Lonely Planet author Taryn Shorr-McKee
5. Northwest Arkansas road trip through the Ozarks
The road-trip with everything: scenery, adventure and city amenities
Start/finish: Bentonville – Fayetteville loop
Approximate distance: 175 miles; allow one to three days
Northwest Arkansas comes alive in fall, when the Ozarks flame red and gold and elk bugle across river valleys. This loop starts and ends in Bentonville, a mountain biking mecca where trails weave past the (free!) Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. After burning some calories, cruise scenic Highway 62 to Eureka Springs. With hillsides blanketed in foliage, the quirky town’s rainbow staircases, glass Thorncrown Chapel and famously haunted Crescent Hotel feel even more atmospheric – especially around Halloween.
From Eureka, head into the wild heart of the Ozarks, watching for elk and black bears. Near Jasper, waterfalls and towering bluffs frame the Buffalo National River, and the “Arkansas Grand Canyon” overlooks golden valleys. Wind down in Fayetteville with a stroll through the University of Arkansas campus, arguably one of the prettiest in the country.
Detour: Approximately 30 minutes' south of Ponca, hike 1.5 miles to Whitaker Point (AKA Hawksbill Crag), one of the Ozarks’ most photographed spots.
