The byway gets its name from the wild pigs that carved trails out of the mountainside. The trails were then adopted by travelers and later became cleared paths for local commerce. Apparently, these particular pigs have excellent skills in highway engineering, as the path is a biker’s dream.
Tunnel of leaves and switchbacks along the
Pig Trail Scenic Byway.
Photo courtesy of http://www.byways.org/
Pig Trail Scenic Byway.
Photo courtesy of http://www.byways.org/
The road meanders along stream beds, traversing the mountains, and sweeping across open fields offering majestic views with every mile. The Pig Trail officially ends about half-way between Brashears and Delany, just outside of the Ozark National Forest, but AR-23 continues to offer beautiful views all the way through Eureka Springs and all the way up to the Missouri state line.
Winding roads along the Pig Trail Scenic Byway.
Photo courtesy of http://www.byways.org/
Photo courtesy of http://www.byways.org/
We cruised Eureka Springs, but quickly grew tired of the mid-morning traffic that was choking the quaint village setting. Expecting to swing back through later in the day, we continued on the journey, taking US-62 east to Berryville, then north on AR-21 to Blue Eye, which sits on the Missouri state line, where the road changes to MO-86 and turns east. Just as you pop over the last hill, the road opens-up to a long, sweeping run down the hill and over the bridge spanning the southeast finger of Table Rock Lake.
Table Rock Lake is massive, extending 79 miles upstream along the White River, with small finger coves all up and down the lake creating over 745 miles of shore line. Construction on the dam began in October 1954 with the first two (of four) power generation plants coming online in June 1959. The dam is 6,423 feet long and rises 252 feet above the riverbed. An integral part of the Branson resort area, the lake offers a variety of wet and dry recreation opportunities.
One interesting option is the 60’ pontoon houseboat rentals from the marina in the Long Creek Recreation Area, but we'll save that for another day. If you’re looking for lodging or a great meal in this area, the Big Cedar Lodge is a top-notch resort with a variety of accommodations, from traditional hotel rooms to cabins and cottages for one or a group.
Cruising through Branson in 90+ degree weather is not highly recommended – unless stop and go traffic through a tourist trap destination makes your engine rev. But we felt like we had to do it to get the t-shirt, so we ran the main road, traffic and all. Never again. Next time, I’ll take the Hwy (Loop) 265 around the southwest corner. Branson was our turn-around point for the day and the fun was just about to begin.
Sometimes the Road throws you a bone. And one of the best bones I’ve ever ridden is MO-76, which runs east/west across the northern edge of Table Rock Lake. From Reeds Springs to Bates Corner, the road is a 20-mile roller coaster ride full of foothill terrain and twisties through canopied tunnels and farm land. If you have the time, take it both ways, twice. With the temperature approaching 95 degrees, we stopped at Cape Fair Park for a mid-day swim break and a cold beverage. We continued the roller coaster ride around the west side of the lake and back into Eureka Springs, then on to Harrison for the night.
Day 2 – Waypoints 15-37.
Map created using Microsoft
Streets and Trips 2009
©Microsoft Corporation
Streets and Trips 2009
©Microsoft Corporation
Between the many scenic, nutrition, biology, and swim stops, we had a 12 hour day, but only racked up 243 miles...this place is a serious playground for big kids on bikes.
© 2009 Twisted Road Motorcycle Company, LLC
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