El Dorado to Diamond City on The Scenic 7 Byway
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 27-05-2025
Route Summary You drive through the beautiful Ouachita National Forest and Ozark St Francis National Park, with beautiful nature and beautiful roads with many bends and bridges over rivers.
The route is over 500 kilometers in total and you can choose to stay overnight in Hot Springs, a tourist town in a beautiful, natural environment. It is an ideal base for a visit to Ouachita National Forest and Hot Springs National Park. For an afternoon of relaxation, visit one of the town's spas, which are built around the hot springs.
I rate this route with 4 stars, advice is to drive this route in autumn because of the beautiful colors.
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Verdict
Duration
9h 16m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
503.82 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The start is near El Dorado just outside Lockhart on the Louisiana state line and the end is in Diamond City near the Missouri state line. This drive is also called the Scenic 7 Byway.
Approximately 60 miles of the highway that runs through the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the National Forest Scenic Byways system. As you travel through the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains on the Scenic 7 Byway, you'll enjoy striking mountain scenery and beautiful fall colors.
There are numerous recreation areas offering opportunities for camping, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, and horseback riding along or within a few miles of the highway.
Along the way you will pass several beautiful bridges, some of which I have marked with yellow route points.
This route is 312 miles in total and you can do a lot along the way and it is therefore advisable to stay overnight along the way, the first option is in Hot Springs (RP11), there are several hotels here. In Hot Springs you can enjoy and relax in the many hot water springs in the Hot Springs National Park (RP12), also called "The American Spa" because of its 47 thermal springs. The second is The Cliff House Inn (RP22) in the Ozark Mountains near the, this is a hotel-restaurant built on a cliff with a spectacular view.
This route has beautiful roads with many curves through the mountains and natural areas of Arkansas and is enjoyable on a motorcycle or in a car.
This route gets 4 stars.
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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