If you live in Madison County, you live at the doorstep of one of the most famous drives in Arkansas. Just to the south, Highway 23 plunges into the Boston Mountains and becomes the Pig Trail Scenic Byway, a twisting, climbing, hairpinning stretch of road that draws motorcyclists, sports-car drivers, and fall-color seekers from all over the region. Here is a guide to enjoying it.
The Pig Trail Scenic Byway is roughly a nineteen-mile stretch of Arkansas Highway 23 running through the Ozark National Forest in the Boston Mountains, crossing the Mulberry River along the way. The byway proper runs between the junction with Highway 16 near Brashears, at the southern edge of the Madison County area, south toward Ozark and Interstate 40 in Franklin County. The Federal Highway Administration designated it a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1989. With its steep grades and tight switchbacks, it is as much an experience as a route.
Nobody is entirely sure how the Pig Trail got its name, and the competing theories are part of the fun. One holds that the road took its name from the pigs, both feral and domesticated, that once roamed the area when Ozark farmers used the forest as open range to fatten their hogs. Another says the name comes from the road's resemblance to a curly pig's tail. And a third ties it to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, since for decades University of Arkansas students and sports fans used the route to travel between Fayetteville and points south. It may be some combination of all three. Locals tend to just call it the Pig Trail and leave it at that.
Madison County sits at the northern gateway to the Pig Trail. Highway 23 runs north out of the byway up through the county, passing through Combs and on toward Huntsville, so for county residents the famous drive is essentially the southern continuation of a road many travel all the time. The country around the northern end, near Brashears and Greasy Creek, is classic rugged Madison County terrain, and it makes a natural starting point for the drive south.
The Pig Trail is beautiful but demanding, so a few cautions are in order. The curves are genuinely sharp and the grades steep, so take your time and watch for motorcycles, which love this road. Fall is the marquee season, when the hardwoods blaze and traffic picks up accordingly; spring is quieter and just as green. Watch for wildlife, gravel, and fallen limbs, especially after storms. Fuel up before you start, because services are sparse once you are in the forest. And build in time to stop: there are pull-offs and the Mulberry River crossing where it is worth getting out, stretching your legs, and taking in the country.
The Pig Trail pairs naturally with the rest of a Madison County outing. Combine the drive with a stop in Huntsville, a float or a fishing trip on the Kings River, or a visit to Withrow Springs State Park, and you have a full day of the best the southern Ozarks have to offer. The road will still be there next weekend, and it rewards the unhurried driver every time.
Madison County sits in the heart of the Arkansas Ozarks, making it one of the best-kept secrets for outdoor enthusiasts in the mid-South. From floating the Kings River to hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy the natural beauty here.
Read more →Huntsville's small downtown district has more to offer than you might expect. Local hardware stores, family-owned diners, farm supply shops, and specialty retailers have served Madison County for generations. Here's where to start.
Read more →Madison County has seen steady growth from families and retirees looking for a quieter life within reach of Northwest Arkansas. Whether you're coming from Fayetteville or from out of state, here's what locals wish they'd known before moving to the county.
Read more →Every October, War Eagle Mill hosts one of Arkansas's most beloved craft fairs, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the rolling hills near Hindsville. The mill itself — still grinding grain the old-fashioned way — is worth a visit any time of year.
Read more →Madison County was carved out of the Ozark wilderness in 1836, the same year settlers from Alabama gave both the county and its seat their names. Here is the long story of how this corner of northwest Arkansas came to be.
Read more →Huntsville is the county seat and the place where Madison County does its business. Here is what to know about the town at the center of it all, from the courthouse square to where to grab lunch.
Read more →The Kings River rises in the hills of southern Madison County and runs clear and wild toward Table Rock Lake. For paddlers and anglers, it is one of the great underrated rivers of the Arkansas Ozarks. Here is how to enjoy it.
Read more →Madison County is more than Huntsville. Scattered through its hills and river valleys are small communities with their own histories and characters: Kingston, Combs, Wesley, Hindsville, St. Paul, and more. Here is a tour.
Read more →Just five miles north of Huntsville, Withrow Springs State Park packs camping, hiking, swimming, and a put-in for floating War Eagle Creek into 786 acres of Ozark beauty. Here is everything to know before you go.
Read more →Madison County and the surrounding Ozark National Forest are some of the best hunting country in Arkansas, with deer, turkey, small game, and a growing bear population. Here is an orientation for hunters.
Read more →Before consolidation, nearly every Madison County community had its own school. Many of those buildings are gone now, but their stories are not. This is a living history of the county's one-room and small schools.
Read more →From spring craft fairs to the county fair to fall color and the holidays, Madison County keeps a full calendar of seasonal traditions. Here is what happens through the year, season by season.
Read more →He was born in a cabin near Combs and rose to become one of the most prominent and most debated governors in Arkansas history. The story of Orval Faubus begins right here in Madison County.
Read more →Every Ozark community has its haunted houses, its strange lights, and its tales told around the fire. Madison County is no exception. This is a gathering place for the county's legends, lore, and ghost stories.
Read more →On a cold January morning in 1863, nine men were marched from a Huntsville guardhouse to a field northeast of town and shot. The Huntsville Massacre is one of the most tragic episodes in Madison County's Civil War history, and it should not be forgotten.
Read more →When Arkansas voted to leave the Union in 1861, one delegate cast the lone dissenting vote: Isaac Murphy of Huntsville. He later became the first governor of Arkansas's reunified state government. It remains one of the most notable chapters in Madison County's history.
Read more →Madison County is full of families who have been here for generations. If yours is one of them — or if you are tracing an ancestor who passed through — here is where to begin digging into your county roots.
Read more →One of the premier long-distance footpaths in the mid-South runs through the rugged country just south of Madison County. Whether you want a short day hike or a serious backpacking trip, the Ozark Highlands Trail is within easy reach.
Read more →Every autumn the Ozark hardwoods of Madison County put on a show. Here is when the color usually peaks, where to see it at its best, and how to plan a leaf-peeping outing in the heart of the Arkansas Ozarks.
Read more →Madison County's location in the heart of the Ozarks puts some of the region's best destinations within an easy drive. From the Buffalo River to Eureka Springs to the museums of Bentonville, here are five day trips worth taking.
Read more →