[Griff557]

Starting to plan a solo ride to the Ozarks the second week of September I would guess the weather is still decent that time of year? Iam in Minnesota so it’s kinda of crap shoot for us. I have a couple ride brochures and maps that list the more popular rides. Iam thinking of splitting my time between Eureka Springs and Mt View. Any suggestions on places to stay or hidden gems would be great. [email protected] if that works better

 

[Mr_Ed]

Expect highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-60s with a better than even chance of no rain. That's a really good time of years for riding Arkansas.

Mountain View is dry if that matters to you

 

[the Ferret]

Man have Iridden some great roads in that area in Sept

Do the Pig Trail

and be sure and visit the Oark cafe (try the pie)

 

[Griff557]

Expect highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-60s with a better than even chance of no rain. That's a really good time of years for riding Arkansas.

Mountain View is dry if that matters to you

Little more detail. I have about 1k miles to get to Eureka Springs/Harrison area. Figured I would take 1-1/2 days to get there then spend 3 nights Eureka Springs looks like a cool place to stay-unless someone recommends against it?

I've heard/read the locals play music in Mt View-thought that would fun. So does "Dry" mean you can't buy or can't consume? not a huge deal either way-never run into a dry city/county. Thought I would spend 3 nights there-again unless someone says no? Probably take a day/afternoon off the bike and see Blanchard Caverns

Then I would take 2 1/2-3 days on the way home. Work my way to Hannibal MO for the first night and then continue "up the river" home

I'll be starting in Northern MN so it could be in the 50-60's when I leave and maybe the 40's-50's coming home. Figure I'll end up with 3500 miles or so

 

[Mr_Ed]

Little more detail. I have about 1k miles to get to Eureka Springs/Harrison area. Figured I would take 1-1/2 days to get there then spend 3 nights Eureka Springs looks like a cool place to stay-unless someone recommends against it?

I've heard/read the locals play music in Mt View-thought that would fun. So does "Dry" mean you can't buy or can't consume? not a huge deal either way-never run into a dry city/county. Thought I would spend 3 nights there-again unless someone says no? Probably take a day/afternoon off the bike and see Blanchard Caverns

Then I would take 2 1/2-3 days on the way home. Work my way to Hannibal MO for the first night and then continue "up the river" home

I'll be starting in Northern MN so it could be in the 50-60's when I leave and maybe the 40's-50's coming home. Figure I'll end up with 3500 miles or so

Dry means can't buy, but I have consumed.

 

[Griff557]

Man have Iridden some great roads in that area in Sept

Do the Pig Trail

and be sure and visit the Oark cafe (try the pie)

I follow the "TAT" page so the Oark Cafe was already on my list 👍 appreciate the info...hopefully it all comes together

 

[Mr_Ed]

Just a few thoughts:

From Mountain View:

Highway 9 down to Clinton is a good ride.

Highway 9 up to Melbourne is a hoot.

Take Highway 9 north to Hwy 14 and left to Highway 341. Right on 341 north to 201.

Highway 263 from near Big Flat down to Rushing is fun.

Highway 14 all the way up to Hwy 65 (almost Missouri) is fun.

From Eureka Springs:
Rock House Road down to Hwy 221, then 221 back north to Berryville is a much more fun route to Berryville than Hwy 62.

If you like guns stop at the Colonel Saunders Museum at Berryville.

From Berryville, Hwy 21 south all the way to Clarksville is a good ride.

From Clarksville go north on Hwy 103 to the end of 103 and continue north on 215 to the Oark Cafe (mentioned above by Mr Ferrett)

Leave the Cafe back the way you came except stay on 215 all the way to Hwy 23.

Follow that back north to Hwy 23.

If you'd like help putting together some day rides I'd be happy to. Meanwhile, I'm being called to dinner, so ...............

 

[COGnosticator]

Expect highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-60s with a better than even chance of no rain. That's a really good time of years for riding Arkansas.

Mountain View is dry if that matters to you

I have stayed in Mountain View twice, and the road to get to the nearest ABC store was one **** of a great road LOL

 

[rbentnail]

IMO it sounds like that area of riding is more or less like western NC- any roads you randomly pick from a map simply b/c of the look of them on paper will be just fine. I like asking tho I generally take rtes others recommend with a grain of salt. I'll check them out but I've found over the yrs that folks who "live there" ride differently than I do so most of the time for me it turns out to be a butt load of unenjoyable work rather than relaxed recreation. I'd rather slough the criticism off later than have a sucky trip now b/c I'm not into repetitive days of fighting my Big Fat Heavy Pig FJR Motorsickle through miles and miles of twisty, turny roads. Sometimes I just want the relaxed scenic riding of the Blue Ridge Parkway, know what I mean?

 

[Griff557]

Just a few thoughts:

From Mountain View:

Highway 9 down to Clinton is a good ride.

Highway 9 up to Melbourne is a hoot.

Take Highway 9 north to Hwy 14 and left to Highway 341. Right on 341 north to 201.

Highway 263 from near Big Flat down to Rushing is fun.

Highway 14 all the way up to Hwy 65 (almost Missouri) is fun.

From Eureka Springs:
Rock House Road down to Hwy 221, then 221 back north to Berryville is a much more fun route to Berryville than Hwy 62.

If you like guns stop at the Colonel Saunders Museum at Berryville.

From Berryville, Hwy 21 south all the way to Clarksville is a good ride.

From Clarksville go north on Hwy 103 to the end of 103 and continue north on 215 to the Oark Cafe (mentioned above by Mr Ferrett)

Leave the Cafe back the way you came except stay on 215 all the way to Hwy 23.

