This has been a fine year for road trips on my '09 Street Bob. First to Hell about 7 weeks ago.



And then to Devil's Den, yesterday.

13 miles west of Winslow, Arkansas is Devil's Den State Park. As you enter the park, the last 3 miles are the tightest most compact series of uphill and downhill switchbacks I have ridden, and that includes Tail of the Dragon. With Devil's Den, you cannot get synchronized with the curves. They are bad a$$. Many of them are 1st gear. No 18 wheeler could ever get through, and those familiar with the Tail of the Dragon know that 18 wheelers do stray onto both sides of the road to make those curves, and they will run you off the road.

I trailered 400 miles from Houston to Windingstair Mountain campground. It is about 100 miles south of Devil's Den. The camping at Devil's Den is always full on the weekends. Reservations required. This is my arrival at Windingstair campground on Friday evening.



First ride was to the Emerald Vista Overlook and then to Heavener, OK to gas up the Harley.

Emerald Vista Overlook at Windingstair.



Saturday morning I rode 100 miles up to Devil's Den via Arkansas Hwy 220. That was a mistake. It started out as a paved road, but after 20 miles, there was a sign saying "Pavement Ends". It should have said road ends. The dirt and gravel road was filled with rocks. I figured it would just be another 2 miles to the paved road on the other side of the park, but I was wrong. About 10 miles of dirt bike and four wheeler type road (still Arkansas Hwy 220) remained. I think I broke the front strut. It makes a bad clanking sound on rough roads.

Update Edit: It looks like a broken front engine mount. https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...ont-end-2.html
Update Edit #2: It was actually the fuel tank bolt had come loose.

Here is the road through Devil's Den State Park. Stay away from Arkansas State Hwy 220 scenic. It is dirt, gravel and rocks, suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Interstate 540 is the only reasonable approach route on a Harley.



This is my Street Bob parked outside the Devil's Den visitor's center.



This is the sign at the east side of Devil's Den.



And this sign needs no explanation.




I rode Hwy 74 to Hwy 71 towards Alma, AR. Hwy 71 is a great high speed curved road with passing lanes on the upgrades. Very little traffic. The curves are all marked for 20 mph, but I was able to maintain 60 mph, although the muffler dragged on the right hand turns. That is a common affliction with the Dyna Street Bob.

Here is a map showing that really nice 30 mile motorcycle trip, all paved roads, and all excellent for keeping you from getting bored while riding (like when riding the mostly boring Interstate highways). :-)



On the way back to Windingstair, I figured I would try to exit Devil's Den by Hwy 170. It looked like a good paved road, and it was. There were scenic vistas in the park.





Be careful when you park so you don't skid on the gravel and go over the cliff. They post a warning sign that they don't put up guardrails so as to preserve the natural beauty. (It's also cheaper.)

When Hwy 170 turned to Hwy 265, to County Road 217, things were looking pretty good, until County Road 217 pavement ended after about 10 miles without warning. It dumped me back into the same old Arkansas Hwy 220 in the unpaved part, so I had the "pleasure" of running that rock and gravel road in both directions. If I had known, I would have avoided it.

My Devil's Den daytrip was 317 miles.

Sunday morning, I packed up camp, loaded the Street Bob on the trailer and headed back to Houston in air conditioned comfort.

 

Looks like a good trip and thanks for the information and the great photos. You might get some ribbing from the "trailering photo", though! Ride Safe.

 

rode thru Hell on the way home yesterday, was happy to see they finally repaved the road. Was a little cool but at least it hasn't frozen over yet.

 

Thanks for the great pictures. Looks like a great trip to be sure, even if you were in a truck!! j/k

 

I know most of y'all think a motorcycle road trip requires thousands of miles of mind (and butt) numbing Interstate highway boredom to get to the good riding roads.

I guess I'm just one step away from the "Fly and Ride" crowd. I don't think I'll ever go that way since I want to ride my own machine.

There were 5 other bikers at the Winding stair campsite. They all had serious touring bikes. One Ultra Classic, a couple of BMW sport touring with the big luggage style saddle bags, and another big touring bike I didn't recognize. They were all doing the self contained camping and riding. The guy in the campsite next to mine had a 2011 Street Glide and a full double axle travel trailer with a bike "garage" in the back. That was really traveling in style.

As a matter of fact, all the bikes I saw at campgrounds or on the road were all big touring bikes. Not a single cruiser, although I saw a couple of hard core sport bikers for off road riding and camping. But they were just 2 in a couple of hundred bikes. Lots of older Harley Electra Glides up in that part of the country. Maybe 10% Honda Gold Wings. Lots of Ultra Classics, Street Glides.

My Harley Street Bob was truly on the small and light side of the typical motorcycles riding that part of the country.

 

Living in Fayetteville just 30 miles north of there, Devil's Den is one of my favorite rides. I always come in from the north which allows me to climb out the south end where all the twisties are. I find it easier going up then down.

 

If they ever pave that 7 miles between Lee Creek and Devils Den, that would make a fine loop. I braved that stretch once and according to my GF, the scenery was great. I wouldn't know, too busy dodging rocks and gullies. I do recall seeing a couple of small waterfalls coming off the side of the hills. Never got above 2nd gear the whole way.

 

Same here. And 90% of that was in first gear.

There was one particularly scary downgrade where I was in 1st gear and I could feel the rear wheel slipping on the gravel. And at the bottom of the downgrade was a hairpin turn, all gravel of course. I used as light a touch as I could on the front brake to keep things under control. I rate that section as "High Pucker Factor". :-)

 

A friend sent me this photo so I thought I'd share the experience with y'all:



The Devil made me do it!