I had a blast checking out Howler Bike Park in Missouri! Learn what makes it special, what to expect, and how to plan your first visit.
Quick tips for visiting Howler Bike Park
I recently had the opportunity to check out Howler Bike Park in Missouri (thanks to my Loam Pass!). I’d heard rumblings that it was pretty awesome: professionally built trails, a good progression scale, a super cool shuttle, and a very welcoming team.
True, Howler is on the small side of bike parks, but they have big plans for expanding and what they currently DO have is pretty special. Its charm – at least for me – goes beyond the trails. The founder Max and his family have created a place that is so friendly, welcoming, and fun! There are no big egos here (at least that I saw) and it just has a down-to-earth good vibe. I’ve been to a lot of bike parks across the country and I have to say that my experience at Howler has been one of my favorites to date.
I absolutely loved my time lapping the trails, chatting with the staff, tucking into some Growler grub, and even checking off some of the biggest features I’ve hit yet. I could only stay for one weekend, but I will be back for sure! In this post, I share my honest thoughts about Howler Bike Park and everything you need to know before your first visit.
Howler Bike Park Trail Map
The trails at Howler Bike Park are built on a gently sloping ridge. The map below shows the current trails as well as three additional peaks (the triangles to the left) that will be developed over the next few years (exciting!). I dive more into what to expect on each trail down below.
Quick stats
What I love about Howler Bike Park
I try not to go into new riding destinations with expectations because I think every place is unique in its own way and deserves an unbiased review. So I really didn’t know what to expect at Howler. Turns out, I was thoroughly impressed! Here is what I loved about this little park:
- Everyone is SO nice! From the moment I walked into the Basecamp, it truly felt like I was welcomed into the Howler family. Maybe it’s the “Midwest nice”, but everyone who works here is so friendly, helpful, and awesome.
- The military truck shuttles: I’ve ridden on a lot of different mountain bike shuttles (including a tractor shuttle at Station Mountain in Texas), but the military trucks at Howler are probably the most fun and unique shuttles I’ve seen.
- Professionally built and maintained trails: I was really impressed with how well-built the trails are here. The trail builder – McGill Trail Fabrications from Colorado – did an amazing job designing and executing the trails. In fact, I felt comfortable hitting some of the biggest drops and features I’ve done to date because the trails felt so dialed!
- The small park vibe: While I love big bike parks like Mammoth Mountain and Angel Fire, there’s something to be said about the vibe at smaller and more local bike parks. Howler has a great small community feel that I really liked.
- The amenities: Howler caters to everyone and every need. There’s honestly everything you might need here including a retail store, a bike shop/mechanic, bike rentals, bathrooms with showers, a food truck, a coffee shop, a nice seating area with a fire pit, a bike wash station, glamping tents, and even an apartment you can rent! (More on that below).
What could be better
Of course, no place is perfect. Even though I loved my experience at Howler, here are a few ‘good to knows’ and things I think could be improved.
- The camping: Currently, the van/RV camping is just in the gravel parking lot and the tent camping is on simple platforms in the woods. Neither have quick access to bathrooms or water. You need to walk about 5 minutes down a gravel path to the Basecamp area. I think better camping is in the master plan, though.
- Healthy/light food options: Don’t get me wrong, the loaded fries and burger from the Growler Grill were delicious, but it would be nice to have a healthy or lighter fare option. A sit-down restaurant is part of the future plans, though!
How it rates
I know mountain biking is very subjective and that my review is based on one weekend of riding at Howler Bike Park, but here’s how I rate it.
Overall fun-ness:
I honestly and truly thought that Howler Bike Park was a blast. It is small with only a handful of trails, but every time I rode the same trail, I either rode it better or found a different line. I also loved the whole ‘vibe’ of Howler, which very much added to my riding experience.
Trail variety:
Each trail at Howler Bike Park has its own personality and no two trails are really that similar, which is pretty cool. There is fast flow, intro jumps, expert-only features, and a little bit of old-school tech. I dive into what to expect on each trail below.
I would say that Howler is definitely more ‘new-school’ with machine build flow and jumps, though. If you’re looking for rock gardens and a more natural mountain biking experience, Missouri’s other bike park – Shephard Mountain – is supposed to cater more to that crowd.
