Crowley's Ridge Parkway is a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

in northeast

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

and the

Missouri Bootheel The Missouri Bootheel is a Salient (geography), salient (protrusion) located in the southeasternmost part of the U.S. state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30′ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the sta ...

along

Crowley's Ridge Crowley's Ridge (also Crowleys Ridge) is a geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most p ...

in the United States. Motorists can access the parkway from US Route 49 (US 49) at its southern terminus near the

Helena Bridge The Helena Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying U.S. Route 49 across the Mississippi River between Helena, Arkansas and Lula, Mississippi. The main cantilever span was modeled on the similar Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge which had been b ...

over the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

outside Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, or from

Missouri Route 25 Route 25 is a highway in south-eastern Missouri. Its northern terminus is at Business Interstate 55/U.S. Route 61/ Route 34/ Route72 in Jackson. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 412/ Route 84 in Kennett. It is one of the major Missouri h ...

(Route 25) near

Kennett, Missouri Kennett is a city in and the county seat of Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. The city is located in the southeast corner (or " Bootheel") of Missouri, east of Arkansas and from the Mississippi River. It had a population of 10,515 at th ...

. The parkway runs along Crowley's Ridge, a unique geological formation, and also parts of the St. Francis National Forest, the

and the

Mississippi Alluvial Plain The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain is an alluvial plain created by the Mississippi River on which lie parts of seven U.S. states, from southern Louisiana to southern Illinois (Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Lo ...

. Along the route are many

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

properties,

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

battlefields, parks, and other archeological and culturally significant points. Crowley's Ridge Parkway is not a separately designated route, but a collection of

United States highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

, Arkansas state highways, Missouri state routes, Missouri supplemental routes, Arkansas state highway business routes, county roads, and city streets. The route also briefly overlaps the

Great River Road The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...

in Arkansas. The parkway was designated as an Arkansas Scenic Byway in 1997 as a motor route which allowed the traveler to experience the Southern heritage of the area. The National Scenic Byway designation came the following year, with an extension into Missouri in 2000.

Route description

Arkansas

The majority of the route is in Arkansas, and the parkway begins in

Phillips County, Arkansas Phillips County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, in what is known as the Arkansas Delta along the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,568. The county seat is Helena–West ...

, in Helena-West Helena very near the

over the

. Beginning at US Route 49 (US 49) and running north with US 49 Business (US 49B), the route passes historic properties including the

Delta Cultural Center The Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena, Arkansas, is a cultural center and museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the culture of the Arkansas Delta. They also partner with other cultu ...

, the Jerome Bonaparte Pillow House, the Perry Street Historic District and the site of the

Battle of Helena The Battle of Helena was fought on July 4, 1863, near Helena, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Union (American Civil War), Union troops captured the city in July 1862, and had been using it as a base of operations. Over 7,500 Confeder ...

, an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

battle fought in 1863. Upon entering the center of Helena, the byway splits from US 49B and winds along city streets before again following US 49B to West Helena. The parkway turns onto Highway 242 (AR 242) headed north out of town into the St. Francis National Forest, where it turns onto Storm Creek Road (County Route 217, CR 217). Winding through the forest as a narrow two-lane road, the parkway passes Storm Creek Lake and enters Lee County (now following CR 217). The route continues north onto CR 221 and later CR 239 when it meets Highway 44 near Bear Creek Lake. Following Highway 44 northwest into Marianna, Crowley's Ridge Parkway continues along Highway 44 (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) until Poplar Street, where it turns north onto Chestnut Street. Near this intersection the byway passes the Marianna Commercial Historic District, the Lee County Courthouse, and a

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

for

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

. Chestnut Street becomes Highway 1 Business before turning north onto US 79/ AR 1. Crowley's Ridge Parkway follows Highway 1 north into

Haynes Haynes may refer to: People *Haynes (surname) Places Australia * Haynes, Western Australia Canada * Haynes, Alberta United Kingdom *Haynes, Bedfordshire **Haynes Church End United States *Haynes, Arkansas *Haynes, North Dakota *Hayne ...

and St. Francis County. Just south of

Forrest City Forrest City is a city in and the county seat of St. Francis County, Arkansas, United States. It was named for General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a notable Confederate war hero who later became the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Shortly ...

