Road Biking in Arkansas
Road biking has become increasingly popular in the last 5-10 years. So popular that many communities in the state are modeling other progressive biking communities around the country by becoming more “bike-friendly”. The construction of designated biking trails has been instrumental in the increased interest and popularity in road biking in Arkansas. Two great examples are the Arkansas River Trail in Little Rock/North Little Rock, and the Razorback Regional Greenway in Northwest Arkansas. (More on these below). These projects provide safe trails where newcomers can learn the ropes and ride without the dangers of automobile traffic. The result has been an increase in safety and awareness for cyclists in their communities. And in some cases, they’ve helped drive the need for cities to create much-needed bike lanes on city streets. As great as these are, it’s hard to beat the open road of Arkansas’ beautiful rural highways. Either way, if you are thinking of getting into road cycling, keep reading…
Places to ride
Where there’s a road, there’s a place to ride. But some of those roads are better than others when it comes to traffic, terrain, road hazards, and overall riding experience. Here are some links to popular routes.
Arkansas River Trail
The Arkansas River Trail consists mostly of a 16-mile loop that lines both the north and south shores of the Arkansas River in Little Rock and North Little Rock. The trail crosses the river on the east end at the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. It crosses again on the west end of the loop at the Big Dam Bridge. The trail also includes a segment that extends past the west end of the loop to Two Rivers Park and routes beyond. Along the way, riders can visit some of the local Little Rock attractions, such as the Clinton Presidential Library, or the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. There’s also the Little Rock River Market, many city parks, and some of the Central Arkansas breweries. (Because cycling groups love beer!!!). Find more Central Arkansas cycling routes at MapMyRide.com
Razorback Regional Greenway
The Razorback Regional Greenway is a 36-mile trail running north and south through the four main cities of Northwest Arkansas. It connects Lake Bella Vista in Bentonville on the north end with Walker Park in Fayetteville on the south end. The trail winds its way through the main cities, with many side trails that connect with other parts of the area. Along the way, riders can take in many of the attractions of NWA, such as Crystal Bridges Museum. It also passes along Lake Springdale, Lake Fayetteville, many parks, shopping areas, and of course many of the NWA breweries. Read more about the Razorback Greenway here and here.
Around The State
We could fill several pages with all the places to road bike around Arkansas. Luckily though, that work has already been done by great people who have done some really nice work. Here are some of my favorite online resources for road biking in Arkansas:
- Arkansas.com is an Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism page that provides information on cycling routes, maps, and events all around the state. Or download their road cycling guide here.
- cyclingarkansas.com is a privately managed site that has links to popular bike routes, clubs, and events all around Arkansas.
- mapmyarkansasride.com – This is a helpful site to search specific towns in Arkansas to find popular cycling courses in that area. They also have a link to submit new rides/routes that they don’t have listed.
- 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 is a must-have resource for those looking for new trails to explore.. Get the mobile app here.
