Every few months, I drive to South Mississippi to visit my mom, brother, and sister-in-law. They live on a beautiful, wooded piece of paradise by a small creek outside Woodville, MS. Depending on my schedule or desire for a different experience, I vary my route. Over the years, I’ve made it a point to stop at spots like Hoot’s in McGehee, Arkansas, or Miss Rhoda’s in Lake Village for tamales, and I’ve seen restaurants come and go along the way. The closing of The Dock in Lake Providence, Louisiana, was especially disappointing for Lisa and me.
On my recent solo trip, I decided to go far out of my way, starting in Marianna, Arkansas, and then following less-traveled roads south until I rejoined my usual route in Dumas. Although this detour added hours to my trip, I wanted one last glimpse of autumn’s golden colors before settling into winter’s grey. My main goal for the drive was to experience the locally known “High Road.”
Between Marianna and Helena lies the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, specifically the St. Francis section. This elevated, wooded area stands out in the Arkansas Delta. Crowley’s Ridge, a unique 150-mile formation rising between 250 and 550 feet above the flat Arkansas and Mississippi Delta, runs from southeast Missouri to Helena and offers a striking contrast to the horizon of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.
The High Road (Lee-Phillips County Road 217) is a narrow, paved route along Crowley’s Ridge’s ridgeline, while the Low Road (County Road 239) is a gravel path running parallel near the ridge’s base on the east side, close to the St. Francis and Mississippi Rivers. I first discovered this area on a gravel bike ride from Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Clarksdale, Mississippi. I’ve since enjoyed both roads as part of the Delta Grind Gravel Ride, hosted annually in Helena by Studio Drift.
The U.S. Forest Service and Arkansas State Parks manage this area together, with a Visitor Center for Mississippi River State Park just outside Marianna. I highly recommend stopping by for the exhibits on local flora, fauna, and cultural history near the Arkansas and St. Francis Rivers’ confluence. If you’re short on gear, the park offers bike, backpack, and kayak rentals. Continuing south, visitors reach Bear Creek Lake, a spot with boating, fishing, and swimming opportunities and a beautiful campground maintained by the state parks.
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;” – Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.
As you drive south, you’ll cross Bear Creek Lake’s dam and eventually reach a fork in the road (see image above). The left gravel road leads to the Low Road, while the right paved route begins the High Road, which was my main target. This area is filled with hardwood trees, and although I was just past peak fall colors, I wasn’t disappointed. The High Road has such light traffic that it often feels more like a protected bike or pedestrian path than a road. I saw only two other vehicles on the 15-mile drive. The road has a couple of short but steep climbs, making it accessible to most cyclists. For a more extended ride, I recommend a gravel bike to loop the High and Low Roads or join the Delta Grind for a marked route with others.
The High Road also leads to the southern unit of Mississippi River State Park, Storm Creek Lake. Here, visitors can enjoy more fishing, boating, and camping, along with camper cabins perched on hillsides overlooking the lake. Arkansas State Parks’ modern, well-maintained facilities, built within the last decade, make the campgrounds at Bear Creek and Storm Creek the perfect bases for a biking adventure to explore the area.
