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19-675: The Southwest Trail, also known as the Old Military Road, replaced the older Natchitoches Trace , which ran from the mouth of the Missouri River, near present-day St. Louis , Missouri to present-day Fulton , Arkansas on the Red River . From Fulton, another American Indian trace followed the Red River to Natchitoches , Louisiana . Southwest Trail was a general term for a network of trails linking St. Louis and Ste-Geneviève , Missouri to

38-617: A National Forest Scenic Byway . The road passes through the heart of both the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains , and features scenic views. It's the route favored by motorcycle riders touring the region. Highway 7 begins at the Louisiana state line as a continuation of Louisiana Highway 558 . It runs north and meets US 63 / US 167 , which it forms a concurrency with until El Dorado . North of El Dorado, Highway 7 shoots

57-1396: A spur route named the Calion Cutoff . The route continues north to cross Highway 335 before entering Smackover . Highway 7B runs through downtown Smackover, while the main route runs around the town meeting Highway 172 . Highway 7 continues northwest to enter Ouachita County . Highway 7 runs roughly parallel to Highway 376 until meeting the route south of Cullendale . The route continues north to Camden , when it intersects US 79 / US 278 (formerly Highway 4 ). Highway 7 continues north through downtown and heads northwest to enter Dallas County . Highway 7 enters Dallas County near Ouachita and continues north to meet Highway 208 in Sparkman . The route continues north to Highway 8 and Dalark. Highway 7 runs west after meeting Highway 8, leading into Clark County . Highway 7/Highway 8 runs to meet Highway 51 / Highway 128 east of Arkadelphia . In Arkadelphia, Highway 7 meets US 67 , which it follows north to Caddo Valley and I-30 . After crossing I-30, Highway 7 continues north through DeGray Lake Resort State Park , now entering Hot Spring County , where it meets Highway 84 in Bismarck . Highway 7 enters Garland County by crossing over Lake Hamilton and crossing through

76-527: A rough trail similar to the present-day Highway 7. Upon creation of the U.S. Route system in 1925, the north and south portions of the highway were replaced by US 65 to Harrison and US 167 , respectively. Arkansas numbered its highways in 1926 , and the route became Highway 7 (the north part of A-5 remains as Highway 5 ). Mile markers reset at some concurrencies. Highway 7 has six total auxiliary routes. Highway B in Smackover runs into town while

95-532: The Arkansas River on U.S. Route 70 , through Little Rock to Arkansas Highway 5 through Bryant and Benton to U.S. Route 70, then Arkansas Highway 229 to U.S. Route 67 . At Fairplay it takes Old Military Road to Rockport , where pioneers forded the Ouachita River . From Rockport it takes Arkansas Highway 84 to Social Hill , then Old Military Road to U.S. Route 67 at Midway, to Caddo Valley , then crosses

114-481: The Ozark National Forest , Highway 7 meets Highway 16 and Highway 123 before entering Newton County . Highway 7 breaks north from Highway 16 towards Highway 74 and Jasper . Highway 7 crosses Highway 206 upon entering Boone County . Highway 7 enters Harrison , meeting Highway 43 , and having an officially designated exception over US 65B and US 62 / US 65 / US 412 . It is after this point that

133-567: The Arkansas territory's population had entered through the Southwest Trail. The U.S. Army improved the military road during Andrew Jackson ’s presidency. Usage of the trail north of the Arkansas River declined in the late 1800s, but the trail south of the river remained in use decades longer. From the St. Louis and Ste-Geneviève areas, the trail passed through Wayne County , Missouri. The Indian trace

152-567: The Caddo River on Arkansas Highway 7 to Old Military Road, to Arkansas Highway 8 then Mount Olive Road to Hollywood, then Arkansas Highway 26 to Antoine , then Arkansas Highway 29 to Arkansas Highway 19, returns to Arkansas Highway 29 through Blevins , to Arkansas Highway 32, then U.S. Route 278 to Washington . It then follows Arkansas Highway 195 to Fulton, and crosses the Red River on U.S. Route 67. It continues to Mandeville , turns off on Rondo Road to Rondo, then takes U.S. Route 82 west to

171-641: The Louisiana Purchase territory. The trade route was named for the Natchitoches branch of the Caddo confederation. As late as the early 1800s, Natchitoches people still lived in the Hot Springs , Arkansas region, and probably visited the springs that today are part of Hot Springs National Park . Early European explorers followed Natchitoches Trace in the future territories of Missouri and Arkansas . Much of

