Talimena National Scenic Byway

The byway is a two-lane mountain highway that carries two numbers, Oklahoma State Highway 1 on the west side and Arkansas Highway 88 on the east, meeting at the state line up on the ridge. It runs roughly fifty-four miles between Talihina and Mena, and rather than crossing the mountains it rides along the very top of them. Winding Stair Mountain and Rich Mountain both crest near twenty-six hundred feet, and the road holds that high line for miles, which is why the views open up on both sides at once.

Driving it is a leisurely, curling affair. The pavement bends and climbs and dips with the shape of the ridge, and the posted pace is unhurried, which happens to be exactly right for a road like this. More than twenty scenic vista pull-outs are spaced along the route, so you can ease off the highway, step out, and look for miles across the parallel folds of the Ouachitas without holding up the car behind you. Some grades along the way are steep, so it pays to keep an easy speed and enjoy the ride.

What sets the Talimena apart is that the scenery is the whole point. The road threads through the Ouachita National Forest the entire way, and many of the forests on these ridgetops are stunted, hard to log, and were simply left alone, so pockets of true old-growth timber still stand beside the pavement. Trailheads, picnic spots, and a couple of parks open right off the byway. In fall the hardwoods put on the show the drive is famous for, but the long green tunnels of summer and the bare, blue-distance views of winter have their own quiet pull.

The western gateway is Talihina, Oklahoma, a small town in the Ouachitas about ninety miles east of McAlester. Coming from the Oklahoma City area, take Interstate 40 east to McAlester, then follow U.S. Highway 271 south and east into Talihina. The byway begins just outside town at Talimena State Park, where a trailhead and the first ridgeline overlook mark the start of the climb. From there the road heads east and up onto Winding Stair Mountain.

The eastern gateway is Mena, Arkansas, on the far side of Rich Mountain. Coming from Fort Smith, drive south on U.S. Highway 71 to Mena, where Arkansas Highway 88 leads west out of town and climbs toward Queen Wilhelmina State Park and the state line. Many travelers coming from the Dallas and Fort Worth area also reach Mena by way of U.S. Highway 271 and U.S. Highway 59 through eastern Oklahoma.

Either end makes a fine starting point, and the drive is just as good in both directions. A common plan is to begin in Talihina, climb the byway west to east, and come down into Mena, then loop back through the valley towns on a lower highway so you see the mountains from below as well as above. Fuel up before you start, since Talihina and Mena are the places to fill the tank and there are no services up on the mountain itself.

The Talimena is one of the few American highways built purely to show off the country it crosses. Its bones go back to the 1930s, when crews from the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a pair of rough truck routes along these ridgetops during the Depression. Those work roads followed the high line of Winding Stair and Rich mountains, and decades later the modern scenic drive was laid over roughly the same path, connecting the two into one continuous ridge road.

The paved highway itself was built with federal and state funds through the middle 1960s and opened in 1969, at a cost of around seven million dollars split among the U.S. government and the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas. It was dedicated on June 7, 1970, in a ceremony led by Luci Baines Johnson Nugent, a daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Oklahoma has long described it as the only highway in the state built specifically for scenic driving rather than to get people from one place to another.

Honors gathered over the years. The route was recognized as a National Forest Scenic Byway in February 1989, since it runs through the Ouachita National Forest the whole way. Arkansas named its portion a state scenic byway in 1998, and Oklahoma did the same for its side in 2002. The crowning moment came on September 22, 2005, when the Federal Highway Administration designated the full corridor a National Scenic Byway, recognizing the road's outstanding scenic and recreational qualities across both states.

The mountains the road rides are far older than any of this. The Ouachitas run east and west, unusual for American ranges, and their long parallel ridges were pushed up hundreds of millions of years ago and then worn down by time. Human history layers over the land as well. Talimena State Park at the western end preserves a stretch of the Old Military Road that dates to 1832, a route once traveled by soldiers and by Choctaw families during the forced removals of that era. The byway's own name is a simple blend of its two anchor towns, Talihina and Mena.

