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Taking a group of 12 people (7 bikes)or so to Oklahoma. Going to ride the Talimena. Looking to stay near hwy 259. I'm looking for suggestions on where to stay and any rides in that area. Motels, cabins, open to any suggestions.
Queen Wilhelmina Lodge is right on the Talimena (just a few miles on the Arkansas side). The wife and I have stayed there and it was nice. There was a restaurant on site that had good food. Not much of anything else nearby. Plenty of paved parking for bikes.
Another option would be Beaver's Bend State Park near Broken Bow. It has a lodge and cabins, but is about an hour south of Talihina off hwy 259. I haven't stayed there recently but stayed in a cabin several years ago. Parking for bikes might be an issue at the cabins if the roads are not paved - I can't remember, and was with the family in a SUV at the time.
A buddy and I did a similar ride last April. We had a great time. We started in Paris Tx and went north on Hwy 271 through Hugo Ok, Antlers, to Clayton. Just northeast of Clayton we went north on Hwy 2 to the intersection with Hwy 1. Then East on Hwy 1 (also called 271) through Talihina. Hwy 1 becomes the Talimena Hwy in Arkansas and takes you to Mena. We road by the Wilhelmina lodge, it didn’t look like it was open. We spent the night in Mena. Several hotel choices. In April the restaurants in Mena were “take out” only.
The next day we went north out of Mena on Hwy 71 to Hwy 23 (the Pig Trail). North on Hwy 23 through Booneville, on to Ozark. The Pig Trail gets really good north of Ozark. We continued north on Hwy 23 to Huntsville, then Hwy 412 west to the Fayetteville area. (You can continue on Hwy 23 into Missouri) Then South on Hwy 49 to Hwy 40 to Fort Smith. South on Hwy 112 to Hwy 59. Hwy 59 becomes Hwy 259. We took Hwy 259 to Broken Bow and spent the night there.
From Broken Bow there any number of ways back into TX. The roads were good and the scenery was great. It was a fun trip.
Sun Country Inn in Mena is a biker friendly Hotel. They'll give you towels to clean your bike with if you so desire. Along the Northern Arkansas/Oklahoma border Choctaw Casino Resort in Pocola OK is a beautiful Hotel/Resort, with bars and a restaurant. Down on the Southern Border of AR/OK is the Choctaw Casino Resort in Grant, OK, just south of Hugo. Just about anywhere you ride on the Western side of Arkansas has great roads, good food and lots of Hotels and cabins if that's your thing....
In Moyers, OK is K River Campground. They have cabins, treehouses, fully furnished and air conditioned glamping tents, etc. My wife and I just spent a couple of days there. Owned by Adam Sandoval, if you know who he is. This is a biker friendly campground for bikers, owned by a biker. Plenty of food in Moyers, Antlers, and Hugo. Anywhere you ride around there is great riding. As well, a day's ride away, there are some great runs around the Muskogee area.
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S.E. Oklahoma lodging and ride recommendations
