Mountain Biking in Arkansas is “EPIC”

Arkansas has Hilly terrain, scenic vistas, wilderness, lakes, streams, and decent riding weather for most of the year. Put all that together and what do you get? One of the best mountain biking states in the country, that’s what! It has 5 IMBA “Epic Rides” to its credit, along with hundreds of other outstanding trails. So it’s easy to see why Arkansas is getting a reputation nationally as a great mountain biking spot. (Something we’ve known around here for years).

EPIC Trails

EPIC Trails…What are those? The IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) has certain criteria that it uses to rate mountain bike trails. Those trails that meet these criteria are called “EPICS” and are considered the best of the best. Arkansas has the second-most in the country, along with Colorado, at five. They are:

1. Ouachita National Recreation Trail – The 223-mile Ouachita NRT is mostly known as a hiking trail. 108 continuous miles of this trail are open for mountain biking, making it the longest MTB trail in Arkansas. It runs from Hwy 7,north of Hot Springs to Hwy 88, north of Mena.
2. The Womble – 36 miles of single track to the west of Lake Ouachita. This trail starts just to the west of Mt. Ida and finishes at the Ouachita NRT to the northeast. Along the way, it traverses mountain ridges and thick forest, with lots of elevation change and encounters with the Ouachita River.
3. Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOVIT) – 45 miles of single track running east and west along the south side of Lake Ouachita. Its two sections offer something for all skill levels. Hitting five mountains, there is plenty of climbing with rewards of great descents and incredible views of Lake Ouachita.
4. Syllamo Trails – 50 miles of single track just north of Mountain View. The 5 loops in this trail system provide sections that are appropriate for riders of all skill levels. It offers plenty of hills, forests, bluffs, and a view of the beautiful White River below.
5. Upper Buffalo – 40 miles of singletrack near the headwaters of the Buffalo River. This is one of the most remote and beautiful areas of the state. The Upper Buffalo Trail winds its way along some of the highest elevation in the Ozarks. You’ll see plenty of scenic views, mountains, valleys, waterfalls and creek crossings.

Mountain Bike Capital of the World

But a trail doesn’t have to be an EPIC trail to be awesome. In fact, my favorite trails are not EPICs. Professionally built trails are popping up all over the state, starting in Northwest Arkansas. Bentonville is aspiring the be the Mountain Bike Capital of the World. They really got the trend going for professional quality trails, with trail systems like Slaughter Pen Hollow, Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, and many others along the Razorback Regional Greenway. The Greenway stretches all the way down to Fayetteville where more trail systems can be found like Lake Fayetteville, Mount Kessler, and more.

Monument Trails

Here in Arkansas, we are fortunate to have some truly awesome State Parks. Most of the State Parks have at least a few hiking trails, and some of them also have mountain bike trails. If you are mountain biking in Arkansas, there are four State Parks that should be on your favorites lists. They are the ones that have been blessed with Monument Trails. Those are Hobbs State Park, Pinnacle Mountain, Mt. Nebo, and Devil’s Den State Park.

You may be wondering, “what are Monument Trails?” The best description is straight from the Arkansas State Parks website. “The Monument Trails are a collection of world-class, mountain biking destinations within Arkansas State Parks. These shared-use trails are professionally crafted by some of the world’s best trail builders to showcase natural iconic beauty through innovative and sustainable design and build”. They were created through a partnership with the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation. Private donations and grant money funds the foundation, most notably by the Walton Family Foundation. Click here to read more about Monument Trails and the foundations responsible for them.

Around the State

There are plenty of other great trail systems worth mentioning, like Iron Mountain near Lake DeGray, Cedar Glades and Northwoods Trails in Hot Springs. Or Camp Robinson Trails (pass required) in North Little Rock, and Rattlesnake Ridge, Blue Mountain, and River Mountain Park in Little Rock. There are brand new MTB trails in Clarksville, and more opening soon in Benton. The list goes on and on.

Online Resources

With all the great options, where do you start? Well, do a little research. Unlike road biking, mountain biking trails vary a lot more in difficulty level and riding skill required. It is not recommended for new riders to just pick any old trail and start riding. Kind of like snow skiing, you don’t start off with a black diamond on day one. Research and find trails suited to your riding ability. Check the distance and difficulty of the trails to make sure your skills and physical conditioning are suited for it. Want hills? Flats? What kind of scenery? Download a map and know before you go! Here are some of my favorite places to find those things:

• MTB Project – This is a great nation-wide site that provides a detailed directory of mountain bike trails in AR. It shows you difficulty ratings, distances, pictures, maps, and reviews. Get the mobile app!
• SingleTracks.com – This is another national site that lists most of the mountain bike trails in Arkansas. Like the previous one, it also provides difficulty ratings, distances, maps, pictures, and more. Get the mobile app!
• Arkansas.com mountain bike page – The AR Department of Parks and Tourism has a nice mountain biking page. They have a great list of trails and their descriptions, as well as maps
• Hike Ouachita Mountain Bike Adventures – This site focuses solely on mountain biking in the Ouachita Mountains. It features an extensive list of trails, accommodations, event calendar, clubs, and more.
• All Trails – This is an awesome interactive site. You can create a profile to check off completed trails, save “wish lists” of trails to ride, and leave reviews. Users can search by city, region, parks, etc to find trails in a particular proximity, and see them on a map. Trails can be filtered by activity (hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, etc). Or filter by features such as waterfalls, caves, rock climbing, dog-friendly, and more. Most trail profiles include pictures, descriptions, maps, and driving directions. This site is better for hiking, but somewhat useful for mtn biking too. Get the mobile app here.

Trail Map & Featured Ride

From MTB Project

Cycling Tips for Newbies

• Just like road bikes, don’t go out and buy just any mountain bike off the rack (or Craigslist). Buy a bike that’s a good fit for your size and riding style/experience. Go to a specialty bike shop and let the pros help you get fitted for the proper size and style of bike.
• Don’t trust every “pro” in the bike shops. Most of them are very knowledgeable and mean well. But some of them just want to sell you a bike. Not all bikes are created equal though. Know the value of bicycle components(forks, wheels, cranks, brakes, shifters, gear sets, etc) so that you don’t overpay. If you don’t know, take someone with you who does, or do some research.
• You’ll need some extra gear and accessories. See the list below. Again, do a little research on those things.
• Research the trails and the area before you go. Check the distance and difficulty of the trails to make sure your skills and physical conditioning are suited for it. Find the right trail length, difficulty, scenery, and conditions for you. Download maps and check the weather.
• Find friends to ride with. Don’t have any biking friends? There are bike clubs and groups in most areas that riders can get involved with to meet other bikers to ride with or get advice on trails, equipment, etc. Group rides can be a fun way to meet new people, see new trails, and learn more about the sport.

Mountain Biking Gear