Bentonville is arms down thought of one in every of my favorite areas to mountain bike for its world-class trails and pleasant vibe. Start planning your journey with this info!
I consider the important thing has gotten out about Bentonville and its fantastic neighborhood of mountain biking trails. I first visited Bentonville in 2020 and have been going once more yearly (usually twice a 12 months!) to journey. I’m not merely saying this, nonetheless Bentonville is by far the best areas I’ve mountain biked throughout the US and it’s making a fame for itself across the globe.
Say what you may about Walmart, nonetheless the money the Walton Foundation has poured into the paths and neighborhood enchancment in Northwest Arkansas – and all through the state – is mindblowing. This part of middle America has critically become the Disney World for mountain bikers.
And if you’re pondering “Oh, it’s too new-school for me”, suppose as soon as extra! Optimistic, there are various machine-built transfer trails and bike park-like bounce traces and choices, nonetheless there could also be moreover a great deal of handcut, old-school terrain with as many rocks and roots as you presumably can want.
And it seems as if the trail crews are merely getting started. Rumor has it that there are plans to assemble 1,200 miles of singletrack between Bentonville and Little Rock over the next ten years. Pretty freaking cool.
Within the occasion you’re planning a mountain biking journey to Bentonville, Arkansas, this publish covers each little factor it is important to search out out about planning your journey. Be taught the perfect trails to journey, route ideas, the place to eat, and additional!
Searching for the perfect trails? Receive my pointers for the 15 best trails in Bentonville.
Bentonville Mountain Biking Map
This map reveals all of the precept mountain biking path networks spherical Bentonville. Within the occasion you’re trying to find far more driving, check out my publish on the best mountain biking in Arkansas.
What to love & what to not
I just like the mountain biking spherical Bentonville, nonetheless in spite of everything not every place is right. Listed beneath are a few professionals and cons of driving proper right here.
Bentonville’s path networks
Like most mountain bike areas, the paths in Bentonville are unfold out over a handful of networks. There are 6 main mountain bike path networks to find:
- Little Sugar
- The Once more 40
- Blowing Springs & the Alice in Wonderland Trails
- Slaughter Pen
- Coler Shield
- HandCut Gap
1. Little Sugar
Little Sugar (and The Once more 40 – see beneath) are the rolling cross-country areas of Bentonville, although there are a few pockets of some pleasant tech. Little Sugar is northwest of downtown throughout the residential neighborhood of Bella Vista.
There could also be one 25+ mile loop spherical Little Sugar known as Tunnel Imaginative and prescient. It rolls in and out of neighborhoods on mellow terrain with quite a few well-built climbs and prolonged, fast descents. I’ve completed the entire loop twice and it’s actually pretty pleasant and worth doing if you’ve obtained 25+ miles in your legs. Within the occasion you’re not up for a big-mile day, there are various decisions for shorter rides at Little Sugar (see route ideas beneath).
Little Sugar can be dwelling to the Huntley Gravity Zone. This cluster of trails is located nearly smack dab in the middle of Little Sugar and has a few machine-built transfer and bounce traces. Air-Raid is the popular and an superior path to assemble confidence on jumps and drops. (Phrase: the Huntley Gravity Zone isn’t on the large Little Sugar Loop. You’ll should take the trail Uphill Every Strategies to entry it).
Lastly, the ultimate time I rode Little Sugar, I discovered a little bit bit pocket of trails on the north end that had been a ton of pleasant. That’s the place Staggerwing, Sister Rosetta, and Immortal Amanda are. Don’t miss them!
Should know for Little Sugar
Planning your Little Sugar journey
2. The Once more 40
The Once more 40 path neighborhood is rather like Little Sugar in that it’s primarily cross-country and has one prolonged 22+ mile loop – the Once more 40 Loop. There are moreover a great deal of strategies to position collectively shorter (and arguably additional attention-grabbing) rides with the crisscrossing of trails all by the trail neighborhood.
The Once more 40 can be located up in Bella Vista nonetheless on one of the best facet of the neighborhood. It’s dwelling to thought of one in every of my favorite mountain bike trails in Bentonville – The Ledges – which follows a band of rock with some publicity and a few tough rock gardens.
