Fall Foliage Drives And Destinations Across Arkansas

​When to Go,  Which Roads to Take, Where to Find Information

Fall color in The Natural State typically begins in early October in northern Arkansas, rippling south through the rest of the state over about six weeks.

Yellows, reds, oranges, golds, even deep purple, transform maple, sumac, sweetgum, oak, sassafras and hickory trees across the state as temperatures drop for cool, crisp autumn days. Arkansas' two national forests, the Ozark-St. Francis and the Ouachita, cover 3 million acres combined and offer prime fall foliage landscapes accessible via scenic drives.

Because lodging along these routes fills up fast in the fall, book your reservations as soon as you can and consider mid-week travel as well as weekends.

Which Roads to Take

1. Boston Mountains Scenic Loop: Ozarks – Running through the Boston Mountains between Alma and Fayetteville on Interstate 49 and U.S. 71, this loop is picturesque no matter which direction you decide to drive it. The I-49 segment is 38 miles with sweeping vistas of rugged landscape and the Bobby Hopper Tunnel, the state’s only highway tunnel. The U.S. 71 segment is 42 miles of twists and turns with a mix of open road, scenic overlooks, dense foliage and small communities with shops and restaurants.
2. Pig Trail Scenic Byway: Ozarks – Designated a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1989, this drive with sharp curves and steep grades follows Ark. 16 and 23 through the Ozark Mountains between Ozark and Fayetteville, crossing the Mulberry River along the way. Turner Bend, a store and outfitter at the river crossing that's been open since 1911, is a good stop for food, lodging or a canoe rental.
3. Scenic 7 Byway: Ozarks to Timberlands – This state-designated route runs 290 miles between Arkansas’ northern border with Missouri and southern border with Louisiana. It passes through Harrison, Russellville, Hot Springs, Arkadelphia and El Dorado as well as the Grand Canyon of the Ozarks, Buffalo National River, Hot Springs National Park, and DeGray Lake.
4. Mount Magazine Scenic Byway: River Valley – Ark. 309 connects Havana and Paris, climbing over Mount Magazine, Arkansas' highest point at 2,753 feet, along the way. Mount Magazine State Park sits at the summit, with a lodge, conference center, restaurant and cabins.
5. Talimena National Scenic Byway: Ouachitas – The Ouachita Mountains run east to west instead of the typical north-to-south pattern of the Appalachians and Rockies. This 54-mile byway runs between Mena, Arkansas, and Talihina, Oklahoma, climbing Rich Mountain, Arkansas' second-highest peak, where Queen Wilhelmina State Park sits at the summit.
6. Interstate 530 Scenic Byway: Timberlands – This 15-mile stretch of I-530, designated an Arkansas State Scenic Byway in 2001, runs between White Hall and southeast Pine Bluff along Bayou Bartholomew, the world's longest bayou. Bald cypress, which turn coppery-bronze in fall, line its banks.
7. Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway: Delta – Arkansas' first National Scenic Byway stitches together portions of 17 highways, two county roads, and a handful of city streets over 198 miles between St. Francis in the northeast corner of the state and Helena-West Helena. The route runs along Crowley’s Ridge, a unique landform that rises up to 200 feet above the flat delta around it.
8. Great River Road National Scenic Byway: Delta – Arkansas' first All-American Road, this 362-mile route follows the state's eastern border, through 10 Arkansas counties, running between Blytheville in the north and Eudora in the south. It passes Lake Chicot State Park, home to the largest oxbow lake in North America, near the southern end. Pilot's Wheel Road Signs mark the entire nationwide route, which roughly follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

WHEN FALL COLOR PEAKS

Color change is driven primarily by day length, temperature, and rain, so timing and color brilliance shift from year to year. In the Ozarks, color typically starts appearing in earnest by the second week of October, with peak color arriving late October. The rest of the state follows, with fall foliage reaching peak color change from late October into mid-November as it sweeps southward. Regardless of latitude, higher elevations around the state also usually begin changing earlier than surrounding lowlands. Normally, the peak of color occurs around two or three weeks after color changes begin.