, the parkway turns onto Highway 1B to downtown Forrest City. The route turns onto Front Street at the St. Francis County Museum, then onto Izard Street as it passes the First United Methodist Church and has a junction with US 70. Crowley's Ridge Parkway follows US 70 for two blocks before turning left onto Forrest Street. Now facing north, the parkway passes the historic

Campbell House Campbell House, or The Campbell House or variations, may refer to: ;in Canada * Campbell House (Toronto, Canada) ;in the United States :(sorted by state, then city/town) * Campbell House (Palmer, Alaska), in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, listed on t ...

and the Stuart Springs before joining with Highway 284 and crossing over Interstate 40/ US 63 (I-40/US 63). Continuing north, Crowley's Ridge Parkway passes

East Arkansas Community College East Arkansas Community College (EACC) is a public community college in Forrest City, Arkansas. EACC provides higher education at its main campus in Forrest City as well as one satellite location in Wynne. EACC is accredited by the Higher Learni ...

before forming the western boundary of Village Creek State Park and entering

Cross County Cross County is a rural Northeast Arkansas county in the Arkansas Delta. Created as Arkansas's 53rd county on November 15, 1862, Cross County contains four incorporated municipalities, including Wynne, the county seat and most populous city ...

Crowleys Ridge State Park Lake Ponder Trail Paragould AR 10

The parkway travels among many different unique species of animals and plants, and meets historical sites such as the

Parkin Archeological State Park Parkin Archeological State Park, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an archeological site and state park in Parkin, Cross County, Arkansas. Around 1350–1650 CE an aboriginal palisaded village existed at the site, at the confluence ...

, Chalk Bluff Battlefield and the Battle of Helena Battlefields. The Parkway also runs through Lake Poinsett State Park, which offers numerous campgrounds to travelers. The parkway runs through numerous parks, including Chalk Bluff Battlefield Park,

Crowley's Ridge State Park Crowley's Ridge State Park is a Arkansas state park in Greene County, Arkansas in the United States atop Crowley's Ridge. Located on the former homesite of pioneer Benjamin Crowley, the park contains many excellent examples of the work done ...

, Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, Lake Frierson State Park, Lake Poinsett State Park,

Louisiana Purchase State Park The Louisiana Purchase State Park, located in eastern Arkansas, commemorates the initial point from which public lands acquired through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase were subsequently surveyed. The Louisiana Purchase State Park encompasses o ...

, Parker Pioneer Homestead,

, Southland Greyhound Park, and the Village Creek State Park. In Missouri the route runs past Morris State Park. Cities along the Arkansas portion of the route include

Piggott Pigot, Pigott, Piggott, Pigotts or Piggotts may refer to: People * Pigot (surname), including a list of people with this name * Pigott (surname), including a list of people with the surname Pigott or Piggott Places * Piggott, Arkansas, Unit ...

, Paragould, Jonesboro,

Wynne Wynne is a surname of Welsh origin. This is a list of notable people with the surname, sorted by profession: Art, literature, and music * Bill Wynne (1922–2021), American photographer and writer *David Wynne (composer) (1900–1983), Welsh compo ...

, Marianna, West Helena and

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...

Missouri

Crowley's Ridge Parkway continues through unique countryside and

era battlefields in the

. It terminates at Business Route 25 in Malden after in the state.

History

The route was designated a state scenic byway in Arkansas in 1997 and a

in 1998. The Missouri scenic byway designation was granted in 2000.

Major intersections

References

{{Reflist

External links

Delta Byways Brochure
National Scenic Byways Roads in Arkansas Roads in Missouri Transportation in Phillips County, Arkansas Transportation in Lee County, Arkansas

Cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

Transportation in Poinsett County, Arkansas Transportation in Craighead County, Arkansas Transportation in Greene County, Arkansas Transportation in Clay County, Arkansas Transportation in Dunklin County, Missouri 1997 establishments in Arkansas 1997 establishments in Missouri