The Crowley’s Ridge Parkway, a 198-mile long route consisting of segments of 17 highways, two county roads, and several city streets, was designated as an Arkansas Scenic Byway in 1997. In 1998, it was designated as Arkansas’ first National Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
This byway follows the geologic formation known as Crowley’s Ridge through northeast and east-central Arkansas. Approximately two million years ago, wind blown soils collected in an area between the meandering channels of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This wind blown soil, known as loess, formed a ridge rising up to 200 feet in places above the surrounding flat delta region.
This high ground quickly became a magnet for human settlement. Today it is characterized by upland hardwood forest, farmland, orchards, and a wide variety of recreational and historical resources.