Bonus along byways

Ozark grandeur continues along lesser known route.

Arkansas travelers can enjoy a windshield tour of the Ozarks during a drive along two scenic byways. Where those highways end, more roadside beauty begins.

Pig Trail Scenic Byway is well known for its twisting, tree-lined mountain route between Fayetteville and Ozark along Arkansas 16 and Arkansas 23. Mulberry River Road Scenic Byway shoots off east from the Pig Trail at Arkansas 215 and follows the mighty Mulberry the whole way.

More Ozark grandeur begins to unfold where the Mulberry scenic byway meets Arkansas 103 near the little Johnson County town of Oark.

Instead of turning left toward Oark, turn right. Get ready to be truly amazed.

Arkansas 103 isn’t an official byway, but it is rugged, rocky and beautiful nonetheless. Fond of the switchbacks along the Pig Trail? Switchbacks are serious business along Arkansas 103 as it meanders south to Clarksville.

At one hairpin turn, there’s a pull off where travelers can stop for a long, gorgeous view all the way to the Arkansas River.

Travel the highway after a rain, and two roadside waterfalls can be seen without even getting out of the car, though passengers will want to step out for an up-close cascade encounter.

Arkansas 103 starts at the junction of Arkansas 215 and Arkansas 103. It meanders south from there about 21 miles to Clarksville, on the banks of the Arkansas River. A road trip along the Pig Trail Scenic Byway, Mulberry scenic byway and Arkansas 103 makes a fine day out.

The real treasures of this two-lane blacktop road trip start south of the Brashears community, where Arkansas 16 meets Arkansas 23 some 30 miles southeast of Fayetteville.

Go south on Arkansas 23 and enjoy the twisting Pig Trail route through the Ozark National Forest for nine miles. Hang a left at Arkansas 215 to start the drive east along Mulberry River Road Scenic Byway.

Three pull-off spots are good legstretch and snack spots with stellar views from up high of the Mulberry River, plus the forests and countryside that cradle the river’s turquoise water.

Mulberry River byway runs east for 24.3 miles to Arkansas 103. Turn south and the good stuff along Arkansas 103 starts right away with a lovely stream close to the highway on the left. In only a mile or two, the terrain starts to get rocky, with crags on the right jutting toward the roadway as it climbs into the Ozark National Forest.

Curves get sharper as the highway heads up and over the mountains. The first switchback is a doosey that’s as tight as the bend of a fishing hook. There’s a pull-off spot here where travelers can take in the view where the Ozarks meet the Arkansas River Valley.

Travelers may see a piece of Arkansas 103 beneath the springtime foliage if they look down. More serious switchbacks guide sightseers down the mountain.

At the bottom, a stream goes under the highway close to another pull-off spot that’s good for some creekside exploring. Just south of this pull-off is a 15-foot waterfall that’s right beside the highway. It flows with majesty after a hard rain.

From here, Arkansas 103 levels off where it enters the Arkansas River Valley. It’s a pretty drive all the way to Clarksville.

Arkansas 103 may not be a byway, but it’s a favorite scenic drive for Johnson County residents. That’s the word from Kris Muldoon of Clarksville, who’s also past chairman of the Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber promotes the hiking and all-terrain vehicle opportunities in the county. Most people visiting these travel Arkansas 103 to get there.

“That highway gets a ton of motorcycles, too,” Muldoon said. “They like the switchbacks and the pretty views. There’s at least one wet-weather waterfall and one smaller one that people sometimes see.”

During an Arkansas 103 road trip on April 3, the day after a big rain, three waterfalls were seen along the highway.

A lovely spring day may be ideal to pack a picnic lunch for a byway drive, with some bonus miles along Arkansas 103.

Flip Putthoff can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @ NWAFlip.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff) A picturesque stretch of Arkansas 103 between Oark and Clarksville, seen here on April 3, features some serious switchbacks. Several miles of the highway through the Ozark National Forest and the Arkansas River valley make for a fun and scenic road trip.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff) Scenic Arkansas 103 offers a twisting, up and down windshield tour of Johnson County.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff) A piece PG "SLBOTBT JT TFFO through spring foliage from an overlook along the highway.

Arkansas 103 between Oark and Clarksville isn’t a designated scenic byway, but the drive is beautiful nonetheless. Road trippers can see rivers, creeks and waterfalls from the car along a stretch through the Ozark National Forest. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)