotary Ann, and parts of it are just real Arkansas. The one disappointment was the crossing of the Buffalo River at Pruitt. There has to be a better place to see the river, otherwise enjoy the drive.

Drove this from the north part of arkansas near Harrison all the way down to I-40. Best scenic drive that we did in northwest Arkansas. Nice pull offs and facilities. Beautiful views.

Perfect drive way in US. Nice roads, nice environment and sceneries...... perfect for romantic drive, relax drive and fun time outing.

We drove from Harrison to Hot Springs on the road. It's a beautiful scenic drive. The road winds through the mountains, and there are cute gift shops and a couple of restaurants along the way. There are several scenic pull outs to stop and look at. Definitely recommend to people who aren't in a hurry. You must drive slower due to all the curves. Fun drive!

This is a nice drive. However it’s very curvy. There isn’t much traffic and there are several overlooks with ample parking.

We just rode motorcycles on Hiway 7 from El Dorado to Harrison Arkansas, the road is good, plenty to see lots of curves, stop at the Cliff House just past Jasper ... have a steak ... mmm good!

This is one of the prettiest hwys in Arkansas. I like it slightly better then Hwy 21 (pigtrail). This time of year it makes a great drive and picnic day in a car or on a bike.

I start in Harrison and complete the whole Byway! This is a beautiful ride and has stolen my heart! I am looking forward to driving my trike on this twistie. The whole route is biker friendly tho I have been driving it in my van and have been treated very well at any and every stop.
I have been able to leisurely drive this route enjoying many scenic views. A deer hit my vehicle before Christmas on this road. My van was not drivable, nor would my cell phone work in the area of the crash. i was helped and aided by down to earth friendly people and stayed 5 days in Hot Springs while my vehicle was repaired.
Will I drive it again? Yes, I am heading that way within 2 weeks.
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this was an amazing scenic drive! Very curvy, very steep sides, lots of areas with no shoulders. Beautiful views with vistas and rest stops to take pictures from. We left little rock to go up Scenic 7 on our way to eat at The Cliff House and then to go to the Mystic caverns in Harrison. This drive takes longer than the interstate obviously, but it is so well worth it. After Jasper, but before you get to Harrison there is the great Buffalo River. You go over a tiny bridge, but LOOK left! Turn around if you have to like we did. Right before the bridge is a ranger station and you can park and go down to the river edge and be in awe of the rock wall and the beautiful river. This spot will hopefully give you a moment of breath catching joy straight from God. Enjoy the drive. EXPERIENCE the magnificence of this world and this beautiful state.

This is a little souvenir shop outside Jasper we found on the way to Cliff house Inn.

Its worth a drive and stop. The inside is rather corny, typical souvenir items but the owner and his dog are quite characters. He tells very interesting stories about building the lookout tower and the area without making you feel trapped. He was instantly our friend. We liked him so much we went back and bought items we didn't need to support his business.

You can climb the tower and the views are amazing ! You can see forever, well worth the trek. A must see stop if you are driving the 7.

My wife and I make a trip to Texas several times a year and taking the interstate every time gets kinda boring so on this return trip I decided to get off the super congested interstates and see some of what I know is a very beautiful state. I saw this Scenic Byway listed as one of the great drives for its scenery and decided to give it a try. We stayed in Caddo Valley at a motel that is right on the 7. Starting the next day we headed north and made the entire 7 all the way to 65 and by the time we got there I was so done with Route 7 all I could feel was relief.
We drove for miles and miles and the scenery consisted of decaying, rotting, falling down deserted buildings, poorly maintained homes with piles of junk and old vehicles. There were no pull offs for anything until we were about half way through the drive. We got to Hot Springs which was somewhat of a break albeit a short one and then continued with more of the same. The only really scenic part we saw were in the high mountains where they did actually have some pull offs and restrooms.
Another con in my book is man's disrespect for his/her home (earth). At each stop there was graffiti, trash and cigarette butts strewn everywhere, carvings in the wood benches and tables, trees. It was totally disgusting! And then there are the other drivers to contend with. Loud motorcycles, people hauling travel trailers that refuse to pull to the side of the road to let the half mile of traffic queued up behind them get by. There are a very few slow lane passing areas and only near the end of this trip.
Overall I was expecting a lot more. I think the state has done a poor job of exploiting one of natures wonders and has wasted a great opportunity. However there were signs of hope near the more scenic mountain areas. They are making improvements to the infrastructure but they have a long way to go.
Although I can only comment on the portion of 7 that runs from Caddo Valley to 65 on the northern half of the route if this was any indication of what its like I'll just skip the southern part of it.

