Touring - Little Rock and central Arkansas

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jkmartin
05-22-07, 08:15 PM
I am planning a tour that will take me to Little Rock and on to Hot Springs. I'm looking for advice from people in the area about how to get to the downtown Little Rock area safely then on to Hot Springs.

I will be coming from the west and have pretty much decided on taking Hwys 300 and 10 near Pinnacle Mountain State Park then working my way east on city streets and trails to downtown. Finding a route to Hot Springs is proving more difficult. It looks like my best bet would be to aim for Benton then take Hwys 5 and 7 to Hot Springs. Or from Benton to aim for the town of Lonsdale then take Hwy 127 or Spring Street. After Hot Springs I'll be out in the woods and not as concerned about traffic.

I've asked for help from a Little Rock bicycle club, but have only received 1 response.

http://www.arkansasbicycleclub.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1056

So if you have advice or experience with this area I'd be appreciative to hear it. Thanks.

Mchaz
05-22-07, 09:33 PM
I have been pondering a trip for next summer. Some friends and I want to ride from home (Norman, Ok - 25 miles south of Oklahoma City) to Hot Springs for our first tour. I found a crazy guy on a bike journal that covered a cross country trip that went through Oklahoma and Arkansas.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/xcountry2006

That journal has given me a general idea of how to get over there, but it's not specific on which roads they traveled. If you are passing through Oklahoma to get to Arkansas, would you care to share your general route? I'm also interested in the responses you get about the area around Hot Springs. Sorry I couldn't help.
jkmartin
05-22-07, 09:57 PM
I'm starting in northwest Arkansas and hoping to get to Little Rock in 4 days so my route doesn't pass through Oklahoma. I've been using the Arkansas Gazetteer atlas and state traffic count maps to plan the route.

http://arkansashighways.com/Maps/TrafficCountyMaps/TrafficCount.htm

The state tourism site also has some touring information. If you combine some of the Fort Smith/Memphis route with day 6 of the Ozarks/Ouachitas tour you should get to Hot Springs in 1 piece.

http://arkansas.com/outdoors/biking/default.asp

b_young
05-23-07, 06:46 AM
Why are you going through Little Rock? It just seems like a suicide mission. Hwy 5 and 7 have no real shoulder and fast traffic with blind curves. I don't think there is an easy way. I admire your ambishion but fear for your life. I live at Russellville and think it would be a fun trip to Hot Springs but I have driven it enough to fear it. Let me know how it turns out and the route you take. I may get my courage up.