By Joe Sjostrom
(scroll down for map links)
Can you name a place where the motorcycling is better than Deal’s Gap?
I can: The Ozarks of southern Missouri and northwest Arkansas.
Arkansas offers a lot of really good reasons to stop and stay for a while. Hiking, fishing, country music on the town square, deep-fried catfish, friendly people.
And if offers equally good reasons to keep moving. Smoothly paved roads follow an endless succession of hills, valleys, ridges, meadows, rivers and even a lake now and then.
Go there: you’ll love it.
This describes a two-day ride of about 600 miles from Mena, a town in western Arkansas, to Potosi, Mo., site of the annual Falling Leaf Rally.
The route was recommended to me several years ago by members of the AR Gap group on Yahoo.com,, a riders group whose signature road is the Arkansas Gap, marked on the state map as Route 341 and named locally as Push Mountain Road. I rode this route on my way from Texas to Potosi and home.
Mena to Jasper, 230 miles
Some of these roads follow valleys between mountains, and others cross over the mountains. Turns and hilltops can be blind, suggesting a cautious entry, but in many places you can see around the bends, which permits more spirited riding.
From Mena I headed up U.S. 71 to eastbound Ark. 28 and 10 to Havana, (pronounced HAY vana) thence north on Ark. 309 over the top of Magazine Mt., the highest point (2,753 feet) in the state, according to my map. It’s said to be a beautiful ride, but I can’t confirm that on account of heavy fog the day I was there.
Continue on 309 to Ozark and go north on Hwy. 23, the famous Pig Trail.
In the little town of Cass is a store that sells Pig Trail stickers. They’re a little large for a motorcycle, but buy one if you like.
Continue north on Highway 23 to Brashears, where you turn east on Highway 16, and ride about 50 miles on which I guarantee you will not be bored, to Highway 7 north.
About 8 miles north on Route 7 is the famous Cliff House Inn lodge and restaurant overlooking the spectacular Arkansas Grand Canyon, a good place to dine or to stay the night.
You’ve traveled about 225 miles of mostly twisty roads today, so it’s probably about time to call it quits for the day. The Cliff House is a fine place, and there is at least one motel a few miles north in Jasper. But summer is a busy time in this area, which is prime whitewater rafting territory and accommodations may be booked in advance.
Day Two
Jasper to Tilly—62 miles
Head a few miles south from Jasper or north from the Cliff House to Highway 374 east, which you follow to Highway 123, which takes you south to Lurton.
This is 55 miles of “canyon carving a visitor simply must do,” the AR Gap riders told me, and boy were they right. But be cautious. Its many curves and switchbacks will demand your full attention, but try to find a pull-off spot to enjoy the views.
The area is also crossed by many tempting local roads that aren’t shown on the state map. Consult Google maps and/or your GPS for suggestions.
At Lurton Hwy. 123 will dump you on Hwy. 7 south for about 4 mile to Pelsor where you should take Hwy. 16 east past Tilly.
Tilly—Harrier—Norfolk: The Arkansas Gap—75 miles
Follow Hwy 27 through Canaan to Harrier, where you take Highway 14 east to Route 341, about 50 miles.
Highway 341, also known as Push Mountain Road, is the famous Arkansas Gap. Frankly, I thought it wasn’t great but no better really than most of the other roads on this route. If you’re pressed for time, I wonder if you might not enjoy spending more time Highways 374 and 123 and environs, though you can probably travel somewhat faster on Push Mountain Road.
Norfolk, Ark.—Potosi, Mo. (Jo Jo’s Catfish Warf; the Missouri Roller Coaster) 245 miles
This section is 245 miles, and if you left the Jasper, Ark., area this morning you won’t arrive in Potosi until after dark. If you don’t cotton to driving at night, do a layover in Eminence, Mo., a tourist town and equestrian center with many motels. That’ll leave you about 100 miles, including Highway 19—the Missouri Roller Coaster—and local roads left to reach Potosi.
But anyway, leaving Norfolk via Highway 5 takes you 25-something miles to Jo Jo’s Catfish Warf, which serves an excellent catfish lunch or dinner.
You could pick a more direct route to Mammoth Springs, Ark., saving about 30 miles. Thence north on U.S Highway 63 and Missouri Highway 19 through Eminence and thence to Bunker via Highway A, then Bixby via A and KK then Highway 32, and on to Potosi via Highway 32, Highway DD, C and P.
You can get chain-restaurant pizza in Potosi, but why would you want that when you’re still in the fried catfish belt. Enjoy some before you go home.
Mena—Jasper (Mt. Magazine, The Pig’s Trail)
Jasper—Lurton—Tilly (incomparable canyon carving) 62 miles
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=jasper+ar&daddr=AR-374+to:vendor+ar+to:mt.+judea,+ar+to:lurton+ar+to:tilly,+ar&hl=en&geocode=%3BFQbPJAIdXZVy-g%3B%3B%3B%3B&mra=ls&sll=36.129834,-92.296143&sspn=0.079168,0.132866&ie=UTF8&z=10
Tilly—Harrier—Norfolk (the Arkansas Gap)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=tilly,+ar&daddr=Canaan,+Searcy,+Arkansas+to:harrier+ar+to:norfolk+ar&hl=en&geocode=%3BFfRHIwIdBHt5-ikDFRHw8-HNhzEhjCwXFtnsUg%3B%3B&mra=pe&mrcr=0,1&sll=35.985084,-92.535451&sspn=0.634507,1.062927&ie=UTF8&ll=36.109034,-92.230225&spn=0.316755,0.531464&z=11
Norfolk, Ark.—Potosi, Mo. (Jo Jo’s Catfish Warf; the Missouri Roller Coaster)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=norfolk+ar&daddr=allison,+ar+to:mammoth+spring,+ar+to:eminence,+mo+to:bunker+mo+to:37.467229,-91.150818+to:MO-KK%2FMO-Y+to:MO-KK%2FMO-Y+to:bixby+mo+to:MO-P%2FMO-Y+to
otosi+mo&geocode=%3B%3B%3B%3B%3B%3BFUIoPgIdlG6R-g%3BFepuPgIdLCGR-g%3B%3BFc9EQgIdHVKW-g%3B&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=4&mrsp=5&sz=13&via=5,6,7,9&sll=37.480988,-91.145496&sspn=0.077511,0.125484&ie=UTF8&ll=37.664255,-91.081467&spn=0.15464,0.250969&z=12
contratulations
Favoured: 0
