Arkansas Highway 17: Brinkley to Cotton Plant

Leaving the flatlands of Brinkley behind, we head north on Arkansas Highway 17 for an 8-mile journey through the heart of the Arkansas Delta, bound for the quiet town of Cotton Plant. The route begins at the junction with U.S. Highway 49, where we swing westward out of Brinkley’s modest commercial strip before gradually curving northwest across the rich, low-lying farmland that defines much of Monroe County.

Almost immediately, the road takes us over DeView Bayou—a winding waterway flanked by cypress and willow—that gives us our first glimpse of the region’s wetland character. This is a key part of the Arkansas Delta ecosystem, and it’s not uncommon to spot herons or egrets in the marshy areas surrounding the bayou. The bridge here marks a subtle shift as we leave the more developed edges of Brinkley behind and transition into a stretch of open, rural highway.

As we continue northward, Arkansas 17 cuts through broad fields of soybeans, rice, and cotton. This stretch of highway is lined with levees, drainage ditches, and the occasional grain silo or irrigation rig—reminders that agriculture dominates life here. There’s a stillness to this drive, especially during the midday hours, where long views across the delta’s pancake-flat terrain meet an endless Arkansas sky. For road enthusiasts and photographers, golden hour here can be especially striking.

Nearing the halfway point, the landscape tightens slightly with clusters of trees and the occasional homestead. These interludes in the farmland hint at the nearby Cache River National Wildlife Refuge to the northeast—one of the largest remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood forest in North America. While the refuge doesn’t border AR-17 directly on this stretch, its influence is felt in the ecosystem: expect to see waterfowl in the skies above during migration seasons.

Arriving in Cotton Plant, we begin to see signs of settlement once again. The town, small and storied, has deep roots in Arkansas’s history and blues heritage. Highway 17 ends at the junction with Arkansas Highway 38, right in the center of town. For those interested in a detour, Highway 38 offers routes west toward Des Arc or east toward Hunter and the Mississippi River lowlands.

Whether you’re passing through or intentionally seeking a slower, scenic drive, this short but atmospheric stretch of Highway 17 delivers a slice of quiet Delta life—fields, bayous, and a fading town that once stood tall in the cotton economy of the South.