Talimena National Scenic Byway Oklahoma

27 October 2020By Brett

The Talimena National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma is one of the most picturesque drives in all of the United States! Oklahoma highway 1 runs from near Talihina Oklahoma to Mena Arkansas and traverses through the Ouachita National Forest. It travels over the Winding Stair Mountains in Oklahoma and Rich Mountain in Arkansas. The road travels along the spine along the top of these mountains and provides some of the best views and vistas of the trees, hills, and valleys in the area.

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Fall Foliage Trip

  • talimena scenic byway national forest oklahoma
    The Talimena National Scenic Byway moves through the national forest in Oklahoma.
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    Looking down at the Oklahoma fall foliage color changes!
  • talimena national scenic byway oklahoma fall colors
    Fall leaves changing colors along the Talimena National Scenic Byway.
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    A picture of the fall foliage in southeastern Oklahoma along the Talimena National Scenic Byway.
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    Fall foliage in southeastern Oklahoma in the Ouachita National Forest.
Pictures from the Talimena National Scenic Byway.

I went down to southeastern Oklahoma to see the fall foliage around the area. There were some classic Oklahoma Fall colors! That area we traversed was the Ouachita National Forest via the Talimena National Scenic Byway. We started at the border between Oklahoma and Arkansas. The coordinates are 34.693741, -94.455783. The border has a special monument and official USGS marker annotating the border between the states. The old border was a wooden pole marking the land between Arkansas and Choctaw territory. We then traveled west on Oklahoma 1 which is the road the follows the spine of the mountain.

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The border marker for Arkansas and Oklahoma found near the Talimena Byway.

There are several older buildings and campgrounds along the way so if you want to camp you’re more than able to! Several hiking trails are along the road too. The famous Ouachita Trail follows a similar path as the road. The trail crosses the byway many times and you’ll even see a few people carrying heavy packs as they’re traveling along the 200 mile+ trail.

The Talimena Views

There are several vistas found along the entire length of the road. You can stop at these parking areas and get views of the trees, the sky, and even stop to see birds and animals all around the area. There’s even the Kerr Nature Center that has short trails and info panels talking about the places and animals one can see along the road.

The Winding Stair Campground is a nice place to enjoy while you’re in the national forest. It is also the only bathroom area that was open while we took the drive in October 2020. There are lots of bathrooms around the drive including on the western terminus of the drive but most are locked closed. Knowing where the bathrooms are will be important because you could spend over an hour on the road driving and stopping at all the vistas. Good luck and enjoy the drive. It will be a trip you won’t forget!

Cimarron County Oklahoma Points of Interest Review
Where does the Talimena National Scenic Byway start and end?

The road travels from Talihina Oklahoma to Mena Arkansas. It travels through the Ouachita National Forest.

How long is the Talimena National Scenic Byway?

The road is approximately 52 miles long. It travels from Mena Arkansas to the intersection of Oklahoma Highway 1 and Highway 271 near Talihina Oklahoma.

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