Talimena Scenic Drive

The Talimena Scenic Drive is a National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma and extreme western Arkansas spanning a 54-mile stretch of Oklahoma State Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88 from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas.cite web | url=http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com| title= Talimena Scenic Drive, a National Scenic Byway | publisher= Talimena Scenic Drive Association | accessdate=2007-07-12] Designated a National Scenic Byway by the America's Byway Program in 2005, the road travels within the Ouachita National Forest along the highest peaks of the Winding Star Mountains, part of the Ouachita Mountain chain, including the second tallest peak in Arkansas, Rich Mountain.cite web | url=http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/sight_seeing.html| title= Talimena Scenic Drive Sight Seeing | publisher= Talimena Scenic Drive Association | accessdate=2007-07-12] The two-lane road features hiking trails beginning at various points along its stretchcite web | url=http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/sight_seeing.html| title= Talimena Drive Named National Scenic Byway | publisher= Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism| accessdate=2007-07-12] and 22 scenic vista pull-outs.

The current route opened in 1969 and formed a stretch of what would become Oklahoma State Highway 1.cite web|last=Wilson|first=Linda D| url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/T/TA005.html|title=Talimena Drive|work=The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society|accessdate=2007-02-14] In this case, the number 1 was assigned due to the scenery along the highway. [cite web|last=McMahon|first=Martin|url=http://roads.tulok.net/t-1.html |title=Terminus: SH-1|work=Roadklahoma|accessdate=2006-03-10] It was dedicated on June 7, 1970 by Lucy Baines Johnson Nugent, the daughter of U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson.

There are at least 13% hill grades along the route.

External links

* [http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com Talimena Scenic Drive Association]

References