Talimena Scenic Drive Overview

Published on Nov 17, 2004

Stretching 54 miles through eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, the Talimena Scenic Drive winds along the top of the Ouachita, Winding Stair, and Rich Mountains, providing stunning views and outdoor opportunities sure to please and interest all visitors. Enjoy one heart-stirring panorama after another as this byway treads its way along forested mountain peaks.

Weaving its way through the Ouachita National Forest, the byway route presents travelers with bewitching sights of the forest's natural magnificence. Visitors can partake of the route's visual wonders through scenic turnouts. Each stopping place showcases one of the byway's scenic highlights, from copious woods of oaks and maples to meadows and valleys peppered with wildflowers.

Talimena also ambles through fascinating historical and intriguing geological locations. Explore trails that horse thieves used in the 1800s at Horsethief Springs Historic Site and Picnic Ground. While crossing the state line between Oklahoma and Arkansas, stop at the five-foot iron marker that once delineated the border between the State of Arkansas and the Choctaw Nation. Discover old tombstones and learn about Rich Mountain's settlers at Pioneer Cemetery Historic Site. Budding geologists can examine the mountain's history by observing the rock glacier at Sunset Vista, and everyone can appreciate the forest's dwarf oaks on an interpretative trail at Castle Rock Vista.

Adventurers will find a welcome outlet along Talimena Scenic Drive, which boasts access to recreation destinations through not only the Ouachita National Forest and Winding Stair National Recreation Area, but also Queen Wilhelmina State Park and Cedar Lake Recreation Area. The forest has over 700 trails for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and off-road vehicles, such as Ouachita National Recreation Trail, a 194-mile trail that traverses Ouachita National Forest. Whether you desire quiet fishing holes, energetic hiking trails, adventurous camping spots, or marvelous sightseeing views, this byway's state and federal lands present travelers with an opportunity to relish the forest's harmonious solemnity.

Situated among the highest east-west spanning ranges in between the Rockies and the Appalachians, the Talimena Scenic Drive combines enchanting natural grace and outdoor amusements, making this drive not only a sight-pleasing pursuit but also a vacation destination everyone is sure to enjoy.

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