Follow that back north to Hwy 23.

If you'd like help putting together some day rides I'd be happy to. Meanwhile, I'm being called to dinner, so ...............

Thanks for the ideas it would be handy if you pieced together a couple day rides. I'll take a look at my maps-Iam still a paper map guy 😜 Do you have any recommendations for hotels? I was thinking the Basin Springs in Eureka Springs looks like a cool old building and it's located within walking distance of a lot of places 🤷🏻*♂ Still up in the air for lodging in Mt. View

 

[Griff557]

IMO it sounds like that area of riding is more or less like western NC- any roads you randomly pick from a map simply b/c of the look of them on paper will be just fine. I like asking tho I generally take rtes others recommend with a grain of salt. I'll check them out but I've found over the yrs that folks who "live there" ride differently than I do so most of the time for me it turns out to be a butt load of unenjoyable work rather than relaxed recreation. I'd rather slough the criticism off later than have a sucky trip now b/c I'm not into repetitive days of fighting my Big Fat Heavy Pig FJR Motorsickle through miles and miles of twisty, turny roads. Sometimes I just want the relaxed scenic riding of the Blue Ridge Parkway, know what I mean?

I hear ya sometimes the best rides are the "un-published" rides. A lot of times I'll just look at the map and wing it but on the same hand I don't want to miss out something cool 😉

 

[the Ferret]

rbentnail has a point ... some guys want country curvy, and some guys want the gnarliest twisty roads. Depends on your preference which should be stated up front in order to get the right recommendations.

Some prefer Dragon like, others prefer Cherohala like. In our group we have both, so when we plan a trip someplace, we plan to ride both types of roads, not just all of one type.

 

[Griff557]

rbentnail has a point ... some guys want country curvy, and some guys want the gnarliest twisty roads. Depends on your preference which should be stated up front in order to get the right recommendations.

Some prefer Dragon like, others prefer Cherohala like. In our group we have both, so when we plan a trip someplace, we plan to ride both types of roads, not just all of one type.

I like to ride at a pretty good clip but Iam not Joe rocket fast or Granny in a wheel chair slow. Ive ridden all over out west but this will be my first time to the Ozarks I would like ride a little of both types of roads.

 

[Mr_Ed]

I like to ride at a pretty good clip but Iam not Joe rocket fast or Granny in a wheel chair slow. Ive ridden all over out west but this will be my first time to the Ozarks I would like ride a little of both types of roads.

Arkansas has put together a good webpage of suggestions. I don't know that I've even ridden all these. I must get on that
https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling

I would add to my previous post:
Hwy 16 between Clinton and Hwy 23 to the west
Hwy 27 from Hector to Marshall

Most of the roads I've mentioned are scenic and twisty. But most are not terribly challenging. I frequently run up behind herds of cruisers on them.

Russ is right, though. You might come follow me around a few days and go home with a huge grin on your face ... or wondering WTH just happened

Feel free to ask questions.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I would suggest staying away from bigger highways like US65, US412 and US62, because they get more of their share of traffic and enforcement.

Also, a highway's number doesn't mean much without specifying between where and where else. For instance, AR9 from Melbourne south to Allison is as much fun as you can have with your pants on, but AR9 from Shirley to Clinton is a yawner where you'll be able to memorize all of the bumper stickers on the back of all the Subarus and Altimas in front of you.

The backroads like the ones mentioned by Ed are no fun in a cage, but really fun on a bike, so the locals and work trucks tend to go for the bigger roads and leave the good ones to us. And even if you don't want to get all sweaty, you can just throttle down on the good roads, because the scenery is nice too. As rural as it gets.

I love the Smokies, but I find a lot of the best roads there are covered with driveways and other vehicles. On some of the best roads in AR, you can find yourself feeling like you're riding after the rapture. I love that.

I would suggest the Mountain Home area way above Eureka Springs for pure riding reasons. You have to ride a pretty good distance out of Eureka Springs to get to fun roads. Now, Eureka Springs does have a lot of kitschy touristy stuff, if you like that sort of thing. Magic crystals that can make your hair grow and stuff like that. Folk music too.

Make sure you post a date, if you'd like some company. I love riding down there.

 

[Mr_Ed]

We've done this route many times out of Eureka Springs with our ZRX rallies. It's a couple of hundred miles but could easily be shortened by taking one of the highways north like 21 or 7 instead of heading east.

 

[Mopheadama]

If you are going to be in Eureka Springs you can't go wrong exploring SW Missouri either. Just pick anything around Table Rock lake. If the road ends in a 6 take it. Also ride out of Rockaway Beach, Forsyth and catch a road back down and catch the ferry back into Arkansas.

You really can't go wrong in this part of the country. Some of the letter roads (H,BB, etc) can be fun also. You may hit dirt once in a while so just turn around and catch another one. Lots of good riding in this part of the country. You will enjoy this trip.

 

[moparman70]

https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling you may have to copy and paste --brochure available -- Riding Guide to the Ozarks

https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling

edit sorry - i see the same link above -- initially it looked different.

 

[Mr_Ed]

https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling you may have to copy and paste --brochure available -- Riding Guide to the Ozarks

https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/motoring-byways/motorcycling

edit sorry - i see the same link above -- initially it looked different.

Watch it bro ....

No harm, no foul. These are good recommendations for sight seeing. I tend to like the more gnarly stuff, but a visitor wouldn't go wrong with these routes.

 

[RaYzerman]

I can relate to Liquidsilver's (and others' comments), can hardly go wrong depending on what you want to do. Don't forget southern Missouri as well... could easily spend a week exploring both!!