• The Talimena is one of the only highways in the United States built specifically for scenic driving rather than to connect two places, and Oklahoma calls it the only road in the state made for that purpose.
• The road follows a pair of ridgetop truck routes first cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, so today's smooth pavement traces work roads carved by hand during the Great Depression.
• It carries two different highway numbers, Oklahoma State Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88, which meet at the state line high on the ridge between Winding Stair and Rich mountains.
• The byway was dedicated on June 7, 1970, by Luci Baines Johnson Nugent, a daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
• Rich Mountain, which the eastern half of the drive climbs, tops out around 2,681 feet and is the second-highest peak in all of Arkansas.
• The Ouachita Mountains run east and west instead of north and south, which is rare for ranges in North America, and the byway rides the long, parallel spines this odd geology created.
• Because the ridgetop timber was stunted and hard to log, some of the forest along the road was never cut and survives as genuine old growth right beside the pavement.
• Queen Wilhelmina State Park near the eastern end is home to the Wonder House, a rock cottage finished in 1931 that is built on nine different levels while looking from the outside like a simple two-story stone house.

The Federal Highway Administration designated the full Talimena corridor a National Scenic Byway on September 22, 2005. Before that, it was recognized as a National Forest Scenic Byway in February 1989, and both states named their portions state scenic byways, Arkansas in 1998 and Oklahoma in 2002. The road first opened to traffic in 1969 and was dedicated in 1970.

The byway runs about fifty-four miles between Talihina, Oklahoma, and Mena, Arkansas, following Oklahoma Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88 along the mountain ridgetops. Driven straight through, it takes roughly ninety minutes without stopping. Most travelers give it half a day or more so they can pause at the many overlooks, walk a trail or two, and enjoy the parks along the way.

On the Oklahoma side, Talimena State Park marks the western start with its first ridgeline overlook, and Winding Stair Mountain, Horse Thief Spring, and the Robert S. Kerr Memorial Arboretum follow along the crest. Crossing into Arkansas, Rich Mountain and Queen Wilhelmina State Park, home to the historic Wonder House, anchor the eastern end. More than twenty scenic pull-outs between them make it easy to stop and take in the views.

Yes. The byway is a public highway, so driving it and stopping at the scenic overlooks costs nothing. Some state parks and recreation areas along the route may charge for camping or certain facilities, but the drive itself and its many pull-outs are free to enjoy.

The byway is best known for fall color, when the hardwood forest turns gold, orange, and crimson, with the peak usually arriving in late October and into November. Spring and summer bring lush green ridges and mild weather, and clear winter days offer long blue-distance views through the bare trees. For soft light and quiet overlooks, early morning and the hours near sunset are especially rewarding any time of year.

Yes. The byway is a paved highway that stays open throughout the year. It sits at a higher elevation than the surrounding country, so it can see occasional snow or ice in winter, and short sections may close briefly during a storm until crews clear them. It is always wise to check current road and weather conditions before heading up in the colder months.

No. The entire byway is paved, and any passenger car handles it well. The route does include some steep grades and plenty of curves as it climbs and follows the ridgetops, so a well-maintained vehicle and easy driving are all you need. Four-wheel drive and high clearance are not required.

Because the road runs along high mountain ridges, it can be colder and more prone to ice and snow than the valleys below, especially in the shaded curves. Most of the year it drives easily, but during and just after a winter storm the pavement can be slick, so it is best to wait for conditions to clear and give crews time to treat the road. Check the forecast and road reports before you set out in winter.

Plan to fuel up before you start, because there are no gas stations or stores up on the mountain itself. Talihina at the western end and Mena at the eastern end are the places to fill the tank, grab food, and use restrooms. Once you are on the ridge, the byway is all forest and overlooks, so it is smart to begin with a full tank and any snacks or water you may want.

Cell service is spotty along much of the byway, since the road runs through remote national forest high on the ridgetops. You may find a signal near the towns at either end or at some higher overlooks, but expect long stretches with little or no coverage. It is wise to download any maps you need ahead of time and to let someone know your plans before you head up.

Unlike most North American ranges, which trend north and south, the Ouachita Mountains run east and west. They were pushed up hundreds of millions of years ago when ancient landmasses collided, folding the rock into the long, parallel ridges you see today, and then were worn down over vast stretches of time. The Talimena byway rides the top of those unusual ridges, which is why its overlooks reveal rank after rank of mountains marching off in straight, parallel lines.