Mountain Biking Bentonville, Arkansas: Your Complete Planning Guide

Bentonville Mountain Biking Map

This map shows all the main mountain biking trail networks around Northwest Arkansas. If you’re looking for even more riding, check out my post on the best mountain biking in Arkansas.

Plan your rides

1. Start at Slaughter Pen

The Slaughter Pen Trails are probably the most famous Bentonville mountain biking trails and a good place to start. They’re located basically in town – you can literally catch singletrack trails from downtown Bentonville. It’s amazing!

There is everything here and to be honest, it can be a bit overwhelming if it’s your first time visiting. There are machine-built flow trails, hand-cut old school trails, a skills park with jumps and drops, a CASTLE, cross-country riding, and even big stuff I will never hit (hello Boneyard).

I think most visitors get into the trap of only riding the Slaughter Pen trails when they visit Bentonville, and while they are awesome, don’t fall into that trap. It’s worth checking out the other networks I’ve listed as well. I’d say 2 days at Slaughter Pen is good (obviously more if you have the time).

2. Head to Blowing Springs & The Alice in Wonderland Trails

As you venture a bit farther from downtown Bentonville, the Blowing Springs and Alice in Wonderland trails connect the Slaughter Pen system to Bella Vista’s Back 40 and Little Sugar networks (more on those below).

This area isn’t huge, but it packs a punch and it’s home to some of my favorite trails in the area. If you’re into old-school tech, don’t miss Boom Diggity. Prefer modern flow? Ace of Spades delivers.

It’s easy to overlook this zone when planning your Bentonville rides, but I definitely recommend carving out time for at least one loop here, you won’t regret it.

3. Get your XC on at Little Sugar

Little Sugar (and The Back 40—more on that below) make up the rolling cross-country side of Bentonville’s trail scene, though if you know where to look, you’ll find some fun techy bits tucked in here and there. Located northwest of downtown in the residential area of Bella Vista, Little Sugar weaves through quiet neighborhoods and forested hills.

The main feature is a 25+ mile loop called Tunnel Vision. It’s a mix of mellow terrain, punchy climbs, and long, fast descents. I’ve done the full loop twice, and honestly, it’s a solid day on the bike— it’s challenging but fun, and definitely worth it if you’ve got the legs (and don’t mind feeling it the next day). Not up for a big ride? No worries, there are plenty of shorter loops to stitch together if you’re looking for something more chill.

Little Sugar is also home to the Huntley Gravity Zone. This cluster of trails is located almost smack dab in the middle of Little Sugar and has a few machine-built flow and jump lines. Air-Raid is the most popular and a great trail to build confidence on jumps and drops. (Note: the Huntley Gravity Zone isn’t on the big Little Sugar Loop. You’ll need to take the trail Uphill Both Ways to access it).

Lastly, the last time I rode Little Sugar, I discovered a little pocket of trails on the north end that were a ton of fun. This is where Staggerwing, Sister Rosetta, and Immortal Amanda are. Don’t miss them!

4. Lose the Crowds at Back 40

The Back 40 trail network is similar to Little Sugar in that it’s mainly cross-country and has one long 22+ mile loop – the Back 40 Loop. There are also plenty of ways to put together shorter (and arguably more interesting) rides with the crisscrossing of trails throughout the trail network.

The Back 40 is also located up in Bella Vista but on the right side of the community. It’s home to one of my favorite mountain bike trails in Bentonville – The Ledges – which follows a band of rock with some exposure and a few tricky rock gardens.

5. Turn up the fun at Coler Preserve

If you only have time to visit one mountain bike network in Bentonville, make it Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. This place is awesome! There’s a ton to explore here and there’s a great variety of trails, features, and terrain.

Most of the downhill trails start at The Hub on the north side. This alien-looking structure is an elevated launchpad with ramps dropping down into different trails. Fire Line is a must! Cease & Desist and the famous Drop The Hammer start from here as well.

On the south side of Coler, Thunder Dome and Family Flow are two fast and flowy machine-built trails that are worth lapping a couple of times.

In between the north side and south side are a mix of cross-country trails ranging from beginner-friendly to the expert-only Here’s Johnny.

Need a snack? Be sure to hit up Airship Coffee, which is located in the middle of the Coler Preserve trails and can only be accessed by foot or bike. You can also book a site at the Coler Campground if you want to shred sunup to sundown.

6. Find old school tech at HandCut Hollow

HandCut Hollow is one of the newer trail networks in Bentonville. As you’d suspect from its name, there are a lot of natural trails here, BUT it’s not all handcut. The Hub does access a few machine-built lines like my favorite – Interplanet Janet (so fun!) – and some impressive rock work trails like The Body Machine. Mother Necessity is the climb trail up to the hub.

If you are looking for old-school hand-cut, though, you’ll love Traverse Loop. It’s a good mix of cross-country and tech. When I rode it, I had the trail mostly to myself. This area is less popular than other Bentonville mountain biking networks.

Handcut Hollow is also home to the infamous Zone 4 trail. The brief for the trail builders was to build the hardest climb they could! As of this post, no rider – even the pros who’ve tried it – has been able to ride the whole thing in one smooth shot.

Trail Networks Farther Afield

The six trail networks listed above make up the riding closest to Bentonville. However, there is great riding all around Northwest Arkansas! Here are a few other trail networks to check out if you have the time: