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A Mountain Biker’s Guide to Bentonville’s Trails

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Quick Tips for Riding in Bentonville

  • There is so much riding in and around Bentonville – if you have a week (or more), you’ll need it!
  • A lot of the trail networks in Bentonville are built around ‘hubs’. These hubs are the start of several downhill trails with one climb trail back to the top.
  • There’s great riding outside of Bentonville, too, like Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, Devil’s Den, and more.
  • Bentonville isn’t just ‘new school’ stuff – there’s plenty of rocks and roots and technical terrain, too.
  • It’s a year-round riding destination, but be prepared for heat and humidity in the summer.
  • City and trail crews keep the trails well-maintained and there’s even an emergency team that will come get you if things take a wrong turn.
  • Northwest Arkansas is very e-bike friendly.

Bentonville has quickly become a must-ride destination for mountain bikers, and word is spreading fast. I first visited in 2020, and since then, I’ve been returning annually—sometimes even twice a year! Bentonville is without a doubt one of the best places I’ve ridden in the U.S., and its reputation is growing worldwide.

Say what you will about Walmart, but the Walton Family Foundation’s investment in the region’s trails and community development is nothing short of amazing. This once-sleepy corner of middle America has transformed into a veritable Disneyland for mountain bikers.

And if you’re thinking “It’s too polished for me,” think again. While Bentonville offers plenty of machine-built flow trails, jump lines, and bike park features, there’s also a ton of rugged, hand-cut trails with plenty of rocks and roots for those who love classic, technical terrain.

The best part? The growth isn’t slowing down. Rumor has it that the region plans to add 1,200 miles of singletrack between Bentonville and Little Rock over the next decade—pretty exciting stuff for mountain biking enthusiasts.

If you’re planning a trip to Bentonville, Arkansas, I put together this guide that has everything you need to make the most of your visit, from the top trails to ride, route recommendations, where to eat, and more!

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5-Day Bentonville Mountain Biking Itinerary

Looking for the best trails and route recommendations for mountain biking in Bentonville? Download my 5-day itinerary packed with tips, links, and local secrets including the best trails to ride and route recommendations. Grab it now and start planning your trip to the Mountain Bike Capital of the World!

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.

Sign post in Bentonville, Arkansas that reads Coffee, Beer, Tequila, and Trails with arrows pointing in different directions
I mean, what more do you need?

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).

Mountain biker riding down paved bermed trail in Bentonville, Arkansas
The paved berms on Choo Choo are SO much fun!

Tips for riding at Slaughter Pen:

  • The higher-up trails tend to be more XC and less traveled while the lower-down trails have more features and are more busy
  • It’s almost impossible to follow a pre-planned route at Slaughter Pen. Instead, I recommend choosing a handful of trails you want to ride and building your route around them.
  • The two paved trails – Choo Choo and Leopard – are a must!
  • You’ll see a lot of people riding here. It can feel intimidating, especially if you want to try the features. But just ride your ride – everyone is learning and having fun!

🚴‍♀️ Check out Slaughter Pen Trails on TrailForks 🚴‍♀️

Mountain bikes at small skills park at the Slaughter Pen trails in Bentonville, Arkansas
This is part of the skills park at Slaughter Pen – it’s just a tiny portion of what is there!

Head to Blowing Springs & The Alice in Wonderland Trails

Making your way closer to Bentonville, the Blowing Springs and Alice in Wonderland Trails bridge the gap between Little Sugar and the Back 40 in Bella Vista (see below) and the Slaughter Pen trails near downtown Bentonville.

These trails are some of my favorites. It’s not a huge area, but what’s packed in there is pretty darn fun, especially if you like old-school tech (Boom Diggity) and new-school flow (Ace of Spades).

It might be easy to overlook these trails when putting together your Bentonville mountain biking trip, but I highly recommend doing at least 1 ride here!

Wooden drop on mountain bike trail in Bentonville, Arkansas with "we are all mad" written on the edge
There’s a good-sized wooden drop and step-up on Mad Hatter at the Alice in Wonderland trails

Tips for riding at Blowing Springs & Alice in Wonderland:

  • Boom Diggity has some exposure that you would not want to fall off of
  • Check out the springs at Blowing Springs Park. It’s a great place to eat lunch or have a snack.
  • Don’t ride the machine-built Alice in Wonderland Trails when wet, please.
Mountain biker riding out of converted RV trail hub at the Alice in Wonderland Trails in Bentonville, Arkansas
Don’t miss the RV Hub at the top of the Alice in Wonderland trails!