I would say October is the best time to tour Arkansas on your trusted two wheeled steed. With great sweepers, great Scenic views, and beautiful countryside it just can't be beat. Please be forewarned that you will have the occasional person who's going 15 miles an hour under the speed limit. Please Be watchful for loose gravel and heavily oiled roads which is abundant in Arkansas. Make sure you stop and go to the scenic overlooks on Mount Nebo, you'll be happy you did. Happy trails.

Take some time to visit Hot Springs and then leave from there
Ride to Petit Jean State Park and have breakfast/lunch in the Lodge (a must see)
Visit Petit Jeans grave and see the car museum
Head back onto 7 north to Harrison stop at The Cliff House great food and look out at Arkansas's Grand Canyon
In Harrison there are three great motorcycle runs. The best is The Moonshine Run
It is a great all day run
Great scenery. Be sure you fuel up as gas stations are scarce go to Harrison's website and you can download maps or go to the Chamber of Commerce
If that is not enough adventure for you than ride West out of Harrison to Berryville and see the great gun museum the print shop across the street is owned by a. Man who writes for various motorcycle magazines and a nice guy
From there go West to Pea Ridge Military Park and see the Battlefield of the largest Civil War battle fought West of the Mississippi
Go to Bentonville and see World Famous art museum financed by the Walton's of Wal Mart. And then there is the famous Pig Trail
Ask any biker

Wonderful way to travel to Branson, MO from Texas! So many beautiful sites. Don't forget your camera.

Great scenery, with perfectly banked roads. Very beautiful. If you get a chance, go to the Old Post BBQ in Russellville. It has fabulously good ribs and chicken, and probably everything else they make. Mmm, Mmmmm!

This is beautiful drive that connects Russellville/Dardanelle to Hot Springs area. Beautiful drive through the mountains and hills of west central Arkansas. You can see Lake Nimrod lake and Dam, the campground and several other places of interest if you have time to take some roads off hwy 7. Drive slow enjoy the view and have a great time!!

This is a nice scenic drive but not as scenic as some of the others in this area. There are a few pretty views. I'd say if you are here specifically to enjoy mountain views, go ahead and do this drive. If you are just looking for something to do in this area, you could skip it.

Beautiful drive and leaves beginning to turn. The roads were in good condition and lots of places to turn off and take photos.

An easy drive west on I-40W from Little Rock Airport (LIT), I have a choice whether I want to make a North or South loop back into downtown Little Rock where I have to be for the evening.

Should I see a part of the Ozarks or Quachita National Forest. Fortunately, this time of the year I do not think I can go wrong with any choice I make. In the end, I decide to venture in the direction of the Ozarks.

Headed north on N Arkansas Ave (Route 7) , it is not long before I begin to see telltale signs of why this is one of the most scenic roads to drive in the state during this time of the year.

Bright reds, soft yellows, mellow greens and soothing oranges along with falling leaves soon have me pulling off the highway to enjoy some of the things I love about fall.

The air is fresh and once a car or two disappears in the distance, I take in the delightful sounds and peacefulness of nature.

At one time Route 7 was a popular North-South road through the “Natural State” and some of the history of those days still remain along the highway. It must have been a fun time when a “Double Decker Outhouse” was a key attraction.