Tunnel Imaginative and prescient or the Once more 40? If you happen to want to do one prolonged cross-country journey, I identical to the Tunnel Imaginative and prescient loop a little bit bit larger than the Once more 40 loop. I moreover suppose the Once more 40 has larger decisions for shorter and additional attention-grabbing rides than Little Sugar.
Should know for the Once more 40
Planning your Once more 40 journey
3. Blowing Springs & the Alice in Wonderland Trails
Making our method nearer to Bentonville, the Blowing Springs and Alice in Wonderland Trails bridge the opening between Little Sugar and the Once more 40 in Bella Vista and the Slaughter Pen trails near downtown Bentonville.
These trails are a number of of my favorites. It’s not an unlimited house, nonetheless what’s packed in there could also be pretty darn pleasant, significantly if you like old-school tech (Development Diggity) and new-school transfer (Ace of Spades).
It’s maybe simple to overlook these trails when inserting collectively your Bentonville mountain biking journey, nonetheless I extraordinarily advocate doing a minimum of 1 journey proper right here!
Should know for Blowing Springs & Alice in Wonderland
Planning your Blowing Springs & Alice in Wonderland journey
4. Slaughter Pen Trails
The Slaughter Pen Trails are most definitely most likely probably the most well-known Bentonville mountain biking trails. They’re located principally in town. You may very well catch singletrack trails from downtown Bentonville. It’s fantastic!
There could also be each little factor proper right here and it might be a bit overwhelming if it’s your first time visiting. There are machine-built transfer trails, hand-cut old-fashioned trails, a talents park with jumps and drops, a CASTLE, cross-country driving, and even giant stuff I will in no way hit (howdy Boneyard).
I consider most visitors get into the lure of solely driving the Slaughter Pen trails as soon as they go to Bentonville, and whereas they’re superior, don’t fall into that lure. It’s worth making an attempt out the alternative networks I’ve listed as properly. I’d say 2 days at Slaughter Pen is nice (clearly additional if you’ve obtained the time).
Should know for the Slaughter Pen Trails
Planning your Slaughter Pen journey
5. Coler Shield
Within the occasion you solely have time to go to 1 mountain bike neighborhood in Bentonville, make it Coler Mountain Bike Shield. This place is superior! There’s a ton to find proper right here and there’s an superior variety of trails, choices, and terrain.
Quite a lot of the downhill trails start at The Hub on the north facet. This alien-looking development is an elevated launchpad with ramps dropping down into completely totally different trails. Fireplace Line is a ought to! Cease & Desist and the well-known Drop The Hammer start from proper right here as properly.
On the south facet of Coler, Thunder Dome and Family Flow into are two fast and flowy machine-built trails that are worth lapping a number of cases.
In between the north facet and south facet are a combination of cross-country trails ranging from beginner-friendly to the expert-only Proper right here’s Johnny.
Desire a snack? Be certain you hit up Airship Espresso, which is located in the middle of the Coler Shield trails and will solely be accessed by foot or bike. You might also information a web site on the Coler Campground when you want to shred sunup to sundown.
Should know for Coler Shield
Planning your Coler journey
6. Handcut Gap
Handcut Gap is among the many newer path networks in Bentonville. As you’d suspect from its establish, there are many pure trails proper right here, BUT it’s not all handcut. The Hub does entry a few machine-built traces like my favorite – Interplanet Janet (so pleasant!) – and some spectacular rock work trails like The Physique Machine.
If you happen to’re trying to find old-school hand-cut, though, you’ll love Traverse Loop. It’s an excellent combination of cross-country and tech. As soon as I rode it, I had the trail largely to myself. This house is way much less in fashion than totally different Bentonville mountain biking networks.
Handcut Gap can be dwelling to the infamous Zone 4 path. The momentary for the trail builders was to assemble the hardest climb they could! As of this publish, no rider – even the professionals who’ve tried it – has been ready to journey your entire factor in a single simple shot.
