Crowning Queen Willy

One view from the Talimena Scenic Drive

Last year on our trip to see the Crystal Bridges Museum, we traveled down the Talimena Scenic Drive but couldn’t stay at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge because it was under renovation. This year we remedied that situation. The lodge is actually in Queen Wilhelmina State park which is crossed by the 54-mile Talimena Scenic Drive and the 225-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail. Designated a National Scenic Byway, Talimena Scenic Drive runs along the crests of Rich and Winding Stair mountains within the Ouachita National Forest; it also links Arkansas and Oklahoma. The Ouachita National Recreation Trail connects Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Arkansas and Talimena State Park in Oklahoma; 192 miles of the trail are within the national forest. The scenery, alone, is ample reason to stay in the lodge; however recent upgrades have made this place lovelier than ever.