Overall Route Rating
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4.38 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.38
63 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Jan 31, 2004

Rider Reviews

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Sooner805
35 McR Points
October 21, 2012
The road was beautiful as always and is a great…
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morris13
2 McR Points
April 1, 2015
The Talimena Scenic Byway is a wonderful ride…
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Written Directions

This route is located in the southeast region of Oklahoma and starts in a very small town called Talihina, OK. Talihina is about 60 miles south west of Fort Smith Arkansas and located off of US Highway 271. It is not easy to find on your average printed almanac/map so the best way to find Talihina would be to click on this link to visit an electronic map of Talihina where you can zoom in and out as much as you need to to figure out where it is.

The general path of this route is simple -- you are traveling east from Talihina, OK to Mena, AR. To start, just get to Talihina and head east out of town on state route 1. Stay on this same road as it crosses into Arkansas and becomes state route 8 and leads you right into Mena, AR.

Scenery

The Talimena National Scenic Byway or, for short, Talimena Drive extends west to east along the ridgeline of the Winding Stair Mountain and Rich Mountain in southeastern Oklahoma. These are the highest point in elevation between the Appalachians and the Rockies. These fifty miles are filled with sharp curves and 13% grades extending from Talihina, Oklahoma on the west end to Mena, Arkansas on the west end. There are several vistas that overlook the valleys to the north and south as well as picnic grounds along the route as well. Some of the most breathtaking scenery in Oklahoma can be found along this drive.

Another contributer added the following:"Scenery like Blue Ridge Parkway in N.C.. Road on top of Washita Mountains."

Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "Most of our pictures were taken from the back of our Harley I ride a lot with the camera around my neck so I don't miss a thing! This pic we were rounding a curve and could see the road we would be traveling on soon right next to us ... WOW it was awesome! "

Drive Enjoyment

As mentioned above, the road is filled with lots of curves, switchbacks and steep grades. The speed limit is SLOW which of course allows you to enjoy the scenery. Since the road generally only supports scenic traffic, the road conditions are less than perfect. Since you will be traveling well under the speed limit, you will probably not even notice an occasional pothole. Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "You could see the road on every mountain and knowing we would travel those roads soon was thrilling to us!"

Tourism Opportunities

Access can be at Talihina, OK on the west end or Mena, AR on the east end. Both of these towns offer lodging and restaurants. We usually travel from west to east, ending in Mena. The motels in Mena are accustomed to motorcycle riders and even provide towels for wiping off the dew in the morning. Along the way you will find several vistas and picnic grounds at Old Military Road and Horsethief Springs. You may also want to stop by the Kerr Nature Center which has trails and exhibits that focus on the region's native flora and fauna. The highlight stop along the way is the Queen Wilhelmina State Park and Lodge sitting high atop Rich Mountain. The park includes a lodge with 38 rooms, restaurant, gift shop, and campsites. The park and lodge are located near the east end of the drive just a few miles from Mena.Talihima State Park is also in the area for you to enjoy.

Another contributer added the following:"Camp grounds at Queen Willimina. Childrens' small train ride. Nice Lodge, several lookout spots."

Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "Our first vista stop at Talimena we seen this passion flower what a wonderful welcome to the ridge!"

Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "Kiamichi Valley Vista. This was my first trip across the Talimena Scenic Byway. It most definitely will not be my last. Very engaging ride! I'm looking forward to a fall ride."

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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Guest
June 27, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
I rode from West to East in the early morning in June. Beautiful views and lots of animals on the road. I even saw a Roadrunner (beep, beep).My only negative about the ride was the dried grass on road due to recent mowing operations. Large clumps of weeds and grass in the curves kept speeds very low.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Coach Ken 1020
April 2, 2014
2 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
Wanted to get away for the weekend and looked up rides near me. This one looked nice so we set out from Dallas area mid-day. Took about 3.5 hours to get to the start of the By-Way. The views were awesome and the turns and dips throughout the ride were great. The only negative was about 20% of the road on the Oklahoma side had been re-topped with rock over tar. This would not have been an issue except the gravel on top was still somewhat loose. I know that from all the tings of rocks bouncing off the bottom of the bike. I did take it slower in the turns and did not have any big issues, but it did worry me some. Once the warmer weather sets in this summer, I'm sure the gravel will imbed itself in the undercoating of tar. We did plan to make it to the ridge early in the afternoon but due to traffic, arrived late afternoon. It was a bit chilly even with hoodies and leather jackets but the ride was worth it. The wife and I did spot a wild turkey crossing the road and saw a whitetail doe on the edge of the woods. We were a bit sad not to see any black bear. Many others have stated seeing them but may have been too early in the year. Overall it was well worth the trip. After hearing many of the locals talk about all the fall colors, we will surely make the ride once again in say October.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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trump rider
July 28, 2013
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Rode it this morning,road in good shape, and today it was like being on the mountain all by your self
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3 riders found this road review useful