Nat "King" Cole gave fall foliage a doleful spin in the 1950s, singing about "those autumn leaves of red and gold."
The legendary performer lamented that since his true love "went away, the days grow long, and soon I'll hear old winter's song. But I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall."
Setting aside faded romance, the annual outburst of fall colors in Arkansas actually marks a bright occasion for the road trippers known breezily as "leaf peepers." And this is expected to be an above-average autumn for those red and gold leaves in The Natural State.
The timing of the most vivid hues can be tricky to predict. These general guidelines are given by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism:
"Fall colors begin to appear in the Ozarks and other northern sections of the state by the second week in October and continue slowly southward. Mid- to late-October generally provides peak fall color in the northern portions of Arkansas."
Timelier updates are posted each Thursday morning during the season on the department's internet site, arkansas.com. As of press time, this year's latest update reports that "we have seen some additional fall hues across the state this week. The bright yellows, vibrant oranges and deep reds that just began to pop last week are starting to appear more concentrated on the ends of branches and the tips of trees, especially around water sources and the Northwest and North Central parts of the state."
The previous update noted that "the state has received a ton of precipitation so far, which when combined with cool temperatures often yields captivating autumnal colors."
Two visitor-focused websites, onlyinarkansas.com and tripsavvy.com, suggest prime routes for enjoying the most colorful stretches of foliage.
These are the recommendations from onlyinarkansas.com:
• Arkansas 23-16, from Ozark through Brashears to Fayetteville for 60 miles amid the Boston Mountains. "You'll experience the thick tree-covered landscape." The route is popular with motorcyclists, "so be on the lookout for our two-wheeled travelers."
• Arkansas Scenic Byway 7, 250 miles north from El Dorado to Harrison. The first state-designated scenic highway, the route "travels through four different regions across Arkansas."
• Talimena Drive, 50-plus miles of National Scenic Byway west from Mena past Queen Wilhelmina State Park and across the Oklahoma border. "The views of the changing leaves are absolutely gorgeous."
• Boston Mountains Scenic Loop, 40 miles on U.S. 71 north from Alma to Fayetteville, then 40 miles back to Alma on Interstate 49. "Do all of your scenic photo stops from U.S. 71, where there's less traffic and slower speeds."
• Crowley's Ridge Scenic Byway, nearly 200 miles from Helena-West Helena north and into Missouri. Along with autumn colors, leaf peepers can see "plenty of fall harvesting going on in the fields."
• Mount Magazine Scenic Byway, 15 miles northwest from Havana on Arkansas 309 to the top of the state's highest peak. "You'll get awesome fall colors as the elevation changes."
• Arkansas 21-43, from Harrison south for 80 miles to Clarksville. This alternate route to Arkansas 7 winds " through Ponca, where you might see some elk grazing with the fall leaves in the background."
• U.S. 62, about 270 miles east from Lincoln in the state's far northwest to St. Francis. The stretch from Rogers to Harrison is "full of thick tree cover, making for vibrant rainbows of changing leaves."
The drives touted on tripsavvy.com also include Arkansas Scenic Byway 7, Mount Magazine Scenic Byway, Boston Mountains Scenic Loop and Talimena National Scenic Byway. Recommended in addition on this site are:
• Blanchard Springs, on Arkansas 14. The popular Blanchard Springs Caverns are in the Ozark National Forest, "gorgeous in the fall. The springs themselves and the mirror lake make for a nice backdrop for the colors."
• St. Francis Scenic Byway, running more than 20 miles southeast from Marianna to Helena-West Helena. Designated as part of the Great River Road, about 14 miles of the route "is gravel, so beware of that." The byway "is one of the better places to go later in the foliage season."
• Arkansas and Missouri Railroad, operating between Van Buren and Springdale. "It's a nice way to see the colors without the drive, and riding on the train is a unique family experience."
Style on 10/16/2018