Mountain Gateway Scenic Byway

Oklahoma's Mountain Gateway Scenic Byway follows Highway 59/270 for 22 miles from Heavener to the Arkansas state line. It climbs into the forested valleys of the Ouachita Mountains, a range that, unlike most in America, runs east to west, and this stretch cuts through part of the 26,445-acre Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area on a two-lane road with steep grades and sharp curves. Heavener, at the byway's western end, is known for Heavener Runestone Park, home to a large sandstone slab carved with runic characters whose origin is still debated by historians and amateur archaeologists. The drive is one of three original southeastern Oklahoma state scenic byways, alongside the Mountain Pass and Talimena drives, developed together as a package and pursued for national designation as a shared corridor. Dense oak-hickory forest, seasonal waterfalls, and pull-offs with views into Arkansas define the route more than any single town, making it a quieter, shorter counterpart to the more famous Talimena Drive just to its south.

• Ouachita Mountains
• Winding Stair Mountain NRA
• Heavener Runestone Park
• 22 miles
• Highway 59/270
• Arkansas state line
• Talimena Scenic Drive corridor