Is the Mountain Biking in Fayetteville, Arkansas Worth It?

(Spoiler alert: Yes!) Pretty much every mountain biker has heard about the great riding in Bentonville, Arkansas. If you haven’t, you must be living under a rock. But Bentonville isn’t the only place in Arkansas that has awesome trails. In fact, there are destination-worthy networks all over the state.

One of my favorite places to ride is just south of Bentonville, in the hip town/city of Fayetteville. This college town has two of my go-to trail networks just minutes away: Centennial Park and Mount Kessler. There’s also Mount. Fitzgerald a short drive north and several smaller trail networks within easy driving distance.

While Bentonville does deserve the hype it gets, I do think the mountain biking in Fayetteville is worth checking out as well, especially if you’ve already been to Bentonville or you have a few days to spare. Here’s everything you need to know about riding the Fayetteville trails.

What Makes it unique

You can think of Fayetteville as a mini Bentonville. It’s very similar, just on a smaller scale. Here are a few things that make the mountain biking here unique and worth checking out:

• A World Cup cross-country race track at Centennial Park. So cool!
• A good variety of trails from machine-built flow tracks to old-school rough and rowdy descents
• Fewer crowds than its neighbor to the north
• A really fun and beautiful downtown square
• Off-the-beaten-path trails if you head out to Lincoln Lake or Lake Wedington

How I rate it

Overall, I think the mountain biking in Fayetteville is really fun. It may not be as big or developed as Bentonville, but what it does offer is definitely worth a couple of rides.

Fayetteville offers the best of both worlds – fast and flowy bermed trails as well as some pretty legit (although short) DH tracks with big drops and jumps.

There’s something for everyone here. Beginners and kids will love the machine-built flow at Centennial Park while those seeking more tech should head to Kessler or Mount Fitzgerald. Cross-country enthusiasts will also find their stride at Lincoln Lake or Lake Wedington.

Should you plan a mountain bike trip just to Fayetteville? No… but it’s a great stop for a day or two on your travels through northwest Arkansas.

Best Mountain Bike Trails in Fayetteville, AR

Here are – what I consider to be – the best mountain bike trails around Fayetteville. For more info on the trail networks and route recommendations, keep reading!

The Trail Networks + My Route Suggestions

1. Mt. Kessler

Mt. Kessler is fun – at least I think so, but I also like rocky tech and challenging rides. The thing to know about riding here is that it’s not easy. Sure, there are stretches of fast flow and smooth, bermed singletrack, but I’d say the majority of the trails here are better suited for intermediate+ riders who enjoy technical riding.

If you really want to challenge yourself, try your hand at Bewitched. There’s a super long skinny that is pretty intimidating! Also, if you want to ride Spellbound, I highly recommend going clockwise. I rode it the other way and it was not very enjoyable….

2. Centennial Park

While I love all these trail networks in Fayetteville, I think Centennial Park is my favorite. Not only does it have a super cool World Cup track that pros from all over the US (and maybe even the world) ride, but there are a ton of other great trails, too. It’s worth pedaling over to the DH lines on the southside to ride Captain Fantastic (so fantastic) and the rocky tech downhill lines if that’s within your skill set.

Centennial Park is also a great place to work on skills – there are big berms for cornering, professionally built jumps and drops you can trust, and Learner’s Permit where you can put it all together.

If you’re looking for a bigger, ride you can also connect Centennial Park with Mt. Kessler. Just make sure you know what you’re getting into – this could be a very big, exhausting day.

3. Mount Fitzgerald

Ok, so Mount Fitzgerald isn’t technically Fayetteville – it’s actually in Springdale a few miles north, but it’s worth a mention. You could stop here on your way from Bentonville to Fayetteville.

Mount Fitzgerald is one of my favorite places to ride in NWA for a quick loop that packs in a lot. Coyote Cave and Best Trail Ever (ride it counterclockwise) are the highlight trails here with impressive rock work and great flow.

On the south side of Mount Fitzgerald, there’s a small new-school area with three freeride trails starting from a main hub and three flow tracks. Unfortunately, these trails don’t seem to get the same love as Bentonville’s trails, so the last time I was there they were in slightly rough shape, but still worth checking out.

4. Lincoln Lake

I enjoyed my ride at Lincoln Lake, however, it’s definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The trails here are filled with rocks and are in varying states of unmaintainedness. That being said, I didn’t see any other mountain bikers (there were a few hikers) and I personally love those kids of solo, backcountry rides regardless of how ‘fun’ the trails are.

One thing to note if you do decide to ride here is that finding the trail at the start can be a little tricky. I almost gave up on my ride because I got on a hiking spur trail, not the main trail. It should actually look like a rideable trail, not a hike-a-bike through a rock field.

5. Lake Wedington

I’m going to be honest here, I haven’t actually ridden Lake Wedington… I did drive out there but I just wasn’t in the mood to ride my bike that day. I’m sure you can relate? Anyway, when I do ride these trails (and I do plan on getting back out there), I’ll give some more insight into what to expect and whether it’s worth it.

For now, I can say that the Lake Wedington trails look pretty cross-country with some good views out over the water. If you want to take things up a notch with a bit more ‘backcountry’ tech, it seems like doing an out-and-back on Twin Knobs is a popular choice. Judging from photos, there may be trees down, though!

What about Sequoia Woods? If you look at the map of Fayetteville mountain biking on TrailForks, you’ll see a network called Sequoia Woods. Truthfully, I haven’t ridden here so I can’t add my personal take on the trails there, but they don’t get good reviews. If you’re just visiting, I recommend sticking to the five trail networks I’ve mentioned above.

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Have you explored the mountain bike trails in Fayetteville, Arkansas? What did you think? What’s your favorite trail network or go-to loop? Leave a comment below!