Southern Missouri mountain views (Springfield, Poplar Bluff: city hall, home, camp)

[Wes59]

My wife and I need to make a run to Arkansas during March, and want to see the mountain areas of southern Missouri. Can you give us some highways that would provide the best in mountain scenery and such. It might be for looking at a retirement land or home in 2-3 years, as we are trying to decide between retirement in NW Arkansas or Southern Missouri. We have at least a couple of days- should be coming from around the Fayetteville, Ar. area, and can go just about anywhere...
Thanks

[Curmudgeon]

Drive to the Ouachita Mountains in mid-Arkansas in the area around Mena. That area should give you some ideas so-called of mountain (elev. less than 2400 feet) areas of the Ozarks. For the record, most of the Ozarks are made up of hills, not mountains. As one author wrote, "It's not that our hills are so high, it's that our valleys are so deep." It's a unique, magical, mystical region of our country.

For SW Missouri take Hwy. 13 south from Springfield through Kimberling City to Blue Eye then left to pick up Hwy. 86 heading north to Hwy. 65 or for easier driving, Hwy. 65 all the way from Springfield to and past Branson to the Arkansas line. Both will take you through the hill country.

To reach the highest point in the Ozarks take Hwy. 65 south towards Harrison, AR and use your GPS to take you to Jasper, AR - a quintessential Ozarks village/town. Pass city hall and the Ozarks Café (oldest continuously serving restaurant) and then turn left on Hwy. 7 and head up to the lookout point overlooking the "Arkansas Grand Canyon" which is a Buffalo National River gorge. The drives are gorgeous and if you continue on over crest you'll drop into the valley and go through another village on your way back toward Branson.

Be warned! The third time you visit you'll likely bring your furniture.

[Wes59]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Drive to the Ouachita Mountains in mid-Arkansas in the area around Mena. That area should give you some ideas so-called of mountain (elev. less than 2400 feet) areas of the Ozarks. For the record, most of the Ozarks are made up of hills, not mountains. As one author wrote, "It's not that our hills are so high, it's that our valleys are so deep." It's a unique, magical, mystical region of our country.

For SW Missouri take Hwy. 13 south from Springfield through Kimberling City to Blue Eye then left to pick up Hwy. 86 heading north to Hwy. 65 or for easier driving, Hwy. 65 all the way from Springfield to and past Branson to the Arkansas line. Both will take you through the hill country.

To reach the highest point in the Ozarks take Hwy. 65 south towards Harrison, AR and use your GPS to take you to Jasper, AR - a quintessential Ozarks village/town. Pass city hall and the Ozarks Café (oldest continuously serving restaurant) and then turn left on Hwy. 7 and head up to the lookout point overlooking the "Arkansas Grand Canyon" which is a Buffalo National River gorge. The drives are gorgeous and if you continue on over crest you'll drop into the valley and go through another village on your way back toward Branson.

Be warned! The third time you visit you'll likely bring your furniture.

We were through Jasper during Thanksgiving week. We cruised from Fort Smith to Mena then to Hot Springs. On another trip that week, we drove from FS to Mountain View- back to Harrison, Jasper, Eureka Springs, then Fayetteville. A long week of driving but productive. Now, we want to see what Missouri has to offer.

We are moving to Fort Smith this June so that my wife wraps up her last 2 years before retiring. We want to take those 2 years looking for our retirement home in the mountains/hills/valleys. Houston Texas is sorely lacking in mountains/hills/valleys, so we have decided on N.W. Ark. or S. Mo. We have not seen southern Missouri before, so here we come...

[Arrby]

For north-south routes through the southern Missouri hill country I suggest highways Mo. 86, Mo. 39, Mo. 13, US 65, Mo. 125, or Mo. 5. The only east-west road that crosses those hills for any significant distance is US 160 from about Reeds Springs Junction to Gainesville.

My favorite is Mo. 125, but that is mere personal preference. You could choose any two going and returning, but I really cannot recommend a particular choice.

Most of these roads are slow going. Bring provisions.

[Wes59]

Originally Posted by Arrby

For north-south routes through the southern Missouri hill country I suggest highways Mo. 86, Mo. 39, Mo. 13, US 65, Mo. 125, or Mo. 5. The only east-west road that crosses those hills for any significant distance is US 160 from about Reeds Springs Junction to Gainesville.

My favorite is Mo. 125, but that is mere personal preference. You could choose any two going and returning, but I really cannot recommend a particular choice.

Most of these roads are slow going. Bring provisions.

Sounds good. The nice part is that we have nowhere to go and a lot of time to get there.

[brushrunner]

Down 5 HWY





brushrunner

[Wes59]

Originally Posted by brushrunner

Down 5 HWY





brushrunner

Where is that near? Beautiful stuff...

[countryboy73]

Don't neglect Ozark and Douglas counties, as well as Texas and Oregon counties. areas north of Gainesville are wonderful, as is northern Oregon county. Some nice spots in western Texas county and eastern Shannon county, too, and I like areas in St. Francois and Iron counties as well. Really, anywhere between Poplar Bluff and Springfield and south of a Farmington to Rolla line is potentially interesting.

[SunGrins]

I would say the St. Francois Mountains are worth a visit -- Caledonia south through Ironton and Pilot Knob on hwy 21 as well as east toward Fredericktown on hwy 72. It's a relatively small area that includes Taum Sauk Mountain, Johnson Shut-ins, Silver Mine Camp (hwy D) and Fort Davidson battlefield. This area is the remnant of an ancient mountain range and includes some of the oldest exposed rocks in the US if you are interested in geology.

[Curmudgeon]

You might also want to consider Shepherd of the Hills country in SW MO. Branson isn't all of it.