U.S. Highway 71: Fayetteville to Winslow – Arkansas

Travel with us for 19 scenic miles as we head south along U.S. Highway 71, connecting the vibrant college town of Fayetteville to the mountain hamlet of Winslow in the heart of the Boston Mountains.

We kick things off at the intersection where the Fulbright Expressway merges with U.S. Highway 71 and School Avenue, right in the urban core of Fayetteville. It doesn’t take long for the cityscape to give way to a blend of rolling foothills and tree-lined shoulders that signal the start of the Ozarks proper. Just a few miles down, we cruise through the small community of Greenland. Here, Highway 71 skirts the edge of Drake Field, Fayetteville’s former main airport — still active today for general aviation and a neat local landmark. At Greenland, we also intersect with Arkansas Highway 156, a local connector worth noting if you’re exploring the backroads.

Pushing further south, we cross Rock Creek and the scenery tightens up with more hills and thicker forests. Soon enough, we roll into West Fork — a laid-back town where U.S. 71 serves as the main drag. Watch for the intersection with Arkansas Highway 170, which provides a backroad gateway into Devil’s Den State Park if you’re up for a detour to see caves, hiking trails, and Civilian Conservation Corps-era stonework.

Beyond West Fork, Highway 71 begins one of its more memorable stretches: the road carves east to shadow the West Fork of the White River. This bendy segment is classic Ozark driving — wooded slopes, river glimpses, and occasional clearings that open up to pastureland. Just past the river’s loops, we reach Brentwood, a rural community that’s little more than a landmark for travelers today but once hosted a rail stop. Here, we pick up a brief encounter with Arkansas Highway 74 — one of several scattered sections of this winding east-west state highway threading the mountains.

Continuing south, the terrain ramps up in elevation and the road cuts through the forested hills typical of this part of Washington County. After a final crossing of the White River, we reach the charming old mountain town of Winslow. Winslow’s known for its cool elevation, historic tunnel (though that’s on the old railroad alignment, not 71 itself), and mountain lodge charm. We wrap up this drive by turning onto yet another segment of Arkansas Highway 74, which heads west toward more switchbacks and beautiful overlooks deeper into the Ozarks.