Northwest Arkansas Mountain Bike Trails: Best in Nation
Northwest Arkansas has more than 250 miles of top-tier mountain bike trails, offering cyclists one of the best singletrack experiences in the nation.
With the rugged terrain of the Ozarks, and one of the most progressive cycling cultures in the country, Northwest Arkansas has invested in an impressive infrastructure. Trails include downhill runs with shuttles, a best-in-class jump park, pump tracks and skills courses.
Since hosting the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) World Summit in 2016, the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship in 2019 — and now as host of the 2022 Cyclocross World Championships — the area has earned a reputation as one of the top off-road cycling destinations in the nation.
Back 40 Trails
Opened in 2016, this venerable Back 40 trail system was created by some of the most talented trail builders. Riders can start at Lake Ann and fan out in all directions for a fantastic downhill adventure.
Lake Atalanta Trail
Lake Atalanta includes ten miles of easy, intermediate and expert bike trails, a beautiful fast singletrack with a view, swooping bridges and gravity cavities.
Blowing Springs Trails
This chill six-mile loop takes you past a waterfall and vast bluff faces and trickling streams before connecting to Slaughter Pen Trails in Bentonville.
City Lake Park Trails
Three miles from downtown, this beloved park has beginner and intermediate multi-use soft surface trails, mountain bike optimized directional flow trails and raised-bed hiking trails. The park also plans to offer one of largest skill course/pump track to date.
Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
This mountain bike preserve west of downtown is still developing to its full potential. Trails feature flowy jump lines and challenging technical rocky sections that culminate at Peak One Hub. Coler also has tent and hammock camping sites, wooden platforms for tents and restrooms/showers.
Fitzgerald Mountain Trails
The trails being developed at Fitzgerald Mountain include a strider course for kids, technical terrain and punchy climbs. It will also include some of the best largest expert-level, mountain-biking features in the country.
While in Springdale, also check out the Runway Bike Park and Pump Track– the largest pump track in the U.S. Located at The Jones Center, Runway has skills trails, a children’s bicycle playground and the Velosolutions Pump Track. This is a great option for mountain bikes, BMX and skateboards.
Little Sugar
The newest trail system in Bella Vista sports 39 miles of new mountain biking and hiking trails. This new system is made up of three loops and more than 20 connectors that range from beginner to advanced. Once completed, this trail system will consist of 50 miles of winding trail leading the rider through climbs, long descents, and spectacular views.
Fayetteville Mountain Bike Trails
Fayetteville is known for its abundance of easy-to-access trails within the city limits. Well-constructed and well-maintained, take your pick from Gregory Park Trail, Lake Fayetteville Trails and Kessler Mountain Trails.
Hobbs State Park Trails in Rogers
Nestled in pine trees, Hobbs State Park provides some of the smoothest riding in the state. It’s also home to one of Arkansas State Parks’ Monument Trail systems and optimized for mountain biking.
The Great Passion Play Trails
These trails offer 15 miles of mountain bike routes for riders of varying levels. Explore the Holy Land tour area and see the giant Christ of the Ozarks statue on the Passion Play grounds.
Lake Leatherwood Trails
Travel along rock gardens up the climb to Minor’s Rock, then chase the thrill back down along the new enduro-style downhill runs. Catch a shuttle ride back up to the top, and do it all again!
Pension Mountain
The cross-country trails at Berryville’s Pension Mountain are great for biking, hiking, ATV riding and horseback riding. Just minutes from town, its views of the rugged Ozark Mountains can’t be beat!
The Railyard Bike Park
This park is equipped with world-class dirt jumps, wooden ramps and ride-thru railroad cars. It also provides quick and easy access to downtown restaurants and pubs.
Sager Creek Mountain Bike Trail
This five-mile trail runs along Sager Creek and opens into two trails that run along the perimeter of the main John Brown University campus. Great for riders of all skill levels.
Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Park
Designated as an IMBA Silver Level Ride Center, Slaughter Pen is an ultimate urban mountain bike park – one of the first in the region. It take riders past Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and other local hot spots downtown.
PLEASE NOTE: In light of recent events, to help contain the spread of COVID-19, many events in the area have been postponed or rescheduled. We encourage readers to check directly with event organizers at links provided to determine current statuses before making plans. The Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association, along with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism are closely monitoring COVID-19 in Arkansas and are engaged with state health officials to ensure preparedness as the situation evolves. The health and safety of our residents and our visitors is, and will always be, our top priority. With this in mind, we encourage potential travelers to assess before traveling.