190-566: The Red River Valley of Texas. European American pioneers improved and expanded the older route. At the time of Americans' first settling the Texas territory, the Red River was the border between Mexico and the United States. Little more than a footpath before Arkansas became a territory in 1819, Southwest Trail became a major immigration route in the 1820s. By the 1830s more than 80 percent of

209-413: The Red River and Natchitoches, Louisiana. Arkansas Highway 7 Arkansas Highway 7 ( AR 7 ) is a north–south state highway in Arkansas. As Arkansas's longest state highway, the route runs 297.27 miles (478.41 km) from the Louisiana state line north to Diamond City . With the exception of the segment north of Harrison , Highway 7 has been designated as an Arkansas Scenic Byway and

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228-1333: The community of Lake Hamilton . Highway 7 continues into Hot Springs , crossing US 70 / US 270 . The route enters Hot Springs National Park with Highway 128 . The route meets Highway 298 north of Hot Springs Village , running with it until an area near the Perry County line . The route runs through the Ouachita National Forest until the Fourche Junction meeting with Highway 60 . The route continues in Yell County by running through Ola . The route meets Highway 10 and Highway 28 in Ola. Highway 7 continues northeast to Centerville , meeting Highway 154 and Highway 247 . Highway 7 also meets Highway 115 before Dardanelle . The route turns right at Union Street in Dardanelle, entering Pope County . The route continues through Russellville , meeting US 64 and Highway 124 before leaving town. Highway 7 also meets I-40 north of Russellville. Continuing north, Highway 7 meets Highway 164 in Dover . In

247-552: The current Arkansas-Texas border of Texarkana . The trail is commemorated in the Historic Washington State Park , northwest of Hope . Washington was a key trading point near the southwest end of the trail. Natchitoches Trace The Natchitoches Trace was a prehistoric American Indian path that led from the mouth of the Missouri River to present-day Natchitoches , Louisiana . Natchitoches Trace

266-571: The prehistoric path was adopted by the Southwest Trail when American pioneers later traveled to Arkansas and Texas . The paths varied the most south of the Arkansas River. The American Indian path traveled to Hot Springs, then followed the Ouachita River southward to Louisiana, while Southwest Trail users generally were headed to Texas. From the mouth of the Missouri River, Natchitoches Trace passed through Wayne County , Missouri. The Indian trace

285-466: The route is no longer designated scenic. The route continues north to Highway 14 and Lead Hill before entering Diamond City , after which it continues as Diamond Boulevard. The route now known as Highway 7 first appears as a state maintained road in 1924, when the Arkansas General Assembly first created a federal aid system. Two main routes, State Road B-14 and State Road A-5 form

304-884: Was a pioneer key town on the Black River , but frequent flooding led to use of a newer, western route that passes through Sulphur Rock and crosses the White River at Batesville . From Southside, the trail follows U.S. Route 167 to Pleasant Plains , then Arkansas Highway 157 to Sunnydale, then Arkansas Highway 124 to Arkansas Highway 305 to Arkansas Highway 16 to Letona Road to Mount Pisgah Road to Morris School Road to Arkansas Highway 36 to Center Hill, then Arkansas Highway 305 to Floyd , then El Paso Road to Arkansas Highway 5 through El Paso to Arkansas Highway 89, then Tate's Mill Road to Batesville Pike Road through Gibson to Remount Road to Arkansas Highway 176 to Arkansas Highway 365 through North Little Rock. Southwest Trail crosses

323-517: Was superseded by the Southwest Trail in historical times. The Natchitoches Trace was a trade route between the Missouri River basin to the Red River basin. From Natchitoches, another American Indian path led to Tenochtitlan , capital of the Aztec empire, site of present-day Mexico City . The site of future Natchitoches, Louisiana was key trading point, and became the first permanent settlement in

342-487: Was the southern route of two followed by Cherokees and their enslaved Africans during the Trail of Tears . In Arkansas, it followed much of the Black River to its mouth on the White River , site of present-day Jacksonport . From Hot Springs, roughly midway on the footpath, Natchitoches Trace followed the Ouachita River downstream. The Ouachita, part of the Red River basin, flows southward to Louisiana's Black River, then to

361-594: Was the southern route of two followed by Cherokees and their enslaved Africans during the Trail of Tears . From its origin as a footpath, to a series of rugged roads, highways follow much of the route today. Southwest Trail enters Arkansas on Arkansas Highway 166 , north of Maynard , ( Randolph County ). It then passes through communities of Attica, Pocahontas , Imboden , Smithville , Jesup, Strawberry and Walnut Grove. Two routes were used by pioneers en route to Southside . The older, eastern trail passes through Davidsonville , Newark and Oil Trough . Davidsonville

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