Best Autumn Drives #2 - Talimena Scenic Drive in Oklahoma & Arkansas

Queen Wilhelmina State Park

The Talimena Scenic Drive is extremely popular with sightseers from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, but license places from other states are very common as well.
Stretching from Mena, Arkansas, for 54 miles along the top of the Ouachita Mountains to near Talihina, Oklahoma, the drive crosses some of the highest points between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Rockies. The views from both sides of the Talimena are spectacular and the landscape is dotted with historic sites and geological points of interest as well.

Among the key attractions along the drive is Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Located not far from Mena near the eastern end of the scenic roadway, the park is one of the crown jewels of the Arkansas State Park system. In addition to hiking, sightseeing, picnicking, camping and other traditional outdoor activities, it also offers a lodge, cabins, miniature railroad, antique railroad equipment and historic structures.

Rich Mountain Pioneer Cemetery

Just west of the park is the Rich Mountain Pioneer Cemetery, which contains the graves of early residents of the area and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died during Civil War days.

Other key historic sites along the Talimena Scenic Drive are Horse Thief Springs, Old Military Road, the original Choctaw boundary line, historic Rich Mountain fire tower and more. Points of natural interest include spectacular views, unique rock formations and the stunning vistas of Winding Stair Mountain, which was declared a national recreation area by President Ronald Reagan in 1989.

View from Winding Stair

If the name Winding Stair sounds familiar, it could be because it was the setting for much of the book True Grit. In the book and subsequent movies, the name Winding Stair is read or heard as the location that Rooster Cogburn, the Texas Ranger and their young female companion go in search of the outlaw gang of Lucky Ned. The association with True Grit is appropriate as the Winding Stair area was frequented by outlaws during the violent days that followed the Civil War and deputy U.S. marshals from Fort Smith often went there in search of wanted men.

Among the deputy marshals known to have operated in the area was Cal Whitson, the one-eyed lawman that many believe was the real Rooster Cogburn.  Please click here to learn more about his life.

To learn more about the Talimena Scenic Drive and its points of interest, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARTalimena1.

Talimena Scenic Drive - Arkansas & Oklahoma

With the first cool weather of fall now in the air, it is a great time to explore some of the beautiful and historic scenic roads and byways of the South. A personal favorite is the Talimena Scenic Drive, which stretches across the tops of the Ouachita Mountains from Mena, Arkansas to Talihina, Oklahoma.

The beautiful roadway, which was built through the Ouachita National Forest in 1965-1969, follows earlier dirt roads opened by pioneers of the region during the 19th century and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Great Depression. It is now recognized as one of the most beautiful scenic byways in the South and offers drivers paved access to the stunning scenery of such locations at Rich Mountain, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Winding Stair National Recreation Area and more.

Along the way, you can learn about a wide array of historic sites. The Rich Mountain Fire Tower, for example, was the location from which one of the largest forest fires in Southern history was first spotted. Queen Wilhelmina State Park, sometimes called the Arkansas Castle in the Sky, was first established as a stunning stone lodge by railroad companies during the late 19th century. The park today features numerous historic sites, beautiful overlooks and other points of interest including a hotel, cabins, restaurant, miniature train, hiking trails and more.

Just up the drive from the state park is the historic Rich Mountain Cemetery, established before the Civil War by early settlers of the Ouachitas. It is noted for its tale of the Ghost of Rich Mountain, the sad story of a young girl who froze to death nearby after being cornered by wolves during the tragic days of the Civil War.

Along the Oklahoma section of the drive, you will find such sites as Horse Thief Springs, once used by Old West outlaws, and Old Military Road Historic Site, which preserves a section of the historic road that connected Fort Smith with Fort Towson.

To learn more about the Talimena Scenic Drive, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARTalimena1.