Welcome to Cruise the Ozarks... Where You'll Find the Lowdown on Motorcycle Riding in the Ozarks! Plan your Ozark motorcycle tour with us. The long period of rain is over in the Ozarks and it's time get your bike out and hit the road... figuratively speaking, that is.
The Ozark Mountains are THE motorcycle riding spot between the Rockies and the Smokies - especially northern Arkansas and southern Missouri... with hundreds of miles of great cruising roads. Our goal at Cruise the Ozarks is to help you make the most of your Ozarks riding experience. Take a look at the highway maps we have provided. These will give you a some suggestions on which roads to explore, especially if you have limited time to spend in the area.
AUTUMN COLORS HAVE PEAKED. But as of today, Nov. 11, there's still plenty of color out there.
NOV 11 ... This Autumn has actually turned out to be fantastic! if you came to the Ozarks in mid-October, you may have wondered if that's as good as it get. Well, I can tell you that the colors this year have been a LOT MORE COLORFUL THAN I EVER EXPECTED. Some days have been cold and or rainy, but some days have been great.The main problem in this late Autumn period is that the days are rapidly getting shorter and shorter. But come on over on some of the nice days anyway... the scenery is still GREAT.
We Know You'll Enjoy Riding the Ozarks
Of course, we' re prejudiced, but we feel this area is one of the top riding spots in the nation. We've planned these pages help you make the most of your Ride to the Ozarks and give you a great overview the Ozarks. Of course there are plenty of other wonderful roads besides the ones recommended here. May we suggest DeLorme's fine Atlas and Gazetteer to fully explore the Ozarks if you want to take to the back roads - read that meaning our famous gravel roads. And be sure to contact us after your ride and e-mail us a picture of you and your riding group for us to post on our "Rider's Gallery".
A New Riders Guide for the Ozarks
I live in rural Carroll County, Arkansas, teach photography at North Arkansas College in Harrison, and write and photograph for magazines and other periodicals. Magazine credits include RoadBike magazine, Ride Texas magazine, Rider magazine, and others. But I this year I have published my own riders' guide to the Ozarks called Cruise the Ozarks presents RideEureka. The Spring 2011 issue has been a great success and well-received. It featured articles on AR 23 "The Pig Trail"; "The 215 to Oark"; "AR 221"; and also sections on "Things to Do" and ride maps and routes. Here is the cover of Issue #1. Roll over and click on it to download a PDF of the issue.
Click on image to download PDF of magazine.
The 2011 Autumn issue of Cruise the Ozarks presents "RideEureka" is due back from the printers very soon, and as soon as it is I will post it here, so be sure check back often (isn't that a cheesy way to get more hits on your web site?). I think you will enjoy it. Also, check out the July-September issue of Ride Texas for my article on the Arkansas River, and the October-December issue for my piece on Autumn Riding in the Ozarks. In January 2012 I'll have an article on 10 Great BBQ Places in Arkansas (come on, really, who am I to tell any Texan anything about BBQ).
Click on image to enlarge. PDF download available soon.
Want a hard copy of the current CTO Presents "RideEUREKA"? Send $2.00 to cover postage to: David Bell; Attn: Ride EUREKA; PO Box 427, Berryville, AR 72616.
Mount Magazine for Fun Mount Magazine is a magnificent ride. In fact, the 10 miles from Havana, on AR 10 up AR 309 to the state park. The July 2011 issue of Rider magazine published a piece I produced called The Peak to Peak Run. It describes a ride between the two highest peaks in Arkansas, Magazine, and Rich Mountain, home of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park over on the famous Talimena Scenic Drive. Click on the picture below to go to Rider's website page featuring the article.
The geology of the Ozarks produces twisty, serpentine highways and roads and is what makes the area a veritable riders' haven, To understand the geological make up of the Ozarks, you need only look at the mountain tops; flat, mostly all the same elevation. In the distant past, this area sat at the bottom of a vast inland sea. It was later uplifted, producing a plateau with the highest point above mean level - Mt. Magazine - between the Rocky Mountains and the Smokies, not necessarily the highest point above sea level. Over the years wind, rain and rivers carved the ridges, hollows and valleys along which many of the winding highways, roads and hiking trails follow even today.
We have a long riding season in the Ozarks and many more days provide for great riding than a rain delay. But you will want to have rain gear with you in case you have to "ride on anyway". Check out the current weather over Berryville and the rest of the Ozarks HERE! Scroll down to the middle the weather page for a radar image.
The sponsors of this website are listed because they are motorcycle friendly and solicit your business. Lodging, cafes and restaurants, watering holes and other sponsoring businesses have been selected to help make your stay enjoyable... both on the road exploring and back relaxing after a day of riding. Please support these folks who welcome you to Cruise the Ozarks.
Take a look at these new links I've just been introducted to. I think you'll really enjoy them –– www.ridergroups.com – as well as the others I've listed in the "Related Links" window (in the top header).
If you would like to become a sponsor on Cruise the Ozarks, click here to contact us.