Rich Mountain is 2,681 feet, which the Forest Service calls the highest point on the Ouachita National Forest and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas calls the second-highest peak in the state. The Forest Service day-use area on the summit is about ten miles west of Mena on Arkansas Highway 88, the Talimena Scenic Byway. The page describes a view over the east-west ranges of the Ouachita Mountains. Summer temperatures on top can run up to ten degrees cooler than in the lowlands around it.
The Arkansas part of the byway is 18 miles, from Mena to the Oklahoma line, and the whole route continues 54 miles to Talihina. Arkansas made its stretch a state scenic byway on January 7, 1998, and it became a National Scenic Byway on September 22, 2005. Arkansas tourism calls spring and autumn the most picturesque seasons, when the drive can sit above clouds and fog. For the road's Oklahoma half and its 1969 opening, see the Talimena route entry.
There is no fee. The summit has vault toilets and five picnic table units but no drinking water, and the lookout tower is closed for safety. The East End Visitor Center at 1500 Grandview Heights in Mena is open April 15 to November 15, and the Mena-Oden district office at 1603 Highway 71 North is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on federal holidays. Queen Wilhelmina State Park is on the same road.
The closest stops worth working into your route
Roadside plaques and monuments within a short detour