Howler Bike Park Review (spoiler: it's one of my favorites!)

Quick tips for visiting Howler Bike Park

It’s open Thursday (noon to 6pm) – Sunday (10am – 6pm). No riding outside hours.
Everything you might need is available: water, food, bike shop, coffee, showers, etc…
There are some big features here, but they’re so smooth!
Everyone is so incredibly nice and welcoming

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.

Becky Timbers, founder of Two Wheeled Wanderer, taking a selfie in front of the Howler sculpture at Howler Bike Park — The Howler is like the ‘yeti’ of the Ozarks!

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

Miles of trail: 7 miles
Max elevation: 1,240 feet
Vertical drop: 391 feet
Number of trails: 12 downhill trails
Lifts: Super cool military trucks

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).

Mountain bikers loading bikes on military truck shuttle at Howler Bike Park in Missouri — The military truck shuttles are definitely a highlight of riding at Howler

Wooden ramp drop with arrow pattern at Howler Bike Park — The “arrow drop” on Taco Cat

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!

Loaded fries take out at Howler Bike Park — Loaded fries – Delicious? Yes. Healthy? No.

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.

Mountain biker riding off wooded drop at Howler Bike Park

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.

Mountain bike leaning against trail sign at Howler Bike Park — At the top, there’s a fun “spin the wheel” if you can’t decide which trail to do next

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…)

Mountain biker riding off long, elevated wooden 'shark fin' at Howler Bike Park — This shark fin is intimidating, but it’s super smooth!

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.

Large wooden gap jump at mountain bike park — I don’t think you could pay me to do this…

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:

Stroller Coaster: This is a beginner-friendly flow trail. It’s a good first run as a warm-up.
Hippie Cowboy: Next on the progression scale is Hippie Cowboy. This trail has some tabletop jumps, big berms, and a few minor rock gardens. It’s really fun!
Swayze-Trail: This was my favorite trail. It’s pretty similar to Hippie Cowboy, but the tabletops are a bit bigger and there are more optional alt-lines like a rock ledge drop. You can head straight into Dirty Dancing, which adds a rowdy finish.
Momo: I’m actually surprised this one is rated blue because the top part is pretty steep and a bit tricky. Most of Momo is hand-cut, so you won’t find big berms or build-up features.
Dirty Dancing: I like rocky, rooty old school trails, so I loved Dirty Dancing. It starts with a wooden drop and the rest of it comes at you fast. There are two natural rock drops (not rollable) and lots of embedded stones and roots.
Taco Cat A & B: Taco Cat has two lines. The “B” line is the ‘easier’ line with wooden table tops and big berms, but nothing mandatory. Taco Cat “A” has bigger features, most of which are mandatory – meaning you can’t ride around and you have ‘send it’. I was proud of myself for doing the Arrow Drop (first feature) and Shark Fin (second feature) on Taco Cat “A”!
Mustard Tiger: Apparently this trail was reworked a few weeks before I visited. I wouldn’t call it a doubleblack, it’s black with a steep natural section that requires decent braking and bike handling skills. There is a cannon-style wooden drop toward the end that is fun!
Wizard: Insane. Worth riding down (around all the features…) just to see what the crazies do.

Watch BKXC ride the trails at Howler

Shopping for a full face helmet?

Smith Mainline Full Face Mountain Bike 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.

Buy AT Backcounty Buy AT Smith Buy AT Competitive Cyclist

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.

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.

Glamping tents in the woods — The glamping tents are just a short walk from Basecamp if you want to spend the weekend at Howler!

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!

Howler Bike Park Review (spoiler: it’s one of my favorites!)