Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway
Crowley's Ridge along the Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway...
The St. Francis National Forest Highway along the Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway...
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The Old Town Lake Highway along the Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway...
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What to know
Crowley’s Ridge National Scenic Byway: America’s largest alluvial plain
Eastern Arkansas lies within the nation's largest alluvial plain, a vast flatland leveled over eons by the erosive floods, depositions of silt and course changes of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Contained within the Delta's level expanse, Crowley's Ridge rises as much as 200 feet above the surrounding terrain and stretches from Malden, Missouri to Helena, Arkansas. It was formed when the ancestral Mississippi and Ohio rivers eroded away the land on each side and deposits of wind-blown soils added height to the remnant ridge. A magnet for human settlement, the ridge was named after Benjamin Crowley, who moved there in 1800 to escape flooding in the Delta lowlands.
Today, Crowley's Ridge is characterized by upland hardwood forests, farmland, orchards and a variety of recreational and historical resources. Seven state parks lie along the parkway, which also passes through the St. Francis National Forest and makes for one of the most scenic motorcycle rides in the state. Arkansas' portion of the Crowley's Ridge Parkway was designated one of Arkansas' scenic highways and byways in 1997 and became one of America's national scenic byways in 1998. The route traverses a combination of U.S. highways, state highways, city streets and county roads deep into the Arkansas Delta.
Route (Arkansas portion): 198 miles
St. Francis River at the Missouri-Arkansas border to Helena, Arkansas
Eastern Arkansas lies within the nation's largest alluvial plain, a vast flatland leveled over eons by the erosive floods, depositions of silt and course changes of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Contained within the Delta's level expanse, Crowley's Ridge rises as much as 200 feet above the surrounding terrain and stretches from Malden, Missouri to Helena, Arkansas. It was formed when the ancestral Mississippi and Ohio rivers eroded away the land on each side and deposits of wind-blown soils added height to the remnant ridge. A magnet for human settlement, the ridge was named after Benjamin Crowley, who moved there in 1800 to escape flooding in the Delta lowlands.
Today, Crowley's Ridge is characterized by upland hardwood forests, farmland, orchards and a variety of recreational and historical resources. Seven state parks lie along the parkway, which also passes through the St. Francis National Forest and makes for one of the most scenic motorcycle rides in the state. Arkansas' portion of the Crowley's Ridge Parkway was designated one of Arkansas' scenic highways and byways in 1997 and became one of America's national scenic byways in 1998. The route traverses a combination of U.S. highways, state highways, city streets and county roads deep into the Arkansas Delta.
Route (Arkansas portion): 198 miles
St. Francis River at the Missouri-Arkansas border to Helena, Arkansas