This Dreamy Road Trip Will Take You To The Best Fall Foliage In All Of Arkansas
By J.B. VanDyke|Published September 01, 2017
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J.B. VanDyke
Author
J.B. Weisenfels has lived in rural Arkansas for three decades. She is a writer, a mom, and a graduate student. She is also an avid collector of tacky fish whatnots, slightly chipped teapots, and other old things. In her spare time she enjoys driving to the nearest creek to sit a while. If you were to visit her, she'd try to feed you cornbread.
It might not be fall yet, but autumn is close enough that we can all dream of pumpkin spice and cooler temperatures now. There are bigger dreams to be had, and those dreams have to do with hands-down the best fall foliage in the United States. This road trip will make all your fall dreams come true in less than nine hours of drive time, which sounds to me like the perfect way to spend a long weekend wrapped in the warmth of fall color. From the high overlooks of the Ozarks to the winding roads of the Ouachitas, this road trip will show you the Natural State’s fall foliage like you’ve never seen before.
It will take you a little while to hike to Hawksbill Crag, but the trail is fairly easy and the beauty from Arkansas’s most popular rock is well worth the short hike. You’ll get stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys below. Hawksbill Crag in the fall is a 360 degree experience of the Ozarks, and you don’t want to miss that explosion of color.
Next up we’ll be traveling to and then driving down one of the Natural State’s most popular scenic byways. The Pig Trail, or Highway 23, is popular for a reason — it’s one of the prettiest drives you'll find anywhere. It will give you the chance to see the fall color amid the dense trees that line the highway.
We’re still in the Ozarks, headed up to a mountain with another absolutely spectacular view. The bonus here is that the during your drive to the summit of White Rock, you’ll be driving through the Ozark National Forest, which makes this stop on our dreamy road trip a double whammy of fantastic fall fun.
Next up we’re headed to Arkansas’s highest point, where the scenic overlooks allow you to pull off the highway and step out of your car to witness absolutely jaw dropping views. When it comes to fall foliage, Mount Magazine may just be the absolute best of the best, and you don’t have to exert yourself on a long and winding trail to see a sweeping view that will take your breath away.
Arkansas’s oldest state park is certainly worth writing home about, and you’ll want to get out of the car at Mather Lodge to gaze out at the valleys below Petit Jean Mountain. While you’re out of the car, you might also consider taking a hike out to the 95-foot Cedar Falls, which is an absolute dreamscape when the leaves are turning and fall rains have bumped up the flow rate of the falls.
Your drive to our next spot will take you through the beauty of the Ouachitas. Queen Wilhelmina State Park is the final destination of the Talimena Scenic Drive, and though you’re not taking that particular drive, you still get to wind through the Ouachita National Forest and step out at Queen Wilhelmina to take in some views you won’t believe.
We’re headed through more of the Ouachitas, this time to a tall tower above Arkansas’s favorite spa town. The Hot Springs Mountain Tower offers a view of Hot Springs like you’ve never seen it before. There are two observation decks, one in the tower and one on top of it, and both are absolutely extraordinary places to survey the fall color of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains.
We’re ending with a scenic lake that has one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Natural State. With the leaves turning on the shore, trees reflected in the calm lake, and a very short hike to Falls Creek Falls, Lake Catherine State Park is gorgeous year round, but it’s particularly beautiful when the leaves turn.
