JeffL

I'm thinking about doing a little tour this fall. One of the states I haven't ridden in is Arkansas. I'd probably start the tour from my home in Western Kentucky, and ride in a generally southwest direction, crossing the Mississippi River on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. From there I'd do a little bit of Missouri, and then cross into Arkansas, the first town of which would be Piggott, maybe. (I don't know anything about the place, I just saw it on a map.)

I don't know anything at all about Arkansas, and am looking for advice and routing suggestions from anyone who's toured there. I'd be doing this on a Salsa Fargo mountain bike, so I can handle dirt and gravel, although I'd want to do the majority on paved roads. I value low-traffic roads above all else, and after that pleasant scenery (doesn't have to be magnificent scenery) and interesting small towns. I try to avoid larger cities while touring. I'd carry a tent, but probably mostly as a backup, since it's hard for me to sleep on the ground these days.

Thanks,

Jeff

jfoobar

Its been a long time, but many years ago I did some trout fishing along some of the more northern stretches of the White River. Yes, Arkansas has one of the best trout fishing rivers in the country believe it or not. My recollection is that it was mighty pretty up there. I think if I were going to try and plan a long ride in Arkansas, I would want to ride along at last a chunk of the White if it was otherwise feasible to do so.

raybo

This page has 4 links to information about bike touring in Arkansas. Not sure any of them will be of use for you, but they are worth checking out.

robow

As you likely know, the eastern part of the state is Mississippi River plain, flat as a pancake and barely a tree. Not very scenic and catches a ton of wind. I love the southern and western part of the state, rollings hills, lots of forests, mostly small towns and southern hospitality. If you stay to the north and west, you're into the Ozarks and the climbs can be steep and many roads not bicycle friendly due to the terrain. There are pockets of fine riding up there but I enjoy south and west of Little Rock and will be touring down that way come October. One other thing, Arkansas has numerous beautiful state and Army Corps of Engineer parks that are very bicycle friendly (they can't turn you away if they are full) and provide excellent camping opportunities. Much of the state is quite rural and hotels are not always easy to come by. One last thingy to remember is that this state has a lot of waterways... rivers, lakes, and swamps and are prone to flooding in the spring so always call ahead to be sure your campsite is not under water.