Scenic Highway 7 - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 730

House, provide superb vantage points. The panorama includes red bluffs and the sharply
defined Boston Mountains, which give way to smoother and smaller plateaus in the north.
15. Buffalo National River
In a steep descent some six miles in length, the highway slopes down to the town of Jasper
and then leads on to the Buffalo National River. Congress declared the waterway the coun-
try's first national river in 1972, ensuring that neither dams nor other obstacles would im-
pede its flow or taint its purity.
The river courses for nearly 150 miles through the Ozarks, starting high in the forest
andwithanoutletwhereitflowsintotheWhiteRiver.Swollenwithwaterafterrainstorms,
theriveroccasionallyoverflowsitsbanks.Atothertimesthedryspellsoflatesummertake
their toll and it slows to a trickle.
Towering limestone bluffs jut up in many places from the river's blue-green water.
Where no cliffs rise, oak and hickory trees are the predominant cover. Their leaves and
branches cast a patchwork of sun and shadow across the forest floor, where the fertile soil
supports a colorful array of wildflowers.
Ponca, one of the best gateways to the national river and the encircling wilds, can be
reached via Rte. 74 west. The town is a popular put-in point for canoers and kayakers, and
several outfitters offer boats and tours. Just to the north, a trail leads to Hemmed-in-Hol-
low, where a veil of water falls 209 feet from the crest of a limestone bluff. To the south
lies Lost Valley, a scenic woodland worth visiting.
16. Mystic Caverns
The subterranean wonders of the two caves at Mystic Caverns prove Arkansas's beauty is
even found underground. Stalactites hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites grow upward
from the cave floor. Formations resembling a giant pipe organ and a huge crystal dome are
among the other sights that you'll savor on guided tours here.
17. Harrison
AlovelyoldtownsquaregreetsvisitorstoHarrison,knownasthecrossroadsoftheOzarks.
Along its streets, you'll find museums, craft shops, and inviting lodgings.