Curious what a World Cup cross-country mountain bike track looks like? Centennial Park in Fayetteville is home to one!
Quick Tips for Riding at Centennial Park
It seems like every time I sit down to write about a mountain bike trail or destination in Arkansas I rave about how good it is. Honestly, I haven’t ridden anything here that I don’t consider worth it! Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain in Fayetteville is yet another destination that mountain bikers should check out.
This trail network is home to a World Cup circuit that draws professional mountain bike racers several times a year. But you don’t have to be a pro to enjoy them – I’m definitely not and the trails at Centennial Park are some of my favorites! There’s everything from fast and flowy cross-country loops to approachable jumps and drops to chunky rock garden descents. Every time I ride here I’m always impressed with the variety and quality of the trails.
If you’re planning a mountain bike trip to Northwest Arkansas and you want to explore farther afield from Bentonville, put Centennial Park on your list. This post covers everything you need to know about your first visit.
Trail Map
What I love about Centennial Park
The mountain bike trails at Centennial Park are a bit of a hidden secret- at least for visitors or non-locals. There’s a lot to love about them! Here are the highlights:
- Ride World Cup race tracks: It’s not every day that you get to ride on a World Cup race track. Centennial Park is home to a race circuit that draws cross-country mountain bikes from all over. In fact, when I rode Centennial Park last, the US Pro Cup had just finished up, which was also a qualifier race for the Olympics!
- Enjoy some of the best-built trails in Northwest Arkansas: These trails are fun – like really fun. I think they’re some of the best in NWA.
- Get a little bit of every type of riding in on one ride: Depending on what route you do (see route recommendations below) and what trails you choose, you can easily fit in a little bit of everything. There’s fast flow, jump lines, and old-school tech – all of which you can enjoy in one single ride.
- Impressive stone and rock trail work: There are some really cool features and rock work done at Centennial Park. It has the feel of the Rock Solid trail crew. I would bet my money that they developed this trail system.
What I don’t love about Centennial Park
Honestly, nothing! It’s a really cool trail network where everyone can have fun. It’s not often that I don’t have some sort of critique about a trail network, but Centennial Park is legitimately fun, well-maintained, and accessible for all riders.
How it Rates
Overall fun-ness:
Centennial Park is super fun. Whether you’re looking for new school flow or old school rocky tech, there’s a little bit of everything here – I like it all! There are even jumps and drops sprinkled throughout the trail network (some that are pretty legit!)
Because it’s home to a race course that draws pro riders at least once a year, the trails are well maintained, which isn’t always the case for Mt. Kessler next door or Mount Fitzgerald to the north in Springdale.
If the trails in Bentonville are too busy or you’ve already explored them, Centennial Park is a great destination for the day.
Average difficulty:
Centennial Park is great for all levels of riders from beginners to pro. Learner’s Permit is a really fun and mellow flow trail while the rocky and technical DH tracks on the south side have some expert-only features, including a huge drop on Chunky. If you’re looking to get air, the World Cup track has a bunch of booters and drops. Centennial Park is truly a place where everyone can find something they enjoy.
Trail variety:
As I mentioned above, there is something for everyone at Centennial Park and the trail variety is quite impressive. Beginners and those looking to get air will love the north side of the park while riders looking for some of Arkansas’s iconic rock chunk should head to the black-rated trails to the south.
Read next
Planning a mountain bike trip to Northwest Arkansas? Check out these posts for inspiration and details:
Best Trails at Centennial Park
Route Recommendations
Centennial Park Greatest Hits
If you’re looking for one ride to hit it all at Centennial Park, this is it. It’s my go-to route whenever I’m back here. It covers the World Cup tracks as well as the two best downhill lines on the south side: Captain Fantastic and Hail Mary.
Route Basics
Ride it for:
- Great mix of trail variety
- Get a taste of what a world cup XC race track is like
- The descent down Captain Fantastic!
- Lots of side features to play on
Need to know:
- Navigation can be a bit tricky. Have TrailForks downloaded to your phone
- Scope your lines on the black-rated downhill trails
Route directions: Main Parking > Chasing Gold > World Cup #1 > World Cup #2 > Chasing Gold > World Cup #3 > World Cup #4 > Chasing Gold > World Cup #5 > Junk Drawer > Captain Fantastic > Junk Drawer > Hail Mary > Fayetteville Traverse > Learner’s Permit > Fayetteville Traverse
Make it longer: Add more laps on the south side DH lines. You could attempt Red Rum or Chunky.
Make it shorter & easier: The ending is an out-and-back lollipop on Fayetteville Traverse to Learner’s Permit. You could end it early by cutting out at the top of Learner’s Permit, but the descent back down is really fun and there are some cool jumps on Fayetteville Traverse going the other way.
The In and Out Loop
This is a great short or beginner-friendly loop at Centennial Park.
Note: The route below starts in a weird place. Just start at the main parking area and start with Fayetteville Traverse counterclockwise.
Route Basics
Ride it for:
- Awesome flow
- The descent down Captain Fantastic
Need to know:
- There are a few short climbs
- Chasing Gold would be a great loop to tack on
Route directions: Main Parking > Fayetteville Traverse > Learner’s Permit (optional: add a lap on Pop Rocks) > Junk Drawer > Captain Fantastic > Fayetteville Traverse
Make it longer: Add another lap on Captain Fantastic, do the full Learner’s Permit loop, or do the Chasing Gold Loop
Centennial Park Facts & FAQs
Q: Where is Centennial Park?
A: Centennial Park is located on Millsap Mountain outside of Fayetteville, Arkansas. It’s about a 30-minute drive south of Bentonville. It’s also near Mt. Kessler if you want to explore those trails as well.
Q: Where do I park?
A: There’s a huge parking area at the top with bathrooms (although they were locked when I last visited) and water fountains. Here are the Google driving directions. My route recommendations start from this parking area (see below).
Q: Are the trails well-signed?
A: Yes, but there are no trail maps. I recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone.
Q: Do I need to pay to ride?
A: Nope. The Centennial Park trails are free to ride.
Q: Are the trails open year-round?
A: Yes, but please don’t ride them when they’re wet.
Q: Are e-bikes allowed?
A: Yes, Arkansas is very e-bike friendly.
Q: How many days do I need at Centennial Park?
A: You can cover most of the trails in one ride, but you may want to spend two because they’re so much fun! You can also explore Mt. Kessler next door.
Have you explored the mountain bike trails at Centennial Park in Fayetteville, AR? What did you think of the World Cup track? Leave a comment below! And if you need help planning your Arkansas trip, book a call with me!
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