Welcome to Arkansas Bike & Cycling!
Arkansas is a popular location for bikers of all types, whether you want to examine the trails on your mountain bike or go road biking through some of the most gorgeous routes in the country.
Arkansas State Parks are bike-friendly, with many sites offering bike rentals and immediate trail passes.
You can find diverse bike trails in Arkansas, including Northwood paths in Hot Springs, just minutes from downtown.
We’ve got the experience you’re looking for. There is nothing better than riding a beautiful singletrack. Load your bike and start arranging your Arkansas mountain biking vacation at one of these fantastic state parks.
Interesting about bike trails in Arkansas
Arkansas offers a pathway to pleasure and adventure. Riding is available all year and is suitable for all skill levels.
Arkansas has more to offer than just mountain and road cycling. The Delta Heritage Trail, a trail and a state park, is one of numerous gravel grinder routes that take you off the tarmac and into some rural fun.
Summary of the 18 best bike trails in Arkansas
You can find the best bike trails in Arkansas, whether looking for a short, simple bike trail or a long, tough trail.
1. The Razorback Regional Greenway
The Razorback Regional Greenway is an enjoyable way to explore Northwest Arkansas by bike.
Between Fayetteville and Bentonville, the route contains around two dozen separate pathways that meander past various lakes and through parks and local attractions.
You’ll see sights like the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, and the Pinnacle Hills Promenade retail center in Rogers during your pedaling experience at this system.
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2. Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
If you don’t know what a bike preserve is, you can see this one of the best bike trails in Arkansas to believe it.
I pitch it to people as a site where trail advocates may put their “what-if” ideas to the test.
Aside from the routes and trail features, how about a coffee shop/taco stand/bar you can only reach by bike?
What about a launch tower that takes riders down some of the state’s most unique downhill runs? Perhaps you should look at it.
3. The Arkansas River Trail
The Arkansas River Trail is a multi-use path that runs through Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, and Conway.
You’ll pass through the 1,000-acre Two Rivers Park, which has woodland wetlands and trails to explore.
Along with the Two Rivers Park Bridge, you’ll pass under many other prominent bridges, including the Arkansas River’s Big Dam Bridge, the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, and the Junction Bridge.
4. Slaughter Pen Trails
Years ago, I knew a 5-mile-long trail system in Bentonville.
I also recall thinking that 5 miles of a path would be ineffective. Fortunately, they continued to construct, and Northwest Arkansas currently has over 500 miles of mountain biking routes.
Slaughter Pen is among the best bike trails in Arkansas, more than 5 miles long, with some of the state’s renowned ones.
5. Wye Mountain Loop
The Wye Mountain Loop surrounds Lake Maumelle and is 37 km long.
This tough hill climb is a popular cycling route in Central Arkansas and is one of the best modes to explore Wye Mountain.
Although cycling via Highway 10 is required, an early morning ride will deliver spectacular vistas and an exhilarating, rapid descent with little car traffic.
You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the lake, beautiful wildflowers (especially in the spring), and a workout along a route ideal for group rides!
6. Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area
It was the original Monument Trail system, leading riders along the shoreline of Beaver Lake.
These are among the top bike trails in Arkansas and withstand rain well.
These are popular among residents when others are closed.
In addition to the Monument Trails, the Hidden Diversity trail is a local favorite for its flowing fun through the Ozark hills.
7. The Delta Heritage Trail
The Delta Heritage Path is a 44.4-mile rail path that curves through isolated and panoramic areas of the Mississippi Delta in eastern Arkansas.
As you hang along its ground limestone cover, you’ll pass through densely forested sections with native hardwoods, rushing streams, and enormous fields of agriculture.
The northern leg of the path is 20.6 miles long, stretching from Lexa to Elaine, and the southern section is 23.8 miles long, from Watson to Arkansas City.
8. Ouachita National Recreation Trail
The 223-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail is among the most thrilling bike trails in Arkansas, and a massive cycling excursion.
It spans from Talimena State Park in Oklahoma to Pinnacle Mountain State Park on the outskirts of Little Rock, Arkansas.
This mountain bike path, the longest in the Ouachita National Forest, passes through thickly forested mountain slopes, valleys, and clear, trickling streams.
It also includes spur trails that connect to nearby entertainment sites.
9. Pinnacle Mountain State Park
Pinnacle Mountain has had mountain bike paths for nearly 11 years and had recent renovations.
These routes have been completely renovated and developed. These trials welcome locals and visitors from all over.
New parking lots are nearly complete, and they finished some paths by the end of the year.
Because the trails have connections to the Arkansas River Trail, you may cycle from downtown to enjoy them.
10. Village Creek State Park
Village Creek State Park provides one of the best bike trails in Arkansas, with 7,000 acres of beautiful forest landscape and over 33 miles of multi-use trails.
There are also cabin campers, pavilions, picnic spaces, indoor and outdoor theatres, a small museum, and a tourist center with a gift shop in the park.
