The Top Of Arkansas

[dbarkdoll_imp]

Well I'm on a roll I guess haha. Two days of perfect weather in a row means two days of all day riding. Today the misses and I headed out of Little Rock early with plans to ride up to the Buffalo River on a loop that I have done before dubbed "The Arkansas Grand Canyon". Decided early on in the ride we wanted to do a bit shorter ride instead and save the Canyon route for a two day expedition. We were already en route to Mount Magazine, so that's where we headed.

Mount Magazine is Arkansas' highest point at 2,753 ft. No cloud scraper by any means, but for the south it's quite a structure. It is situated in the Arkansas River Valley where many other prominent peaks stand out in stark contrast with the lowland delta below. The ride there from Little Rock is incredible, especially the climb up the mountain. AR-309 starts in Havana, which sits at 381 ft. above sea level. The 12 mile ride takes you through dense pine and hardwood, only allowing brief glimpses of the valley below as you climb a total of roughly 2,300 feet. Switchbacks and multiple hairpins make it a memorable experiance for sure. And this is your reward at the top:




Obviously, pictures do not come close to doing it justice. Just something you gotta see in person. But on a clear day you can see Sugarloaf Mountain which is 45 miles away, and everything inbetween. So if you ever find yourself near west central Arkansas it is definitely worth the ride.