Boston Mountains Scenic Loop
Encyclopedia
The Boston Mountains Scenic Loop is one of ten Arkansas Scenic Byways
. There are two different paths that constitute the loop, Interstate 540
and U.S. Route 71
.
(a subsection of The Ozarks
) in Arkansas
for 38 miles (61.2 km) in Crawford and Washington Counties
. The route begins at Alma
and runs north to Fayetteville
. The route includes the Bobby Hopper Tunnel
, the only tunnel in Arkansas. This portion of I-540 was completed in 1999 to bypass the aging US 71.
s. These rough roads became obsolete with the establishment of the Butterfield Overland Mail
, a stagecoach
route from St. Louis, Missouri
to San Francisco, California
that traversed the Boston Mountains in Northwest Arkansas. This route has been preserved in part as Arkansas Highway 265 and is well marked throughout Fayetteville and other Northwest Arkansas cities. US 71 replaced the stagecoach route when the United States Numbered Highways
system came to Arkansas
in 1926.
U.S. Route 71 in conjunction with Arkansas Highway 23
served the Northwest Arkansas area for many years, but as the area grew the routes became congested. The need for a limited-access highway became apparent, and Interstate 540 was completed through the area by 1999.
, which will connect New Orleans, Louisiana
to Kansas City
. The route is currently marked as the Number 1 High Priority Corridor on the nation's transportation need list.
Arkansas Scenic Byways
The Arkansas Scenic Byways Program is a list of highways, mainly state highways, that have been designated by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department as scenic highways. The Arkansas General Assembly designates routes for scenic byway status upon successful nomination...
. There are two different paths that constitute the loop, Interstate 540
Interstate 540 (Arkansas)
Interstate 540 in Arkansas is a spur of Interstate 40 between Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas; the Northwest Arkansas segment is proposed to become part of an expanded Interstate 49. I-540 provides an Interstate Highway path between Fayetteville and Little Rock via Interstate 40. This links the...
and U.S. Route 71
U.S. Route 71
U.S. Route 71 is a north–south United States highway. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstate highways. Currently, the highway's northern terminus is in International Falls, Minnesota at the Canadian border, at the southern end of the Fort...
.
I-540
The route runs through the Boston MountainsBoston Mountains
The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply dissected plateau located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma portion of the range is locally referred to as the Cookson Hills. The rocks of the region are essentially little disturbed, flat-lying sedimentary layers of the Paleozoic...
(a subsection of The Ozarks
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
) in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
for 38 miles (61.2 km) in Crawford and Washington Counties
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
. The route begins at Alma
Alma, Arkansas
Alma is a city in Crawford County located in the western part of U.S. state of Arkansas, along I-40 about 13 miles from the Oklahoma border. Alma's population is 4,734, making it the sixth largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and runs north to Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. The route includes the Bobby Hopper Tunnel
Bobby Hopper Tunnel
The Bobby Hopper Tunnel is a highway tunnel located on Interstate 540 in Arkansas, just north of the Crawford–Washington county line. It opened in 1999 to four lanes of traffic. No toll is charged....
, the only tunnel in Arkansas. This portion of I-540 was completed in 1999 to bypass the aging US 71.
US 71
Also part of the loop, 42 miles (67.6 km) of US 71 is designated as part of the route. The US 71 segment allows the traveler to go at their own pace through the area. There are many areas to stop and explore along the US 71 segment, opposed to the bustling interstate segment. The route also passes through a number of small towns that the interstate bypasses. It also begins in Alma and ends in Fayetteville.Points of interest
- Devil's Den State ParkDevil's Den State ParkDevil's Den State Park is a Arkansas state park in Washington County, near West Fork, Arkansas in the United States. The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps beginning in 1933. Devil's Den State Park is in the Lee Creek Valley in the Boston Mountains which are the southwestern part of...
- Beaver LakeBeaver Lake (Arkansas)Beaver Lake is a man-made reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas and is formed by a dam across the White River. Beaver Lake has some of natural shoreline...
- Butterfield Overland MailButterfield Overland MailThe Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
- Lake Fort Smith State Park
- Prairie Grove Battlefield State ParkPrairie Grove Battlefield State ParkPrairie Grove Battlefield State Park is an Arkansas state park located next to Prairie Grove. It commemorates the Battle of Prairie Grove in the American Civil War....
- Fort Smith National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located primarily in Fort Smith, Arkansas along the Arkansas River, and also along the opposite bank of the river near Moffett, Oklahoma....
- Van Buren Historic District
- Ozark Highlands TrailOzark Highlands TrailThe Ozark Highlands Trail roams through parts of seven counties in northwest Arkansas. It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River. The trail passes through some of the most remote and scenic portions of the Ozark Mountains, like...
- Pea Ridge National Military ParkPea Ridge National Military ParkPea Ridge National Military Park is a United States National Military Park located in extreme northwestern Arkansas near the Missouri border. The park protects the site of the American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge which was fought March 7 and March 8, 1862...
- Buffalo National RiverBuffalo National RiverThe Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
- Ozark National Forest
- White Rock Mountain Recreation Area
- Lake Wedington Recreation Area
- University of ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
History
The first routes through the area were Native American Trails, later formalized into the Ozark Highlands TrailOzark Highlands Trail
The Ozark Highlands Trail roams through parts of seven counties in northwest Arkansas. It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River. The trail passes through some of the most remote and scenic portions of the Ozark Mountains, like...
s. These rough roads became obsolete with the establishment of the Butterfield Overland Mail
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
, a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
route from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
that traversed the Boston Mountains in Northwest Arkansas. This route has been preserved in part as Arkansas Highway 265 and is well marked throughout Fayetteville and other Northwest Arkansas cities. US 71 replaced the stagecoach route when the United States Numbered Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
system came to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in 1926.
U.S. Route 71 in conjunction with Arkansas Highway 23
Arkansas Highway 23
Arkansas Highway 23 is a north–south state highway in north Arkansas. The route runs from US 71 near Elm Park north to the Missouri state line through Ozark and Eureka Springs. Between AR 16 at Brashears and Interstate 40 north of Ozark , Highway 23 winds through the Ozark National Forest and is...
served the Northwest Arkansas area for many years, but as the area grew the routes became congested. The need for a limited-access highway became apparent, and Interstate 540 was completed through the area by 1999.
Future
Interstate 540 will someday be included in an extended Interstate 49Interstate 49
Interstate 49 is currently an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Interstate 10 while its northern terminus is in Shreveport, Louisiana, at Interstate 20.-Route...
, which will connect New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The route is currently marked as the Number 1 High Priority Corridor on the nation's transportation need list.