If you’re looking for a laid-back, scenic drive that’s packed with a little bit of everything Central Arkansas has to offer, Arkansas Highway 5 from Benton to Fountain Lake is a classic. This 27-mile journey takes us from the urban bustle of Benton all the way into the scenic fringes just north of Hot Springs, offering a blend of small-town charm, wooded landscapes, and glimpses of gated communities tucked into the hills.
We kick things off in Benton, hopping onto Highway 5 directly from Interstate 30. For the first mile, Highway 5 doubles as the frontage road, giving us a front-row seat to some of Benton’s newer developments and local businesses. Before we know it, we veer off onto the connector for Carpenter Street—a quick maneuver that’s become second nature to locals—then swing north at the intersection with Highway 35. Here, the vibe shifts as we leave the city’s edge behind and start heading north into the countryside. Just past the intersection with Arkansas Highway 298, we hang a left and the road starts to wind westward. The scenery gets greener, and neighborhoods quickly give way to open fields and stretches of pine forest.
Cruising through the small community of Kentucky, you’ll notice the shift from suburban to rural. There’s a calm here that feels worlds away from the I-30 corridor, with local farms and the occasional old general store dotting the roadside. After a few miles, we reach Crows—a crossroads anchored by the intersection with Arkansas Highway 9. At this point, if you’re up for a side trip, AR-9 can take you north toward the picturesque mountain towns in the Ouachitas. For our route, though, we stick with Highway 5, rolling west through Owensville, a tiny community that’s mostly just a blip on the map but a nice marker that you’re closing in on the edge of the Ouachita foothills.
The next highlight is the East Gate of Hot Springs Village. If you’ve never visited, this is one of the state’s largest gated communities, with golf courses, lakes, and scenic byways tucked into the wooded hills. The Balboa Gate comes up not long after—another entry point for residents and visitors heading deeper into the Village. While you can’t drive through the gated community unless you’re a resident or guest, the stretch of AR-5 that skirts its boundary offers plenty of scenic glimpses into the rolling terrain and dense forests that make this area so popular for retirees and outdoor lovers.
As we near Fountain Lake, the landscape opens up again, and you’ll spot signs for AR-128 (the Lonsdale Cutoff), a handy shortcut for anyone heading toward Lonsdale or U.S. Highway 70. A couple more miles and we’re entering Fountain Lake proper—a small but growing community just northeast of Hot Springs, with a school campus, a handful of local eateries, and a distinctly relaxed vibe. The journey wraps up at the new traffic circle with Arkansas Highway 7. Here, you can head north on AR-7 for a scenic drive into the mountains or continue south toward Hot Springs National Park and the iconic bathhouses.
00:00 Benton to Junction Arkansas Highway 298
06:00 Junction AR-298 to Junction Arkansas Highway 9 @ Crows
16:13 Junction AR-9 @ Crows to Hot Springs Village East Gate
22:22 Hot Springs Village East Gate to Hot Springs Village Balboa Gate
26:04 Hot Springs Village Balboa Gate to Junction Arkansas Highway 128 – Lonsdale Cutoff
28:02 Junction Arkansas 128 – Lonsdale Cutoff to Junction Arkansas Highway 7
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