Riding through the Arkansas Ozarks is more than just enjoying the great roads and beautiful scenery. Tucked in the deep valleys and rugged areas of the region—beyond the twisties of the smooth pavement—you’ll encounter marvelous places.

When self-sufficient pioneers moved into the Ozark Mountains to carve out a life for themselves, small communities became the lifeblood of the region. They served a vital role in the economy of the Ozarks.

There’s an old saying about the Ozarks that, “It’s not that the mountains are so high, but the valleys are so deep.” That’s perfect for motorcycle riders who want to get the most out of their ride to these “wide spots in the road.”

Here are five of my favorites that I make sure to ride to on a regular basis.

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Rush

Real ghost towns are totally abandoned, and between the Mississippi River and the Rockies we can find one such by-the-book-definition ghost town—Rush, Ark.

Legends of lost Indian silver mines attracted prospectors and, in 1886, a group waited anxiously to see if what they mined was the anticipated load of silver. But instead of molten silver they saw only the telltale green fumes of zinc oxide dancing inside the smelter.

So zinc became the mother’s milk of Rush, and, through World War I, prices were high enough to support a town that grew to more than 5,000 people.

In the early 1900s, Rush reportedly had 15 mines, seven barbers, three hotels, two pool halls, restaurants, general stores, a pharmacy, a post office and a telephone exchange. Houses and tents sprouted on the steep hillsides. At the beginning of the war, prices peaked for zinc, and Rush was looking forward to a bright future. When the Great War ended, though, the price of zinc tanked. And so did the town of Rush.

By the 1960s, the last occupied houses were abandoned. In 1972, Rush—now a genuine ghost town—became part of the newly established Buffalo National River area, managed by the National Park Service.

There are two trails that wind around the former boom town. One goes around the heart of the Rush business district, the second treks up to the mining area.

GILBERT

Gilbert is one of those stereotypical little communities that once was a busy, prosperous railroad town, with structures dating to its 1901 founding. The railroad hauled timber, cotton, ore and agricultural products out of the Ozarks to a nation in need of those materials.

Gilbert has a wonderful original general store stocked with souvenirs and camping supplies, as well as snacks and groceries. Today, Gilbert is known mostly to river paddlers as a put-in/takeout point and a canoe rental site. And it’s in the middle of a rider’s paradise.

The 3-mile ride off U.S. 412 down state Route 333 to Gilbert is curvy and beautiful. Ride around town a bit. It’s got the feel of other tiny mountain towns I’ve visited across the country and brings back memories of those rides. There are numerous residences in Gilbert as well as an RV park and campground.

PONCA

Ponca never had a railroad. It never boomed in timber or mining. It was a tiny, homestead farming community and sits in the extreme northern end of the drop-dead gorgeous Boxley Valley on state Route 43. Through the valley runs the renowned Buffalo National River.

Today Ponca’s economy  revolves around outdoor recreation.

It’s the uppermost put-in point for floaters on the Buffalo River and home to: the Ponca General Store; Lost Valley Store, Canoe and Lodging; Cedar Crest Lodge & Cabins; and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Elk Education Center.

In the mid-1980s elk were reintroduced to the Boxley Valley, and today the magnificent animals can be seen grazing up and down the valley, along the banks of the Buffalo River, adjacent to state Route 43. (Most folks are glad the state didn’t also reintroduce buffalo to the area!) Be on the lookout for an elk occasionally crossing the highway.

Leading northeast out of Ponca is state Route 74. The 14 miles to Jasper are one of the best stretches of highway in the Ozarks, full of tight curves, switchbacks and gorgeous terrain.

OARK

Oark (no “z”) sits at the intersection of two wonderful highways—state Route 215 and state Route 103. Both roads offer winding pavement and stunning scenic beauty. This alone is enough to cause Oark to be on anybody’s must-do ride list.

The heart of this microscopic town is the Oark General Store, the longest continuously operated general store in Arkansas.

The store looks the part, with the same appearance for decades. Their cafe has great burgers and lots of other country favorites, as well as homemade pies. You can fuel up both yourself and your bike.

From the south, state Route 103 has tight curves and numerous switchbacks. State Route 215 to the west winds adjacent to the popular whitewater float stream the Mulberry River. The run through the deep woods is great for riders in search of natural scenic beauty.

winslow – devil’s den

Winslow is a former stagecoach stop once called Summit Home.

Look deeper, beyond the tired storefronts, and you can envision the prosperous town it became when the Frisco Railroad rolled south through the new Winslow Tunnel in 1871. Today, the tunnel is still used by the Missouri and Arkansas Railroad.

Most riders on U.S. 71 only see the eastern side of Winslow, located on the wonderful Boston Mountains Scenic Byway.

The historic part of town is a half mile west on state Route 74. The city’s history museum is in one of Winslow’s downtown stores.

Old Winslow is a great rally point for riding to Devils Den State Park. The 11-mile ride to the Civilian Conservation Corp-era Devil’s Den is serpentine with a long series of switchbacks down into the park. The facility has a small CCC lake, cabins and campground. There’s also a restaurant, swimming pool, hiking trails and numerous caves. (The Civilian Conservation Corp was a voluntary public works relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men.)

These “wide spots in the road” are scenic and the roads to them enjoyable, and are worth riding off the beaten path.

David Bell is an AMA member from Berryville, Ark.