Best Autumn Drives #3 - Pig Trail Scenic Byway, Arkansas

Ozark Mountains of Arkansas

Continuing our look (not in any particular order) of some of the best autumn drives in the South, this post focuses on the famed Pig Trail Scenic Byway in Arkansas.
So named because it is used as a short cut by many fans on their way to University of Arkansas Razorbacks football games on weekends in the fall, the Pig Trail passes through some of the prettiest scenery in the Ozarks.

The Pig Trail actually originated as a winding trail that provided foot access for ancient Indian hunters as they made their way into the mountains of the Ozarks from the Arkansas River Valley. When French hunters and trappers arrived in Arkansas during the 1600s, they discovered this path and used it as well. In fact, they gave the name Aux Arcs (which has been corrupted in English to "Ozarks") to the wide bend of the river at the point it is intersected by the trail. This is now the site of the town of Ozark.

Pig Trail Scenic Byway

In later years, the trail was used by early settlers of the mountains and later by Union and Confederate soldiers, as well as the riders of the vicious guerrilla bands that infested the region, during the Civil War.

The mountains surrounding the Pig Trail became part of the Ozark National Forest when it was established in the early 1900s and over the years the road became a favorite way to access the mountains and the beautiful Mulberry River area. The National Forest Service designated it as a scenic byway and today it provides a way for visitors to explore a stunning area of mountains, valleys, wild rivers and waterfalls.

To learn more about the Pig Trail Scenic Byway, please follow this link: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pigtrail.html.

Pig Trail Scenic Byway - Arkansas

This charming little waterfall is Pig Trail Falls, located along the Pig Trail Scenic Byway in the Arkansas Ozarks.

The Pig Trail takes its name from its popularity as a short cut across the mountains for Arkansas Razorbacks fans on their way to and from games at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Stretching for 19 miles through the Ozark National Forest, the Pig Trail follows an old road that was in use in the earliest days of Arkansas. Well developed by the time of the Civil War, the road was used by both Union and Confederate forces. General W.L. Cabell led 900 men north along the road in the spring of 1863 on an expedition that ended at the Battle of Fayetteville.

Then as now, the road that became the Pig Trail led past beautiful waterfalls, Ozark mountain country and over the scenic Mulberry River (popular for canoing and kayaking).

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pigtrail.