Take a scenic ride through the heart of the Ouachita Mountains as we follow a stunning 21-mile stretch of Arkansas Scenic Highway 7 from Jessieville to Fourche Junction. This drive weaves through the lush embrace of the Ouachita National Forest, offering a tranquil escape from the bustle of central Arkansas and showcasing the rugged beauty of one of the state’s most beloved scenic byways.
We begin our journey near Iron Springs Recreation Area, where the road quickly climbs and twists through a thick canopy of pines and hardwoods. This region is part of the Ouachita National Forest’s extensive trail system and is well known to hikers, hunters, and campers alike. The road gently curves through a series of ridges and hollows, offering brief glimpses of distant hills through breaks in the forest. As we climb higher into the mountains, the roadside becomes wilder, with rocky outcrops jutting from moss-covered slopes and the occasional whisper of a stream echoing through the trees.
Roughly halfway through our drive, we arrive at the small community of Hollis, which is little more than a cluster of buildings today—but it holds deep local significance. The Hollis Country Store, a humble structure dating back to the 1930s, is still in operation and serves as a nostalgic rest stop for travelers and motorcyclists exploring Scenic 7. Just up the road, we make a brief stop at South Fourche Campground, a peaceful riverside retreat nestled along the banks of the South Fourche La Fave River. The campground and nearby picnic areas make this a popular base camp for fishing, wading, and quiet reflection beneath the towering trees. This section of the route has recently undergone reconstruction and the road itself has been moved slightly onto a new bridge. This video shows the old alignment.
Continuing northward, the road narrows and the terrain becomes even more remote. Here, the Ouachita Mountains reveal their quieter grandeur—not through towering peaks, but through long ridgelines, deep-cut creek valleys, and a sense of wilderness that feels nearly untouched. Occasional trailheads dot the roadside, serving hikers bound for destinations like the Ouachita Trail, one of the South’s premier long-distance hiking paths. The road follows the winding contours of the land with sweeping S-curves and dramatic descents that delight any driver looking for a true scenic escape.
Our journey concludes at Fourche Junction, where Highway 7 meets Highway 60 near Lake Nimrod, Arkansas’s oldest Corps of Engineers reservoir. Though the lake itself lies just beyond this route, the influence of water is deeply felt—especially as we cross the Fourche La Fave River, whose wide, reflective channel cuts a path through the dense forest. The air smells of pine and water, and the forest closes in on both sides like a living tunnel, ushering us out of the mountains and into the river valley below.
This drive is more than a link between two places—it’s a reminder of Arkansas’s raw, forested beauty and the importance of slowing down to take it all in. Whether you’re a road tripper, a motorcyclist, or simply a seeker of silence, the stretch from Jessieville to Fourche Junction is a passage into serenity. It is where the rhythm of the road meets the pulse of the wilderness, and the journey itself becomes the destination.
🗺️ Route Map
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