Ozark, Arkansas, sits on the south side of the Arkansas River valley, where the flat bottomlands end and the Ozark foothills begin. It is a quiet county seat of about thirty-five hundred people, with an old courthouse on a square, a few brick storefronts and a couple of cafes, and it serves as the starting point for the Pig Trail, the road that heads north through the Ozark National Forest toward Eureka Springs and Fayetteville. The name itself may come from the French aux Arcs, to the Arkansas, though the exact origin is debated.
The river valley here is farm country, with fields of hay and cattle on the flat land, but the country to the north changes quickly. The Boston Mountains, the highest part of the Ozarks, rise steeply with tight hollows, hardwood forests of oak and hickory, and clear creeks. Arkansas Highway 23, the Pig Trail, got its nickname from the students and fans of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, who used the road to drive to football games at Fayetteville. The state has since designated it a scenic byway, and it is widely considered one of the best motorcycle roads in the South.
The road is a real challenge: dozens of tight curves and switchbacks, with steep climbs and descents, and a surface that is generally good but can be gritty in places. Traffic is light on weekdays, and weekends bring hordes of riders, especially in October. Spring brings dogwood and redbud, summer green and heat, and autumn a blaze of color. The Mulberry River, a popular canoeing stream, runs nearby, and the little community of Cass offers a place for a break. Watch for gravel on bends, and take care when the leaves fall and the road is slippery.
Ozark has fuel, a supermarket and several restaurants, which makes it a handy start. There are fewer services on the Pig Trail, so fill up before heading north. The town of Mulberry, a short ride west, offers more options. The best months are April, May and mid-October, when the weather is mild and the scenery at its peak, but summer afternoons can be hot and humid, with thunderstorms that arrive quickly. Deer are a constant danger, especially at dawn and dusk, and even in daylight they cross the road without warning.