Driving Tours
The Jefferson Junket
Pine Bluff, a trade and entertainment center for Southeast Arkansas as well as the county seat, is the origination point for Tour One. I-530/U.S. Highway 65 is the major traffic artery to and from the city.
The Dexter Harding House located just off of Highway 65B at the Pine Street exit is the first stop on this tour. This former pioneer residence is now a visitor information center where you can obtain maps, brochures and advice from the personable staff.
When you leave the Dexter Harding House, take a driving tour of the city’s Historic Downtown District and see some of Pine Bluff’s most significant and
handsome homes and buildings. This collection represents a variety of classic architectural styles and includes the Prigmore-Martin-Eilbott house on West 5th Avenue; the Jefferson County Courthouse at Main and Barraque; the Ben Pearson Home, also on Barraque: Trinity Episcopal Church on West 3rd Avenue; and the DuBocage Home and the Martha Mitchell Home, both on West 4th Avenue.
Here is where you’ll want to park your vehicle and take a pleasant walking tour along Main Street to see the city’s impressive collection of murals. Click here for a preview.
From the beautiful Regional Park along the Arkansas River to railroad and historical museums, golf and the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, located in the Pine Bluff Convention Center, Pine Bluff offers a lot for visitors to see and do.
To help personalize your own version of The Jefferson Junket, be sure to visit the ATTRACTIONS pages to find all the great things you can see on this trip.
The Cane Creek Circuit
Traveling south from Pine Bluff on Highway 425 visitors are beckoned to come to Star City, the county seat of Lincoln County. As you enter town, a handsome clock tower will catch your eye. It features the county’s original courthouse clock. A little south of Star City on Highway 425 is Country Village, a charming cluster of shops, including steak and catfish restaurants, a bakery and 21 other establishments.
Lincoln County is a destination for sportsmen and outdoor lovers. Anglers can access the Arkansas River at Lock and Dam No. 3 in the northernmost part of the county at the end of Arkansas Highway 11. Bayou Bartholomew, the longest bayou in the world, traverses the county from northwest to southeast. Several county roads lead to the bayou.
Located a few miles east of Star City on Highway 293, Cane Creek State Park 2,100-acre park with Cane Creek Lake as its centerpiece. The park is a haven for anglers and nature lovers, with camp sites and plenty of facilities.
You won’t see the Gould, Grady, Fresno Triangle on a map, but if you’re a hunter, you need to know about it. Prime duck country is located within an invisible line that connects these towns. Grady and Gould are located on Highway 65; Fresno is located at the junction of Highways 11 and 114.
Traveling west take State Highway 114 to Rison, where the stately Cleveland County Courthouse reigns as the city’s most popular National Historic Register site. Pioneer Village at Rison is a restoration of a typical south Arkansas community as it would have appeared in the late 1800s.
Take U. S. Highway 79 south to Kingsland, birthplace of entertainer Johnny Cash, and pick up State Highway 97 to visit Marks’ Mill Battleground State Historic Site (Civil War) at the junction with State Highway 8. Return to Highway 9 and travel southwest to just above Fordyce, where you’ll begin the Tall Timber Trail tour.
Tall Timber Trail
This tour starts as you travel Highway 167 to Crossroads where a side trip on County Road 8 will take you over to State Highway 46 and the Jenkins’ Ferry State Historic Site. A Civil War battle took place during the Union Army’s Red River Campaign at Jenkins’ Ferry.
Leaving this historic site take AR Highway 46 into Sheridan, the county seat of Grant County. The Grant County Museum and Heritage Village, featuring restored building and displays of county history, are located just off Highway 46 in Sheridan. In town, take a left on Center St. (U.S. 270), follow it to U.S. Highway 167 and turn right. Continue to the intersection with AR Highway 35 and turn left. Follow AR 35 until you come to Grant County Road 51 and turn right.
There, you’ll find the Grant County Veterans Memorial Park featuring a full-scale replica of a B-17 aircraft.
Backtrack to U.S. Highway 270 and follow it west of Sheridan to Prattsville and the Harper Arabian Farm, where you can tour one of the South’s finest breeding and training centers for Arabian horses.
Float fishermen are fond of the stretch of Saline River from the northwestern corner of Grant County to Jenkins’ Ferry near the county’s southern border. Cox Creek Lake in the western part of the county is another favorite fishing spot. Our tour concludes with a return to Pine Bluff via Highway 270.