The Wheel Deal: Top Biking Trails in Northwest Arkansas
By Jeff Atwell
More than 500 miles of purpose-built dirt, gravel, and paved biking trails reach every nook and cranny of Northwest Arkansas. Elite riders come here to train and compete on highly technical singletrack, while beginner and intermediate cyclists find plenty of well-maintained flows to hone their skills.
The biking trails are so concentrated in the region that backcountry wilderness rides are always close to communities, welcoming cyclists with bike rentals, wash stations, pre- and post-ride hangouts, and places to stay.
Why Northwest Arkansas is the Best Destination for Biking
Fayetteville is a leading bicycle-friendly city in Arkansas with the only gold designation in the state, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The 40-mile, two-lane Razorback Greenway gives cyclists of all abilities access to the great outdoors on a paved path that bypasses most vehicle traffic.
The greenway runs from Bella Vista to Fayetteville and includes spur trails that connect to the region’s off-road trail systems. Many visitors who ride along the greenway quickly discover they can leave their cars parked and get to restaurants, farmers markets, and museums throughout the region on two wheels.
Green Trails Means Go – For Beginner Riders
Green biking trails are great for beginners, with mild climbs, gradual descents, and wide, flat turns. Coler Mountain Bike Preserve’s Good Vibrations trail in Bentonville gives riders an obstacle-free, pump track-style option through the forest.
The Rabbit Hole Loop, part of a five-mile network of Wonderland trails also in Bentonville, is a family-friendly excursion with an easy 225-foot climb. In Rogers, the Mercy Heritage trail system includes a paved one-mile loop and access to the Razorback Greenway.
Save the Date: Biking Events in Northwest Arkansas
Events throughout Northwest Arkansas celebrate mountain biking culture. Check the events calendar to see when local, regional, and international events cycle through Northwest Arkansas.
Spicy Blue Trails – For Intermediate Riders
Most of the biking trails in Northwest Arkansas are rated Blue (or intermediate). Local builders call them “Spicy,” as most include jumps, berms, and rock gardens that riders can hit or ride around.
In Bella Vista, The Back 40 trails feature punchy climbs that lead to scenic descents. South of Fayetteville, Devil’s Den State Park features nearly 20 miles of scenic biking trails with purpose-built rock berms and jumps that up the adrenaline. For a speedy Blue trail that’s great for mountain biking, try Fire Line at Coler Mountain, a popular downhill flow/jump trail.
Black Diamond Trails – For Expert Riders
While most biking trails here are known for their fast flow, the area’s craggy terrain comes into play on many Black Diamond trails. At Coler Mountain, Here’s Johnny and Rock Solid mountain biking routes offer challenging rides with rock step-ups, elevated wooden bridges, and steep hillside drop-offs.
For a short but strenuous ride, Bella Vista’s Sick-A-More mountain biking trail features short, steep climbs, rocky descents, narrow wooden bridges, and tight squeezes between cliff walls and tree trunks.
On Slaughter Pen’s Rotten to the Core trail, skinny elevated bridges are the only relief riders get from the bone-rattling climbs and descents.
Let the Bike Pros Lead the Way
37 North in Bentonville is an outfitter and guide service that offers cycling tours as well as hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding expeditions for visitors who want to get the most out of every minute in the Northwest Arkansas wilderness.
OZ Cycling Tours out of Bentonville leads customized half-day and full-day rides. Ride The Back 40, Slaughter Pen, Little Sugar, and gravel routes with guides who have memorized every inch of these rides.
Ozark Bike Guides in Bentonville offers private half-day and full-day tours on dirt, gravel, and greenway trails. Every tour is customized by local trail guides who teach out-of-towners how to handle their bikes with more confidence.
Slaughter Trail Guides provides shuttle service to Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project’s epic downhill trails and shares advice on how to navigate the white-knuckle lines. Their Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Eureka Springs tours hit the highlights of the area’s dirt and gravel trails, as well as a pump track.
All-in-One Bike Trails
Throughout Northwest Arkansas, bike trail systems are intentionally designed with complementary routes having progressive levels of difficulty. Little Sugar’s 50 miles of trails in Bella Vista cater to multiple riding styles on free-flowing singletrack rated Green to Double-Black. In Bentonville, riders can access more than 40 miles of singletrack directly from downtown.
Start with the Slaughter Pen trails to find mellow flows for beginners along the All-American trail and faster rides with tricky obstacles along the Tech Gnar trail. Near Eureka Springs, Great Passion Play adds 15 miles of progressive mountain biking trails that feature smooth beginner loops and intermediate trails with berms and jumps.
Session Zones in Northwest Arkansas
For high-intensity descents, Eureka Springs gets in on the action with Lake Leatherwood Bike Park. Shuttles carry riders and their bikes to the launch pad, where they choose from seven drops.
Bella Vista’s Little Sugar has two popular session zones, Huntley and Staggerwing. The mountainous setting of Centennial Park in Fayetteville creates steep climbs and fast descents, especially on its three-mile Learner’s Permit trail.
Jumps, Berms & Castles, Oh My!
Handcrafted bike trail features turn natural playgrounds into the ultimate mountain biking experience. Riding on and around the elevated launch pads at Coler Mountain and Slaughter Pen is half the fun. Heading down the multiple drop lines pays off the other half.
The rock-and-steel Masterpiece Bridge along Slaughter Pen’s All-American trail is used as a wall, a jump, or a pump track. The rugged dirt trails on Fitzgerald Mountain plow through constructed rock berms and bridges that blend into the natural terrain. The Best Trail Ever gets the heart racing with blind drops and jumps.
Pump it UP On Exciting Pump Tracks
Visitors can also hone their skills on area pump tracks. At Railyard Bike Park in Rogers, a progressive skills course features eight routes on non-slip track asphalt. Start on the slopestyle routes before hitting the jumps and hairpin turns on more advanced routes.
One of the longest pump tracks in the nation, Runway Bike Park in Springdale contains a skills course and multiple lines of rolling asphalt. The competition-level pump track’s high-banked lines fly through tight rollers built for speed.
A Need for Speed: Fast Bike Trails
Grab a dirt bike and head to Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch & Adventure Park in Kingston, where you can explore more than 3,500 acres of rocky, steep trails that pass waterfalls, quiet pastures, and herds of buffalo and climb to expansive overlooks atop sheer cliffs.
You’ll share the trails with ATVs, side x sides, jeeps, and horseback riders. Make a reservation for one of the primitive campsites, OHV rentals, or guided tours.