The Great River Road in Arkansas follows the river through farmland and small towns. The section of the route that goes through Saint Francis National Forest contains a gravel surface, so we have provided a paved bypass between Mariana and Helena for those who prefer to avoid gravel.
The Arkansas Great River Road includes a Spur located South of Lake Village and an alternate loop to Arkansas City. These two items are included on the Northbound version of the route.
The Arkansas section of the Great River Road is divided into 2 parts; Blytheville to Helena, and Helena to Eudora.
Note: We have created 2 sets of routes for each state. One is for riding North to South and the other is for riding South to North. Each route is notated either N to S (for North to South) or S to N (for South to North).
Location: Eastern Arkansas
Approximate Mileage: 340 miles
Estimated Riding Time: 7.25 hours
Surface: Paved & Gravel with Bypass
Bypass Southbound: In Mariana, at the intersection of Forrest and Chestnut Streets; continue straight on Highway 1. Turn left on Highway 242 and follow into West Helena. Turn left on Plaza Avenue (Business 49). Follow Business 49 to Columbia Street in Helena. Turn right on Columbia and you are back on the original route.
Bypass Northbound: In Helena, turn left on Business 49 (Perry Street). Follow Business 49 into West Helena. Turn right on North 4th street which becomes Highway 242. Follow Highway 242, then turn right on Highway 1. Follow Highway 1 to Mariana. In Mariana, continue straight to the intersection of Chestnut and Forrest. Continue straight and you are now back on the original route.
Attractions:
- Wilson - Hampson Museum State Park
- Mariana - Mississippi River State Park
- Helena - Fort Curtis
Great River Road - Arkansas
If you are riding with a group, we ask that every person using our route for navigation purchase their own copy.
In order to encourage this, we are happy to offer a discount for group purchases. Please contact us after purchasing 1 item at full price, and we will set up a coupon code that will give everyone in your group 50% off of the same item.
Our digital routes are designed to operate in most GPS devices. In addition to GPSs, our routes should work with several smartphone apps. They will NOT work on Google Maps or Apple Maps.
If you plan on using a smartphone app, we recommend the REVER app. REVER will work with both Android and iOS and in addition to navigation it has many other great features.
For best results in REVER, download the route to your computer first, then import into your smartphone. Turn by turn may not work, so we recommend that you utilize the "Follow the Line" option.
You can get 20% off your first year’s subscription to REVER by following THIS LINK.
AND using this coupon code at checkout: Driftlessforless.
By using this link and coupon code a portion of your subscription fee will go to support Driftless Roads USA.