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driving tours
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Ozark Mountains Blossom &
Historical Driving Tours Please read General Information, then scroll to North or South tours. General Information
you are visiting the Buffalo National River area, you may also take these routes, but add at least two hours to your travel time. The Buffalo River has its own suburb Ozark blossom display, and tours of the Buffalo River area are available. Each route is a circular loop so you will not need to return the way you came. Driven non-stop at the speed limits most routes will take about two to three hours to complete. However, plan on adding at least two hours for visits at destinations, stops at other attractions, and a few roadside pull- overs at view points. Southbound routes are planned so that in any trip you can see both Bull Shoals Lake dam and Norfork Lake dam. At each dam you'll find State Parks, places to pull over to enjoy the views of the lakes and river gorges, and sidewalks for walking out on the dams themselves. Purchase an Arkansas highway map, and be sure it includes Ozark County in southern Missouri. The directions given here are for the major routes only, and do not include the shortcuts and side trips many people end up taking. The map will be well worth having. These directions are not intended to be a substitute for a map. Please use these descriptions in conjunction with a good road map! North Bound Destinations - Ozark County
Grist Mills South Bound Destinations - Ozark Folk Center
& Blanchard Spring Caverns
South bound destinations are the Ozark Folk Center, and Blanchard Springs Caverns. Both are operated by the Arkansas State Parks department. The Folk Center is located in Mountain View, Arkansas. See blacksmithing, pottery making, and over 18 other Ozark pioneer skills and crafts. There is a good restaurant, gift shop, lodging, and live entertainment. Craftspeople explain what they are doing, how they do it, and the historical significance the activity held for Ozark pioneers. Music and dance shows are authentic Ozark traditional folk activities. In the village of Mountain View are several more craft stores, restaurants, and Ozark activities. For more details, click here for the Ozark Folk Center page.
Blanchard Springs Caverns, just 14 miles away from the Ozark Folk Center, is "the cave discovery of the 20th century". Paved, illuminated walkways take you to stunning underground formations in this huge maze of caverns. Blanchard Springs Caverns are open daily April through October. During November through March, the caverns are closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and also on holidays. North Bound Tour Routes From Mountain Home / Norfork Lake You may also take Hwy 201 North to reach Missouri Hwy 160, where you turn East to reach Tecumseh. You can also reverse this loop on either Hwy 201 or Hwy 5. From Bull Shoals/ Bull Shoals Lake From the White River Area South Bound Tour Routes From Bull Shoals If you want to cut your trip short here, take 341 North through the Ozark National Forest for several miles. Shortly after you cross the White River on Shedd's Bridge, you'll come to Hwy 201. Turn left (North) on Hwy 201, travel to Mountain Home, turn right onto Hwy 62 at the traffic light at the junction of Hwy 201 and Hwy 62, go through two more traffic lights on Hwy 62, and turn left onto Hwy 5 at the third light. Take Hwy 5 to Midway, which is 6 miles outside of Mountain Home, and at Midway, turn left (West) onto Hwy 178, and take it all the way back to Bull Shoals.] If you wish to continue on to the Caverns and the Folk Center, keep going on Hwy 14 toward the town of Fifty-Six. You'll see signs for Blanchard Springs Caverns, which is a great place to visit. After the side trip to the Caverns, take Hwy 87 to the town of Mountain View. Once in Mountain View follow the signs to the Ozark Folk Center. After your visit to the Folk Center, take Hwy 9 North to the town of Allison, where Hwy 9 junctions with Hwy 14 and Hwy 5. Take Hwy 5 North to the town of Calico Rock. You will be traveling through the Ozark National Forest. Stay on Hwy 5 all the way to the town of Norfork. Just outside of Norfork Hwy 5 junctions with Hwy 201. You can take either Hwy 201 or Hwy 5 to Mountain Home. The most direct route is Hwy 201. If you want to take an extra 20 minutes for a look at Lake Norfork, the Norfork dam, a large fish hatchery, and the North Fork River gorge, just take Hwy 5 up to the little town of Salesville, which is just a few minutes away. You'll see a little store in the middle of the intersection of Hwy 5 and Hwy 177. It's called the "Y" Store because it is in the "Y" of the road. At the store go straight onto Hwy 177, go about 2.5 miles, and you'll see the dam. At the base of the dam, on the left, you'll see the fish hatchery. Continue up the hill to the top of the dam and you'll find a nice park. Across the road is access to Lake Norfork and Quarry Park. To return to Bull Shoals from the