Basics
- Length:
- 290 miles (466 km)
- Time:
- 6-7 hours
- Fees:
- There are no fees along the byway itself.
Description
"Scenic 7," Arkansas State Highway 7, runs from the Louisiana State line near El Dorado, Arkansas to Diamond City, Arkansas near the Missouri State Line. Enjoy distinctive mountain scenery and outstanding fall colors while traveling through the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. Numerous recreation areas provide opportunities to camp, hike, mountain bike, canoe, and ride horses along or within a few miles of the highway.
Approximately 60 miles of the Highway passing through the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests has been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the National Forest Scenic Byways system. The Ouachita National Forest in central Arkansas has over 1.8 million acres where you can hike, camp, fish, and otherwise experience the wooded areas of Arkansas. The Ozark National Forest covers slightly fewer acres--1.2 million--but the tallest mountain in the state, Mount Magazine, is located here as is the incredible, living underground cave, Blanchard Springs Caverns.
Parks dot the byway, offering not only a relaxing experience, but a glimpse of the history that is an integral part of this region of Arkansas. Poison Spring State Park memoralizes the Battle of Poison Spring. Walk along its pathways and learn the history of the Camden Expedition at one of the park's outdoor interpretive exhibits. Jenkins' Ferry State Historic Park marks the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, which was the last major Arkansas battle during the Red River Campaign of the Civil War. At Lake Dardanelle State Park, Lake Dardanelle offers some of the finest fishing and boating resources in Arkansas, while Lake Ouachita is known for its clear water and recreational opportunities. Two-hundred-year-old Hot Springs National Park is the perfect place to soak your aching muscles in its therapeutic waters.
Discover many natural attractions here, such as the Alum Cover Natural Bridge, a 130-foot arch that is all that remains of a large sandstone cave. Follow the path of the first settlers to the area in the Mystic Caverns, and learn the legend of the 'spider monkey' while you take in the cave coral and other formations along the cavern walls. Finally, hike up to the top of Pedestal Rocks and gain as your reward one of the more spectacular views in Arkansas.
Full of history and all kinds of geological formations, it is easy to see how Arkansas Highway 7 earned the nickname "Scenic 7". No matter the season, you will always find something special to see and experience along this state and National Forest byway.
Helpful Links
Points of Interest
Points of Interest Along The Way
Alum Cove Natural Bridge (AR)
This 130-foot arch is all that remains of a large sandstone cave.
Directions
Alum Cove is located just north of Cowell, on Forest Road 1206, just off of Highway 7.
Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources (AR)
The museum collects, preserves and exhibits examples of Arkansas's changing oil technology and brine industry, and focuses on the 1920s oil boom in south Arkansas.
Directions
The museum is located north of El Dorado in the town of Smackover.
Buffalo National River (AR)
The Buffalo is one of the few remaining unpolluted, free-flowing rivers in the US. Following what is likely an ancient riverbed, the Buffalo cuts its way through massive limestone bluffs traveling eastward through the Ozarks and into the White River.
Directions
The upper district of the river is accessible from Highway 7 in Harrison.
Hot Springs National Park (AR)
People have used the hot spring water in this park in therapeutic baths for more than two hundred years to treat various ailments. Hot Springs National Park is the oldest park in the National Park System--40 years older than Yellowstone National Park.
Directions
Hot Springs National Park is in downtown Hot Springs, traveling along Highway 7 will take you right to the park's visitor center.
Jenkins' Ferry State Historic Site (AR)
This site marks the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, the last major Arkansas battle in Union General Frederick Steele's Camden Expedition during the Red River Campaign of the Civil War.
Directions
The site is off of Highway 270 in Prattsville.
Lake Catherine State Park (AR)
Nestled in the secluded woodlands between Hot Springs and Malvern, Lake Catherine is a special treat for those looking to really get away.
Directions
Lake Catherine is north of Hot Springs, a 12 mile drive off of I-30 on Arkansas Highway 171.
Lake Dardanelle State Park (AR)
Surrounded by the beautiful Ouachita Mountains to the south and the Boston Mountain Range of the Ozarks to the north, Lake Dardanelle offers some of the finest fishing and boating resources in Arkansas.
Directions
Lake Dardanelle State Park is located 4 miles west of Russellville and Highway 7, along Highway 326.
Lake Ouachita State Park (AR)
The state's only man made lake is well known for it's clear water and great recreational opportunities.
Directions
The park is 15 miles northwest of Hot Springs on Arkansas Highway 227.
Logoly State Park (AR)
This park serves an an environmental education center, and is the state's first living environmental laboratory.
Directions
The park is located east of El Dorado. From U.S. 79 at McNeil, go one mile on County Road 47 (Logoly Road) to the park.
Mystic Caverns (AR)
In the heart of the Ozark Mountains lies these spectacular caverns which must be seen.
Directions
Mystic Caverns is 8 miles south of Harrison on Highway 7.
