Harrison to Eureka Springs

ROUTE #9
This 167-mile loop of back roads to Eureka Springs is a marvelous winding ride through a variety of beautiful scenery. While there are interesting places to stop along the way, this route is all about the ride.

The first leg is through the little Ozark town of Denver. The country roads here cut across photogenic farmland and through stands of lush timber, running across beautiful rural Arkansas landscapes.

At a place called Farewell, you’ll arrive on AR 311 for a winding ride north to Blue Eye. In 2010, Blue Eye was edged out of its distinction as the smallest town in Arkansas by Gilbert on the Buffalo River by a score of 30 to 28 residents. Blue Eye is like Texarkana in that it is split right down the middle by the state line, in this case, Arkansas and Missouri.

AR 21 south leads to Berryville, home of the Saunders Memorial Museum, containing a world-class firearms and antiques collection.

The 13-mile route from Berryville to Eureka Springs, a favorite with local riders and visitors alike, takes you down the back roads of AR 221, a sinuous stretch of pavement, and Carroll County 302, also known as Rock House Road, which runs beneath a thick canopy of trees.

Eureka Springs is a classic Victorian town with numerous places to relax, refresh and dine. Its historic loop winds through town and leads to great shops, spas, restaurants and attractions.

Over the years, AR 23 has been named a “Top 10 Road” in the US by several car and driving magazines. The portion running south out of Eureka Springs through Huntsville lives up to its well-earned reputation.

Four miles south of Huntsville, AR 23 intersects the meandering AR 74 east, leading to Kingston, a small town that’s a popular gathering place for riders headed to Ponca and the Boxley Valley, 10 miles south on AR 21. Boxley is drop-dead gorgeous and the highlight of this ride. It is home to the Upper Buffalo National River, Lost Valley, Whitaker Point and an impressive elk herd that can be spotted year-round, especially in the fall. This area has some of the best riding in the Ozarks. At Boxley, AR 43 courses its way to north Ponca then meanders back to Harrison concluding this wonderful back roads adventure.

Things to Do: 

• Point A: Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs - One of the top designs of the 20th century, this wood-and-glass chapel is an E. Fay Jones masterpiece that has been seen by more than six million visitors.
  
• Point B: Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs - Celebrating its 50th year, this 70-foot-tall statue of Jesus is the only one of its kind in North America. It is located on the grounds of The Great Passion Play along with a section of the Berlin Wall with the 23rd Psalm painted on it.
  
• Point D: Memory Lane, Berryville - Old filling station with gas pumps and vintage signs, popcorn and peanut wagon, and other nostalgia from the 30s to the 60s. Hosts annual car show.
  
• Point E: Cosmic Cavern, Berryville - One of the best cave tours in the country, and one of Arkansas’s most beautiful natural attractions. Two “bottomless lakes” and a nine-foot “soda straw” formed from calcium-rich dripping water are hallmarks of the cave.
• Point F: Alpena Chainsaw Art, Alpena - Chainsaw carvings on display, as well as chainsaw art classes offered.