DH Laps at Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project: What to know before you go
The first time I discovered Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project, was by accident. My boyfriend (at the time) and I were driving back across the country from Vermont, making our way to Bentonville, Arkansas. We needed a van camping spot for the night, and Lake Leatherwood City Park & Campground was just the right distance away.
What we didn’t expect was to find some seriously epic mountain biking right in the heart of this small city park! Not only does it have 7 purpose-built downhill trails, but they’re shuttle-accessed, too. If you’ve ridden Coler Mountain Bike Preserve in Bentonville, you’ll find some similarities here, although I’d say Leatherwood is a bit of a step up when it comes to tech and features. The city park is also home to several more miles of cross-country trails, a nice lake, campground, and it’s close to the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs.
Lake Leatherwood has quickly become one of my favorite spots for riding in NWA, and in this post, I share everything you need to know to make the most of your first trip here.
Quick Tips
For sending it at Lake Leatherwood
TWW Take
Please note that these are my personal opinions – you may argue otherwise! And if so, state your case (politely) in the comments 🙂
Fun-ness Factor
Trail Variety
Average Difficulty
The Good & Not So Good of Mountain Biking at Lake Leatherwood
What I like
What I don’t
Lake Leatherwood Trail Map
The shuttle-accessed downhill trails are at the southwestern corner of the trail network. The other trails are fun, but very cross-country and can be pretty technical. Zoom the map out to see the nearby Passion Play trails.
Quick stats:
⚠️ Safety at Leatherwood Gravity Project: There is no patrol or nearby hospital, so keep that in mind when riding these trails. If you do get hurt, call 911. If you can, also send someone to the bottom to let the shuttle driver know that help is needed.
Here are a few tips to help keep yourself safe while ride at Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project:
- Carry a first aid kit.
- There are numbered and colored markers along each trail so that you can quickly identify where you are.
- Look before you send. There are some big features at Lake Leatherwood.
- Don’t let ego overpower common sense.
- Do not pedal up the downhill trails! (There are ‘do not enter’ signs).
- Wear appropriate protective gear.
Trail breakdown
Alright, let’s get to the trails! There are 7 purpose-built DH trails at Lake Leatherwood Bike Park, each of which starts from one of the two hubs:
- North Hub: DH 4, DH 5, DH 6, DH 7
- South Hub: DH 1, DH 2, DH 3
Part of the fun is exploring each of the trails on your own, but below is a quick overview of what to expect on each one.
Watch pro rider Jimmy Smith hit the best trails at Lake Leatherwood
Get your Loam Pass
The Loam Pass is like the IKON Pass for mountain bikers. It gives you access to dozens of bike parks and shuttles around the US, including Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project, with more destinations added each season. It’s a great way to explore new places and get more riding in!
FAQs & Planning Tips
🅿️ Parking: Here are the google maps directions to the parking area at the top. There is a small parking area at the bottom near the shuttle pick up, but it’s pretty small. I recommend parking at the top.
🚌 Shuttle Passes: You can book your shuttle by calling the Gravity Feed, buying online, or just showing up and paying by Venmo or cash when you get there. If you have a Loam Pass, you can get that redeemed at the ‘office’ at the top. An all-day adult pass is $40. A kid’s pass is $25. The shuttle runs from 9am – 5pm Friday – Sunday (call for weekday shuttles).
The trails are free to ride if you don’t use the shuttle.
🚲 Bike shop & rentals: There is no bike shop at Leatherwood Gravity Project. The shuttle drivers might be able to help you with basic fixes but bring all the tools and supplies you need. There are also no bike rentals, so you’ll need to have your own two wheels. The closest bike shop is Adventure Mountain Outfitters in Eureka Springs.
ℹ️ Water, food, & bathrooms: There is a cooler of bottled water in the shuttle. I hate wasting single-use plastic, so I recommend bringing your own water bottle that you can leave in the shuttle or using a hydration backpack.
For food, there may be a food truck. I’ve ridden when there is one and I’ve ridden when there wasn’t one, so… If there is one, it’ll be located at the shuttle drop off at the top.
For bathrooms, there are port-a-potties.
📅 How many days: At least one full day!
☀️ When to go: The trails are open year-round, but they may be closed temporarily for rain or snow. Check the Gravity Feed’s instagram for up-to-date info on trail/shuttle status.
🚲 What type of bike to bring: A short or mid-travel full-suspension mountain bike.
⚡️ E-bikes: Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed at Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project (and pretty much all of Arkansas).
⛺️ Camping: There’s a small but sweet campground at Lake Leatherwood Park. There are both hook-up sites and tent/van sites down in a pretty meadow. There are also some cabins to rent and a bathhouse for showers. Learn more here.
Need gear recs?
Head over to my gear closet! I’m always testing out new pieces of bike gear and if I really like them, they earn a place on this page.
What about the XC trails around the lake?
While the downhill trails are the reason most mountain bikers visit Lake Leatherwood, it’s worth pointing out that there are some pedal-accessed cross-country trails, too. When I first published this blog post a few years ago, I kind of gave them a bad review. But I just finished re-riding them (literally about an hour ago!) and I’ve changed my mind – they’re quite fun!
There are about 15 miles of cross-country trails and I would say that they’re definitely more suited for experienced riders. There’s some chunky, rocky tech, and several climbs that will test your fitness levels.
If you do want to pedal the XC trails, here are two route recommendations:
- This 8-mile route is pretty fun and passes by a cool rock band. Make sure you stay on Fuller Trail and not Shoreline Trail, though, or else you’ll be hike-a-biking.
- Lake Leatherwood XC Route is the ride I just did and really enjoyed. If you want to make it longer, climb back up the other side of Miner’s Rock Loop to Overlook Trail. This will add another 800-900 feet of climbing.
Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project (or Lake Leatherwood Bike Park….) Is one of my favorite places to ride in Arkansas. The 7 downhill trails are all unique and fun and there are so many ways to challenge yourself and build confidence and skill. Add all that to the nice campground, lake setting, and proximity to the Passion Play trails and LLBP is definitely a destination you should have on your Arkansas radar.
What questions do you have about Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project? Have you ridden here? What did you think? Is it on your bike-it list? Let me know in the comments!
Great blog, but those ads are bananas. Makes it hard to follow the article.
I was just out at Leatherwood, you wrote a very good guide with nice pics, thanks
you are not wrong, I hate them, too… I’m in the process of implementing a few other ways to make $$ with my blog, so hopefully I can turn the ads down. Thanks for reading!