A highlight of my trip is taking scenic views of the Ozarks at “Rotary Ann Overlook”, a historic rest stop along Scenic 7 Byway. Being here alone on a beautiful afternoon with a gentle breeze blowing is simply amazing.

I rode the scenic by myself, started in Sioux Falls, SD. A friend that lives in Springfield, MO. suggested riding it. Well I thought it would take me maybe 4 hours I was enjoying the wonderful sites and the curves, a lot of switchbacks for the Motorcycle but she rode great. The trip turned in to a 7 hour trip and that was without stopping! I needed a get away just me and myself, I drove all the way to Hot Springs stayed the night there and went back up the scenic 7 to Eureka Springs. I plan on doing the route again but not the whole scenic 7 I want to be able to enjoy some time off of the Harley as well. It was a beautiful ride!

We enjoyed driving the Scenic 7 Byway. Nice getting off of the highwayd and looking at the mountains and valleys. There are no places to get fuel. You will pass Wilhelmina State Park with the possibility for something to eat.

Starting on Scenic 7 in Hot Springs and drove it all the way to Russeville, Ar as recommended by some site we searched. It's fairly scenic, I suppose but not so amazingly so that it outshines the scenery on any other road we drove on in the area. In fact, we saw better vistas going west on I-40 once we got off the byway. I'm sure it is spectacular further north because I have seen pictures. None of the pictures on the internet look like what we saw on our drive. We saw no vistas. We saw the woods and winding roads. Pretty? Yes. Worth 2 hours out of our way? Not really.

I enjoyed getting off of the interstate and looking at the mountain range scenery. There are a couple neat places to stay overnight. This road is not a tourist trap or highly populated with commercial sites.

We drove from Hot Springs north to Harrison in Route 7. It was a lovely, relaxing drive. Beautiful scenery. The driving part took 4 hours. We stopped three times: at the Rotary Ann overlook (a nice rest stop), at the Pedestal Rocks hike (added about 2 hours to the trip) and for a late lunch at the Cliff House (come hungry; their meals are huge!). Altogether, it took about 7 hours. There's a lot more to do for those who want to spend more days. Regarding the Buffalo River: there's no way to know it's coming until you are there, and then it's too late to stop and look. We (and several other cars) went across the bridge and turned around. You can go to the picnic area on the west side of the road or the launch area on the east side.

We had the time and decided to do the entire byway from Eueka Springs to El Dorado. Good decisio and good time of year, Nov. the traffic was light and some attractions are out of season but overall it is a warm year so it was lovely. By the way, Arkansas website is very good with maps and detailed info.
Eureka Springs may be actually N of the official byway but it is absolutely lovely and quaint. Lots to see and do in the historic downtown area. The road definitely qualifies as one of America'a most scenic and you need to be on a leisurely timeframe as its rural. That's part of the charm. Forests, farms, parks, and out of the way places. It winds through mountains in some places but all manageable in our RV.
We took three days with an extended stay in Hot Springs. Note the Hot Springs Natl Park campground, Gulpha Gorge, is just $15 for seniors with Golden Age pass. However it is first come basis and even in Nov it was nearly full. Very good with quick driving access to bathhouse row, restaurants, and other attractions
On the parkway I would recommend a stop at Cliff House Inn for incredible overlook down to the Buffalo Natl River wilderness aka Grand Canyon of the Ozarks. Good food as a bonus. Also near the southern end near Smackover before El Dorado is a very interesting Museum of Natural Resources state park. Intriguing history lesson including oil, timber, and most interesting Brine extraction. That was totally new to me and very educational

Really enjoyed the Scenic & Byway...Little Grand Canyon views and trails are breathtaking......somewhere out there...the tree tops touched the blue, blue sky and the depth of the canyons and the curves between rivers really spoke to me as I cruised on my Harley ;)

We drove this highway for a whole day. It is a beautiful area with a lot of county roads to explore. The only thing that obstructed your view was the fact that the forest had grown up so much. However, this is a part of it and I enjoyed my day.