dam just take Hwy 177 back to the "Y" Store where Hwy 177 junctions with Hwy 5. Take Hwy 5 to Mountain Home. Whether you take Hwy 5 or Hwy 201 back to Mountain Home, you will encounter your first traffic light in Mountain Home at the corner of College and 9th street. This is the junction of Hwy 5 and Hwy 201. If you came up Hwy 5, go straight at the traffic light to the next traffic light and turn right onto Hwy 62. If you came up Hwy 201, turn left, and go down to the next traffic light and turn right onto Hwy 62. Once on Hwy 62 go through two more traffic lights, then turn left (West) at the third traffic light onto Hwy 5. Go about 6 miles on Hwy 5 until you come to the little town of Midway. At Midway, turn left (West) onto Hwy 178, and take it all the way back to Bull Shoals, which is about 10 to 15 minutes away. From Mountain Home / Lake Norfork At Flippin take Hwy 62 West to the town of Yellville. At Yellville take Hwy 14 South. You will be traveling toward the Buffalo National River. A nice quick side trip is to take Hwy 268 to Buffalo Point Park. Continue on across the Buffalo River, through the towns of Evening Shade, Harriet, and Big Flat. Just after Big Flat you will see Hwy 341, which travels north through the Ozark National Forest. At the junction of Hwy 14 and Hwy 341 you are in the Ozark National Forest. At this point you can cut your trip short by traveling north through the Ozark National Forest where you'll see great foliage, or continue East on to Blanchard Springs and the Ozark Folk Center. If you want to cut your trip short here, take 341 North through the Ozark National Forest for several miles. Shortly after you cross the White River on Shedd's Bridge, you'll come to Hwy 201. Turn left (North) on Hwy 201, travel to Mountain Home, turn right onto Hwy 62 at the traffic light at the junction of Hwy 201 and Hwy 62, go through two more traffic lights on Hwy 62, and turn left onto Hwy 5 at the third light. Take Hwy 5 to Midway, which is 6 miles outside of Mountain Home, and at Midway, turn left (West) onto Hwy 178, and take it all the way back to Bull Shoals.] If you wish to continue on to the Caverns and the Folk Center, keep going on Hwy 14 toward the town of Fifty-Six. You'll see signs for Blanchard Springs Caverns, which is a great place to visit. After the side trip to the Caverns, take Hwy 87 to the town of Mountain View. Once in Mountain View follow the signs to the Ozark Folk Center. After your visit to the Folk Center, take Hwy 9 North to the town of Allison, where Hwy 9 junctions with Hwy 14 and Hwy 5. Take Hwy 5 North to the town of Calico Rock. You will be traveling through the Ozark National Forest. Stay on Hwy 5 all the way to the town of Norfork. Just outside of Norfork Hwy 5 junctions with Hwy 201. You can take either Hwy 201 or Hwy 5 to Mountain Home. The most direct route is Hwy 201. If you want to take an extra 20 minutes for a look at Lake Norfork, the Norfork dam, a large fish hatchery, and the North Fork River gorge, just take Hwy 5 up to the little town of Salesville, which is just a few minutes away. You'll see a little store in the middle of the intersection of Hwy 5 and Hwy 177. It's called the "Y" Store because it is in the "Y" of the road. At the store go straight onto Hwy 177, go about 2.5 miles, and you'll see the dam. At the base of the dam, on the left, you'll see the fish hatchery. Continue up the hill to the top of the dam and you'll find a nice park. Across the road is access to Lake Norfork and Quarry Park. To return to Bull Shoals from the dam just take Hwy 177 back to the "Y" Store where Hwy 177 junctions with Hwy 5. Take Hwy 5 to Mountain Home. Whether you take Hwy 5 or Hwy 201 back to Mountain Home, you will encounter your first traffic light in Mountain Home at the corner of College and 9th street. This is the junction of Hwy 5 and Hwy 201. If you came up Hwy 5, go straight at the traffic light to the next traffic light and turn right onto Hwy 62. If you came up Hwy 201, turn left, and go down to the next traffic light and turn right onto Hwy 62. Once on Hwy 62 go through two more traffic lights, then turn left (West) at the third traffic light onto Hwy 5. Go about 6 miles on Hwy 5 until you come to the little town of Midway. At Midway, turn left (West) onto Hwy 178, and take it all the way back to Bull Shoals, which is about 10 to 15 minutes away. From the White River _______________________________ © 1998-2010 2Cooleys.Com. All rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be used or reproduced in any manor for any reason without written permission from Ozark Mountains Website, Inc. This includes, but is not limited to, any or all photographs, and any or all text. For use permission phone 870-491-5751. Any party who uses any text, any photographs, or any other part of this presentation without written permission from Ozark Mountains Website, Inc. will be billed a minimum fee of $1,000. Cooley Digital Imaging is a division of Ozark Mountains Website, Inc.
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