Are you visiting Arkansas in Fall? You should absolutely drive the Talimena Scenic Drive for epic fall colors and beautiful vistas.
Talimena National Scenic Byway is one of the most popular scenic byways for fall foliage viewing.
It offers spectacular scenery similar to Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Read our guide to experiencing fall colors and mountain air on Talimena Drive and plan your trip today.
CONTENTS
Where is Talimena National Scenic Byway?
Talimena Scenic Byway is located in the large, dense Ouachita National Forest (pronounced Wash-i-tah) along the borders of Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Talimena Scenic Drive start and end
Talimena Drive is 54 miles long and going west, starts in Mena, Arkansas, and ends at Talihina, Oklahoma.
The byway is named after the two towns on each end of the drive.
Talimena Scenic Drive follows Arkansas Highway 88 (AR-88) in Arkansas and Oklahoma State Highway – 1 (SH-1) in Oklahoma.
Talimena Drive is a winding road on the mountain ridge that follows the highest peaks in the area including Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain.
Best Time to Visit Talimena Scenic Drive
Wondering what is the best time for Talimena Drive?
The drive is known for its spectacular fall foliage and views of colors on the mountain sides, making fall best time to do the Talimena Drive.
The fall colors here are characterized by fiery red and gold colors.
The Talimena Drive area offers many overlooks to admire the magnificent vistas and Ouachita mountain views.
The fall color in the area peaks from late October to early November depending on the weather.
However, even if you cannot visit during fall, that’s okay.
Driving the Talimena Scenic Drive is a popular tourist activity from spring through fall.
Spring is the second most popular time to visit for views as the trees are in bloom in April and May.
In summers, it is a popular weekend getaway for those living in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The drive is filled with bikers, campers, and hikers in the busy summer season.
You can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities along the drive.
Winter is Talimena Drive’s least popular season.
The trees are bare and the road is often iced or covered in fog.
We do not recommend winter rides on the scenic byway for beginners.
How much time do you need to drive the Talimena Scenic Byway?
The Talimena National Scenic Byway is just 54 miles long and can be driven in 2 hrs without stopping.
However, the beautiful byway has 22 scenic vistas and overlooks, 3 state parks and national recreation areas, as well as innumerable hiking trails along the route.
We recommend spending at least 2 to 3 days to experience everything that Talimena Drive has to offer.
It also makes a perfect week long trip for campers and RVers.
Talimena Scenic Drive on Motorcycle
The gently rippling curves and gorgeous scenery of Talimena Drive are very popular with motorcyclists.
Talimena Drives scenic vistas, steep inclines and winding curves passing through miles of forests is a biker’s paradise.
The drive is especially popular with motorcyclists in Fall.
There are many motorcycle friendly hotels in Mena, Talihena and other areas.
Talimena Scenic Byway is regularly featured among best motorcycle routes in the country.
WHERE TO STAY TO EXPERIENCE TALIMENA SCENIC DRIVE
There are many lodging options around Talimena Scenic Drive including camping, cabins, hotels, and lodges.
On the drive, Queen Wilhelmina State Park has a lodge and camping area while Winding Stairs Campground has many walk-up tent sites and backpacking area.
Many gorgeous pine cabins and vacation rentals are located in close proximity to Talimena Scenic Drive.
MUST STOPS ALONG TALIMENA SCENIC DRIVE
Mena, Arkansas
Going west, Talimena Scenic Drive begins in the town of Mena in Arkansas.
Mena is a small town with restaurants, inns, southern hospitality and mountain charm.
Mena was our base; we rented a gorgeous mountain cabin in Mena and filled up on gas in Downtown before driving Talimena National Scenic Byway.
Talimena Drive’s Eastern Visitor Center, open from April to November, is located in Mena.
Rich Mountain Fire Tower
Rich Mountain (2681 ft) is the second highest peak in Arkansas, the highest peak in the Ouachita Mountains and the highest point on Talimena National Scenic Byway.
The 58 foot tall historic Rich Mountain Fire Tower was constructed in 1952 and used for fire detection until 1975.
It is now operated as an observation tower from Memorial Day to Veteran’s Day on weekends, weather permitting.
The tower lookouts offer great views of the valley and of Talimena Drive as it follows the mountain ridges.
The area has several picnic tables scattered across the open expanse and a short interpretative hike explaining the history of the family that originally lived in the tower.
Queen Wilhelmina State Park
Queen Wilhelmina State Park has gorgeous views, Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge and a restaurant, several campsites and hiking trails.
The park also has a miniature train ride starting from Mountain Glory Station.
Visitors can also climb and explore an actual train engine that sits in front of the station.
Pioneer Cemetery
A short trail leads down to Rich Mountain Pioneer Cemetery.
