Talimena Scenic Byway, Oklahoma, United States

5TrailTrekker15 5:00 PM Jun 2, 2021

Breathtaking Scenic Drive
I journeyed the full length of the Talimena Scenic Drive from Mena to Talihina. The roadway was easy and fun to drive. It meanders along the ridge and up and down the mountains. There were many opportunities to stop at overlooks and enjoy the views. Short trails are located at the OK/AR state line and at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. My one comment is that people need to STOP the graffiti. Restrain yourselves people! Talimena Scenic Drive is one of America’s great byways and I strongly recommend visiting.

4JayF 5:00 PM Oct 24, 2021

The most scenic cheese grater you'll ever drive over.
The views were great as other people stated, but I found one major issue. We rode this on Motorcycles in late October in both 2020 and 2021. The road's condition on the portion from Mena, AR to the state line is not bad. There's a few patched potholes, but not too bad. Once you hit the state line going in to OK, the nice asphalt turns into what we would call back home as a "tar and chip". Basically a layer of tar poured on the road and gravel rolled over that. It has a VERY rough texture which cause a lot of noise and vibration that nearly caused my hands to go numb, which is basically unheard of on a Honda Goldwing. The whole bike vibrated the rest of the way and it looked like someone had dragged something down the road, leaving miles of a groove in the surface which would cause the bike to wobble if you went over it. If you ever drove over a road where they ground off the old asphalt, leaving a cheese grater texture, then you'll know what it was like. I'm guessing that it's a rural road and OK wasn't about to spend the money to resurface it properly.