Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway (AR-21)

A tighter, narrower alternative to Push Mountain Road, AR-123 between Lurton and Mt. Judea winds through steep Ozark terrain near the Big Piney Creek drainage. The route shown here follows the full AR-123 ref, which extends well south and north of this favored segment.

The central section of Arkansas Highway 16 — roughly 72 miles from Fayetteville east to its junction with AR-7 in the Ozark National Forest — delivers one of the state's most underrated ridge-top rides. The road climbs through Elkins and then becomes progressively more serpentine as it gains the Ozark highland plateau, passing through communities including Lurton, Deer, Witts Springs, and Ben Hur before crossing AR-123 and dropping to Sand Gap near AR-7. The route briefly joins the Pig Trail corridor near Brashears and shares a concurrency with AR-21 in Newton County, forming part of the official Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway. Rider Magazine called it a candidate for "Ozarks Scenic Highlands Skyway" — one of the least-trafficked and most scenic highways in the state.

A nonprofit Northwest Arkansas rally benefiting local charities, mixing Ozark riding with live blues and barbecue — now centered on Rogers (historically Fayetteville).