Deer Run Trail (4.5 miles), South Ridge Trail (4.8 miles), and Beech Valley Trail, which has multiple loops and links to explore, are famous mountain biking trails.
11. The LOViT Trail
The LOViT Trail is a relatively new mountain biking trail that begins at the Little Blakey Dam near Hot Springs, Arkansas, and ends at the Shangri-La Resort.
This 40-mile singletrack trip is an IMBA Epic and expert-made trail with many hills and breathtaking vistas.
There will be plenty of great downhills for an exciting experience you’ll want to repeat. Beginners will love the trail’s western end near the Shangri-La Resort.
Otherwise, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail is suitable for cyclists of all skill levels and provides a taste of everything you could want in a mountain biking path.
12. Northwoods Trails
This one of the best bike trails in Arkansas, created and built by IMBA, has something for everyone.
Discover some old-school pathways in Cedar Glades or take in vistas of little mountain lakes from a dam’s top.
While riding, you’ll be within minutes of one of the top vacation towns in the Midwest.
Visit Hot Springs and enjoy a speakeasy, horse races, or a dip in the pool.
13. Mount Nebo State Park
Mount Nebo State Park is a premier mountain riding location in Arkansas.
This state park, located in the center of the Arkansas River Valley, is for discovering tricky routes to conquer.
Mount Nebo State Park’s 25-mile Monument route system has everything from gorgeous pine forest vistas to waterfalls, rock gardens, and many uphill and downhill thrills.
The trails include many features, a good flow, and some tough courses that will challenge experienced bikers.
14. Lake Leatherwood
Lake Leatherwood was among the first areas in the state to embrace downhill trails. Although it is one of Arkansas’s older mountain biking systems, they have been renovated and provide terrific possibilities.
The fantastic XC tracks that exist are unknown to most riders. They have more natural, boisterous downhills, and the difference is that you pedal to the top.
There is a shuttle service for seven unidirectional downhill-only routes, and Eureka Springs is only 5 miles away.
Eureka Springs is a little hamlet of roughly 2000 people that has created some trails.
15. Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain, located on Lake Degray in Arkadelphia, is another one of the excellent mountain bike trails in Arkansas. If you only visit one place in Arkansas for mountain riding, make it this one.
With miles of wonderfully streaming trails, you can anticipate well-maintained routes with magnificent lake vistas, spectacular descents, and plenty of climbs.
The orange and blue loops follow the hillsides along the shoreline.
16. Devil’s Den State Park
The mother of Arkansas mountain bike routes creates the list because of its new designation as a Monument Trail, one of four in Arkansas State Parks.
Aside from Fossil Flats, the historic site of the oldest mountain biking event, several miles of new trails are among the most scenic in the state, if not everywhere.
17. Little Sugar
Little Sugar is the western half of the Bella Vista Trails, featuring about 50 miles of cross-country and flow trails.
On the inside of the circle, Tunnel Vision encircles the system with numerous skill parks.
If visiting the area, consider staying at one of the few Airbnbs or VRBOs with direct access to this Northwest Arkansas treasure.
18. Riding the Ridge
This 194-mile loop is famous among Arkansas cyclists, and it includes a stop in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas’s location where the Beatles toured.
Most people can finish this reasonably easy circle in 3 to 4 days, even with plenty of enjoyable pit stops.
From Newport to Piggott and back, take Highway 367, which becomes Highway 67, also known as the Rock ‘n Roll Highway. In the 1950s and 1960s, it led to local venues that welcomed rock musicians like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
The route takes you through little towns like Jonesboro, Peach Orchard, Knobel, Greenway, Rector, Marmaduke, and others, with many opportunities to stop, rest, and analyze the local skills.
FAQs
What are the best mountain bike trails in Arkansas?
Our Arkansas State Parks also have several world-class mountain biking spots. The Monument Trails system, a project of Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation that has produced some of the best mountain bike trails in the country, is among the 400 miles of diverse route types.
What exactly are Oz Trails in Arkansas?
Oz Trails is a group of almost 400 miles of singletrack in Northwest Arkansas. The hub is Bentonville, a community noted for its robust bicycling culture and claims to be the Mountain Bicycling Capital of the World.
What makes Arkansas unique for road bikers?
If you wish to ride your bike on the road, several state parks along the Scenic Byways, such as the Talimena National Scenic Byway, which washes through Queen Wilhelmina State Park, and The Great River Road, which passes through eight state parks.
Each path exposes you to picturesque views throughout the state. Great rides are available for people of all ability levels, ranging from long-distance routes that ascend thousands of feet to leisure outings that showcase parks and their villages.
Final words
Arkansas boasts several trails and trail systems that are not on the radar of most mountain riders.
Many of these bike trails in Arkansas are more natural in nature and technical in nature.
Local officials plan to extend the Arkansas bike route from the east to the west side of town in the coming years, providing locals with a secure way to go by foot or bike.
Here you can get a flavor of the world-class terrain. Are you ready to go?