Average difficulty:
I think the trail crew did a really good job at incorporating both progression and a wide range of trail styles and difficulty into only a handful of runs. There is an easy beginner-friendly descent (Stroller Coaster) all the way up to a super pro-only freeride line (Wizard).
If you want to get the full experience of all or most of Howler’s trails, I’d say you need to be an intermediate+ rider to hit them all.
Bike park features:
I will admit, I am not entirely comfortable with bike park features because [one] I ride alone so often that I don’t take the risks and [two] I ride so many different places that I don’t often get to reride trails enough to become comfortable with them.
BUT, I was really, really fortunate to be able to tag along with two bada$$ women riders at Howler. They towed me off some of the biggest bike park features I’ve done to date, which felt awesome!
Howler definitely feels like a bike park with tons of features ranging from dirt tabletops and jumps to wooden drops and features I know I’ll never hit (like almost everything on Wizard…)
Safety at Howler Bike Park: It was clear that the crew built the trails and features at Howler Bike Park with safety in mind. All the trails can be accessed by a 4×4 and everything is very well signed (including mandatory features). I also loved that all staff and crew were present and engaged, which gave me the sense that they would jump into action in case of an emergency.
All that being said, it is your responsibility to keep yourself safe. Brush up on these bike park tips, especially if it’s your first time at a bike park.
The trails at Howler Bike Park
Currently, there are 12 different downhill trails at Howler Bike Park. As I’ve mentioned throughout this post, there are big expansion plans in the works for the park over the next few years, but here are your trail options as of right now:
Watch BKXC ride the trails at Howler
Shopping for a full face helmet?
Protect your face and pearly whites. When I’m at the bike park, I always wear a full face helmet. Not only does it give me more peace of mind when I’m bombing downhill, but I also know that it’s going to do a lot more to protect my head and face in the event of a crash.
My favorite full face helmet is the Smith Mainline. It’s comfortable to wear, has decent ventilation, and is downhill-certified meaning it has been tested for safety.
This helmet also comes with three different cheek pad sizes, so you can get a snug fit.
Facts & FAQs
Q: Where is Howler Bike Park?
Howler is located in southern Missouri about 3 hours 45 minutes southwest of St. Louis and 2 hours northeast of Bentonville, Arkansas.
Q: Are e-bikes allowed?
Yep!
Q: When is Howler Bike Park open?
The park is open Thursday – Sunday. You can check hours here. You cannot ride outside of bike park hours.
Q: Do I need to pay to ride?
Yes, you need a pass for the shuttle and if you decide to pedal up (no discounts for pedaling). Day passes are $45 or you can save if you buy a multi-day pack. You can purchase your pass online or when you get there.
Q: Is Howler open year-round?
Yes! Unless there is too much rain or ice. Apparently they were open last year on New Year’s Day in sub-freezing temps!
Q: What bike should I bring?
A mid-travel full-suspension bike would be prefect. You could also get away with a short-travel bike, but not if you want to hit the bigger features. Fully rigid bikes or bikes with rim brakes are not allowed (for your safety and the safety of others). If you don’t have a suitable bike, Howler has a great selection of rental bikes.
Read next
I haven’t (yet) explored any of the other trail networks in Missouri, but Howler isn’t too far from Northwest Arkansas!
Where to stay
I highly recommend planning at least a two-day visit to Howler so you can get the full experience. I wish I’d stayed three days!
You have a few options for lodging at and around Howler:
- Camp in the gravel lot: if you have a van or small RV, you can camp in the gravel parking lot. There are no bathrooms or water and it’s a ~5-minute walk to the Basecamp.
- Tent camp: there are a few tent camping platforms that you can book. Again, there are no bathrooms or running water.
- Glamp: Howler has a few glamping tents with comfy beds, outdoor porch areas, heat and AC, and access to the bathhouse. If you have more people, there’s also a ‘bunk tent’ that can sleep up to 16 people!
- The Howler HideOut: This is a beautiful full-service apartment located above the bathhouse that can sleep 4.
You can book all camping and glamping and the HideOut on HipCamp.
If you prefer a hotel room, there are a few options in Branson, Missouri, which is about 15 minutes south of Howler Bike Park.
What questions do you have about visiting Howler Bike Park? Have you already checked it out? What was your experience like? Leave a comment below!
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