Pioneer Cemetery, a small cemetery with 23 scattered graves, celebrates the lives of the community that lived on Rich Mountain.
An interpretative sign explains the history of the Rich Mountain community, their struggle for survival atop the mountain in winter and the legend of a teenage girl buried in the cemetery.
Choctaw Nation / State-Line Historic Marker
Choctaw Vista is on the state-line marker between Arkansas and Oklahoma and once marked the boundary between Aransas and Choctaw Nations.
The vista has interpretative signs explaining its significance.
The site has historical survey markers and a short trail called State Line Trail.
Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area
Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation area is a must stop.
It has several amenities including the Winding Stair campground, a backpacker’s camp, several picnic tables, Emerald Vista and several trail systems.
The campground is closed in winter.
Horse Thief Springs Historical Site
Historical site with interpretative signs explaining the origin of the name dating back to the time when Oklahoma was the ‘Wild West’ and outlaw gangs were common.
The site contains Horse Thief Spring enclosed by a rock wall and picnic tables.
Military Road Historic Site
Military Road Historic Site is a park that preserves faint traces of the old military road that connected Fort Towson, Oklahoma to Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The site contains a historic marker, interpretative signs, and picnic tables.
Talihina, Oklahoma
Talihina is known as the ‘Village Between the Mountains’ and is the western end of the Talimena Scenic Byway.
Talihina is also the gateway to Talimena State Park.
The town is named after the railroad around which the town was built.
There are many lakes, rivers, camping areas and hiking trails around Talihina.
Talimena State Park
Talimena State Park, located 1 mile from the visitor center in Talihina, is a great place for fall colors.
The park has many well-marked hiking trails and the drive through the park is excellent with stunning overlooks and plenty of wildlife.
Talimena State Park also has a good restaurant, playground and camping facilities.
Things to do along the Talimena Scenic Drive
Panoramic Vistas
Talimena Drive has 22 scenic pullouts that offer beautiful vistas.
Grandview Vista, just before Rich Mountain Fire Tower, offers magnificent panoramic views of Ouachita National Forest and Lake Wilhelmina.
Wildlife Viewing
Talimena Scenic Drive is located in the Ouachita National Forest.
The dense evergreen and deciduous trees are home to deer, squirrels, and other wildlife.
We saw many deer, as well as eagles and hawks, soaring in the sky.
Bear sightings in the area have also been reported.
Hiking
While we didn’t hike near Talimena Scenic Drive, there is plenty of opportunity with several hiking trails in the area.
Ouachita National Recreation Trail, a 192-mile long backpacking trail, starts in Talimena State Park and parallels the Talimena Drive.
Earthquake Ridge Trail is a 4.4-mile moderate trail starting in Mena. Lovers Leap Trail in Wilhelmina State Park is popular for its spectacular views.
Photography
Talimena Scenic Drive is a photographer’s paradise.
The lookouts offer plenty of opportunities to stop, explore and take photos of the incredible views.
Photographers will enjoy Sunset Vista, Panoramic Vista, steep inclines, fall foliage and abundant wildlife in the area.
Watersports & Fishing
The region around Talimena Scenic Drive has several lakes including Lake Ouachita, Broken Bow Lake, Cedar Lake and more.
Most of these lakes have excellent fishing, boating and water sports opportunities.
The area also offers white-water canoeing and kayaking opportunities.
Equestrian Ranches
Many equestrian ranches located around Talimena National Scenic Byway offer day-use and overnight camping facilities for riders and horses.
The ranches also offer horse rentals.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING TALIMENA DRIVE
Talimena Drive has no gas station so cars and motorcycles should fill up on gas.
There are no restaurants along Talimena Scenic Byway except Queen’s Restaurant in Queen Wilhelmina State Park.
There are many picnic tables and recreational areas along the drive, so visitors can pack a picnic lunch.
Restrooms are located at Rich Mountain Fire Tower (seasonal) Queen Wilhelmina State Park and a few other areas.
We recommend checking weather conditions before you drive.
Wondering how the Talimena Drive looks for this weekend of Nov. 7 or 8 ? Our, grown daughter has never been & we have told her how beautiful it usually is this time of year. We will be coming from the Tulsa area where our trees are gorgeous right now. Do you still have plenty of color or did the rain & cold week before last brown the leaves & caused them to drop? Would appreciate an honest opinion. Thanking you in advance!
Can we still enjoy fall foliage in Talamena scenic drive during Thanksgiving week? And what else can we do during that time? Thank you for your help!
Please email things to do this first week of September. Places to stay and to eat. Vistas, small one mile or less hikes and any rivers.
Thanks you
How can I get a Brochure about the Talimena Byway?
please email me brouchures – the best time to drive the byway