route 7 from Hot Springs Arkansas

Not familiar with this particular road, but have been on lots of those little scenic AR roads. You betcha, they are scenic. AR is a gorgeous state.....however, you'll be in very hilly terrain and the roads we've been on we were much happier in my little car than we would have been towing. Assume you're looking at I-30 from HS to LR...it's really not terribly far and I'd be inclined to stay on 30. Others may chime in that are familiar with that road. Are you heading to Petit Jean SP? If so, definitely would stay on I-30 to I-40 and then to the park. BTW the park is awesome and lots to see and enjoy. Don't forget the camera.

Actually, dadmomh, we were passing thru AR. Just stopped by Hot Springs to check it out. Petit Jean looks interesting, but we are headed west.
I just noticed that I mentioned AR 7 in the subject title but failed to put AR 7 in the message. I was thinking of skipping all the interstate that I could and still have a pleasant drive. Therefore I was considering a more scenic route.

Route 7 north from Hot Springs is no problem for a 30' trailer. Most of the curves are sweepers with no surprises. There is some minor grades that should not cause you any issues.

This is one of our favorite motorcycles roads. Please be kind and look for opportunities to let bikes pass you!

Enjoy!

We took AR 7 south to Hot Springs and loved it. We thought it to be one of the prettiest roads back there. We had rig in signature. There are a few crystal mines along the road and several rock and mineral shops. If you're into that, you'll be in heaven. There is a rest area not too far before out of Hot Springs that is fantastic. May be a little tight for your rig but I'm no expert in turn radii. Definitely take the road.

Depending on your destination "west", you could take 7 north at least to Russellville and then head west on I-40, or carry on north toward Springfield, MO. Yes, it is a scenic road, and it is fine for pulling a trailer. The biggest hills are in the vicinity of Jasper. Going north, the downgrade into Jasper is fairly pushy, but that is the prettiest part IMHO. The portion through the Ouachitas, south of the Arkansas River, has a higher percent of pine timber. North of the river, you enter the Ozarks, which are more predominantly hardwood.

AR 7 is full of sweeping curves, mainly two lanes with a few passing lanes thrown in. It is scenic, somewhat steep in places and some sharp cutbacks. From Ola to I-40 it's not bad but goes through Dardenelle and Russellville. It's not comparable to Florida except the up and down like US 27, just add curves.

We live on it! It's a gorgeous ride, and we hauled a 40' 5th wheel on 7 many times. The prettiest section starts just north of Russellville and runs nearly to Harrison.

Drove it in a 38 foot DP and toad. No issues on that road. Surface was a bit beat up in spots (just like all America!).

Another scenic option, heading west from Hot Springs is US 270 through Mena, toward Poteau, OK. The USFS has a nice campground (Cedar Lake) with full hookups just south of Hodgen, OK. If you are bold, you can pull your trailer across the Talimena Scenic Byway, but if you have time, a better idea is to camp at Cedar Lake and make an empty vehicle tour of it.


Pic I shot on Talimena Scenic Byway last fall

Just stumbled across this thread. In early October, we are pulling our trailer from Cleveland to Hot Springs (Lake Catherine SP is the actual destination), then heading up to Petit Jean SP. 3 nights at Lake catherine, 4 at Petit Jean. From there, We still have about a week to explore.

So, should we head into eastern Oklahoma, or continue to venture in Arkansas? I was looking at Sequoyah SP in Oklahoma, or the vicinity of Mountain Home in north Ark. How about the Buffalo River NP area? We've never been in Arkansas or Oklahoma, just trying to discover America....thanks in advance.