Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway
This National Scenic Byway traverses the ridge that rises out of the otherwise flat Delta region. The unusual landform is an erosional remnant of the Ice Age, carved out over millions of years by torrential rains. It has been built up even further over the past 12 million years by glacier gravel and windblown loess.
The ridge actually begins in Missouri, just below Cape Girardeau, and forms a crescent shape ending at Helena-West Helena in Arkasnas. You’ll find lots of natural attractions on the ridge, including plant communities trapped here by changing climate at the end of the Ice Age. Crowley’s Ridge Parkway signage guides you along the 200-mile Arkansas segment of the route.
Named for the first documented white settler to this region, the highways that make up the scenic byway take you by sights that include museums, Native American sites, and historic districts and cemeteries.
Along the way are Civil War battlefields, African-American heritage sites, galleries, cultural centers and festivals. There are scenic vistas, wild flowers, forests and farms, plus old-fashioned country stores, antique shops and stands for homegrown fruits and vegetables.
Recreational opportunities along the route include four state parks, a national forest, and wildlife management areas--offering everything from fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, hiking, wildlife and bird watching, to tennis, photography, hunting, camping and golf.
Official Arkansas visitor centers for the parkway include the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, the Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro, the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro, the St. Francis County Museum in Forrest City, and the Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena.
Driving Directions for Crowley’s Ridge Parkway
This site is paid for with a combination of state funds, private regional association funds, and a National Scenic Byway grant.