Should know for Handcut Gap
Planning your Handcut Gap Journey
Path Networks Farther Afield
The six path networks listed above make up the driving closest to Bentonville. Nonetheless, there could also be good driving all through Northwest Arkansas! Listed beneath are a few totally different path networks to try if you’ve obtained the time:
- The Railyard in Rogers – that’s an metropolis bike park with tons of pleasant choices like drops, jumps, pump tracks, and so forth…
- Lake Atalanta in Rogers – I’ve solely hiked this path neighborhood, but it surely certainly’s set in a extraordinarily pretty park on a lake. The paths are primarily cross-country with not loads of tech.
- Fayetteville – Dwelling to 2 of my favorite path networks – Mt. Kessler and Centennial Park – the mountain biking in Fayetteville is worth a go to!
- Hobbs State Park – Dwelling to among the many best cross-country mountain bike trails I’ve ever ridden. Hobbs State Park is taken into account one in every of my favorite areas to journey.
- Devil’s Den State Park – the paths at Devil’s Den are utterly attractive (and pleasant!) with cool rock formations and river views.
- Lake Leatherwood Gravity Enterprise: Searching for a downhill day? E-book a visit on the shuttle at Lake Leatherwood Gravity Enterprise and lap the 7 downhill trails!
- Passion Play in Eureka Springs – constructed on the grounds of a biblical reenactment camp, the Passion Play trails are odd, nonetheless so pleasant!
Watch BKXC journey among the many trails in Bentonville
FAQs & Data
Q: When is the perfect time to go to Bentonville to journey?
Bentonville can technically be ridden all 12 months prolonged, nonetheless the summer time season months will probably be extraordinarily fashionable and humid and winters will probably be chilly, moist, and snowy.
It’s best to go to by the shoulder seasons of March-Would possibly and September-November when the temps are good and the rain and humidity are minimal.
Bentonville moreover hosts various mountain bike events when you want your journey to coincide with a shindig. Bentonville Bike Fest happens in Would possibly and OuterBike entails metropolis in October.
Q: Are e-bikes allowed on the paths in Bentonville?
Certain! Bentonville is among the many most e-bike nice areas to mountain bike throughout the US.
Q: Do I would really like a automotive to get to the paths in Bentonville?
That’s dependent upon what it’s essential journey. Within the occasion you’re going to stay close to metropolis (Slaughter Pen and Coler), then you’re going to get away with out a automotive. Nevertheless when you want to uncover the Bella Vista trails and totally different networks in NWA then a automotive is essential.
Alternatively, Shuttle Hound is a shuttle service in Bentonville that offers transportation to and from trailheads.
Q: What’s the perfect bike retailer in Bentonville?
There are many good bike retailers in Bentonville. I’m a fan of Mojo Biking and Phat Tire Bike retailers.
Q: Can I information a Bentonville mountain bike tour or lesson?
Q: What are some good consuming locations in Bentonville for post-ride meals?
You’ll most definitely be surprised the least bit the great consuming locations spherical Bentonville. It’s a foodie’s metropolis! Listed beneath are a few of my favorite areas to grab one factor to eat:
– Crepes Paulette for delicious crepes
– Tusk & Trotter for American fare (good burgers)
– Oven and Faucet for wood-fired pizza
– Tavola Trattoria for really good Italian
– Nosh Nola at Bentonville Brewing (the Totchos are insane…)
– Pedaler’s Pub for good pizza and beer
Have you ever ever been to Bentonville to journey? Does it keep as a lot because the hype? What questions do you proceed to have about Bentonville mountain biking? Go away a comment beneath!
Take note to acquire my pointers for the best trails in Bentonville.
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I’ve heard a lot about Bentonville’s mountain biking trails. It’s great to see a place invest so much in outdoor recreation.
This article provides a lot of useful information for planning a trip to Bentonville. The trail options seem diverse and exciting.
I appreciate the detailed breakdown of each trail network. It makes it easier to decide where to ride based on skill level.
The insights into the pros and cons of riding in Bentonville are very helpful for anyone considering a visit.
It’s interesting to see how Bentonville is becoming a hub for mountain biking. The plans for future trail expansion sound promising.