My first stop was in Hot Springs at the city's Mountain Tower. Even though the leaves weren't at their peak this far south, the mtn tower road was open. Unfortunately, the tower itself was not. But the road leading up to the tower was fun! One point five miles, 488 feet elevation from the base of the mountain to the tower, all switchbacks.

Arkansas' Highway 7 is officially known as the Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway, and that was my destination. It runs roughly north from Hot Springs to Harrison. My destination was what is considered the most scenic, between Russelville and Jasper. This photo was the first indication of the change in colors. That's when the adrenaline was upped a notch.

Nimrod Lake, a reservoir controlled by the Nimrod Dam, has 77 miles of shoreline used for fishing and boating activities. It's located just west of Highway 7 south of Russellville. The dam was built in the early 1940s to control flooding of the Fourche LaFave River Valley. A nice park with picnic tables overlooks the dam.

Highway 7 has overlooks that offer panoramic views. This one is the Rotary Ann Overlook located some 25 miles north of the town of Dover. It looks east deep into the Ozark Mountains.

Another superb overlook is here at the Cliff House Inn, located between Deer and Jasper on Highway 7. "Grand Canyon" is the local's name for the area, but officially it's the Buffalo River Canyon. It's the deepest canyon in the Ozarks and one of Arkansas' most well-known attractions. This overlook looks east into the Boston Mountains.

There wasn't a whole lot of red in the autumn colors, so this tree just as I was entering the town of Jasper stood out.

Iron Springs Recreation Area is situated in the Ouchita National Forest. The Ouchita Mountains are south of the Ozark Mountains and separated by the Arkansas River Valley. The recreation area has a nice, cozy setting, day-use picnic area and hiking trail.

Having recently been in Arkansas and seeing a tiny tiny hint of the leaves changing into their autumn colors, I decided to make another trip up a few weeks later when the peak fall season was predicted.

I had read that Arkansas' Highway 7 heading north was the ideal area for the best colors. So, off I go with my camera as the passenger.

Truly, it wasn't the best colors I've ever seen, but I was still glad I made the trip. Here are some shots I took. If you live down south among the tropicals and evergreens, you may decide these colors are rather impressive.