Get your XC on at Little Sugar

Little Sugar (and The Back 40 – see below) are the rolling cross-country areas of Bentonville, although there are a few pockets of some fun tech if you know where to look. Little Sugar is northwest of downtown in the residential community of Bella Vista.

There is one 25+ mile loop around Little Sugar called Tunnel Vision. It rolls in and out of neighborhoods on mellow terrain with lots of well-built climbs and long, fast descents. I’ve done the full loop twice and it’s actually pretty fun and worth doing if you have 25+ miles in your legs. If you’re not up for a big-mile day, there are plenty of options for shorter rides at Little Sugar (see route recommendations below).

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!

Becky riding rock ledge section of mountain bike trail in Bentonville, Arkansas
On the Tunnel Vision Loop

Tips for riding at Little Sugar:

  • Have a ride plan – you can get yourself into a BIG mile day here if you’re not careful!
  • Trails are multi-use and two-way. Check your speed and stay in control.
  • There are water stations spread throughout Little Sugar, but I recommend riding with a hydration pack, especially if you’re doing a longer ride.
  • Tunnel Vision has many road crossings. I found that drivers in Bentonville are very nice, but don’t assume they will stop for you.

🚴‍♀️ Check out Little Sugar on TrailForks 🚴‍♀️

Mountain biker riding down switchback on singletrack trail in Bentonville, Arkansas
The Tunnel Vision loop has a lot of well-built climbs and descents to keep the flow
several tablet screens with information

5-Day Bentonville Mountain Biking Itinerary

Don’t forget to download my Bentonville Mountain Biking Itinerary to make the most of your time there! It’s packed with route recommendations, best trails to hit, and more.

Loose 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.

Tunnel Vision or the Back 40? If you want to do one long cross-country ride, I like the Tunnel Vision loop a little more than the Back 40 loop. I also think the Back 40 has better options for shorter and more interesting rides than Little Sugar.

Mountain biker on singletrack trail at the Back 40 in Bella Vista, Arkansas
The Back 40 trails are mostly cross-country but they’re really well built with lots of flow and fast descents

Tips for riding the Back 40:

  • Again, have a ride plan – there are dozens of miles of trail in the Back 40 and you can easily end up doing a big mile day by accident.
  • It’s easy to get going fast on some of the downhills, but these trails are 2-way and popular with hikers and trail runners. Stay in control.
  • Look both ways when crossing the roads and don’t assume cars will stop for you.

🚴‍♀️ Check out the Back 40 on TrailForks 🚴‍♀️

Colorful Back 40 trail sign in Bella Vista, Arkansas

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.

The Hub at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
The Hub on the north side of Coler leads into several of the downhill trails

Tips for riding Coler Preserve:

  • Ride within your skill level – there are some big jumps and drops here.
  • There is a paved greenway that connects the north and south sides. You can use it to link together the best trails.
  • The machine-built trails get closed after rain.
  • Stop at Airship Coffee for a pick-me-up!

🚴‍♀️ Check out Coler Preserve on TrailForks 🚴‍♀️

Mountain bikers on machine-built dual-slalom course
Racing on the Thunder Dome dual slalom!

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.

Tips for riding Handcut Hollow:

  • If you park at the main parking lot off of J Street you’ll have a pretty hefty climb at the end of your ride.
  • Zone 4 was built to be a climb, but it is two-way. That being said, you need to yield to riders climbing the trail.
  • Handcut Hollow is a great place to go if Slaughter Pen and Coler are too busy.

🚴‍♀️ Check out Handcut Hollow on TrailForks 🚴‍♀️

Mountain bike resting against giant Axe sculpture with "Hand Cut Hollow" written on handle

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:

  • The Railyard in Rogers – this is an urban bike park with tons of fun features like drops, jumps, pump tracks, etc…
  • Lake Atalanta in Rogers – I’ve only hiked this trail network, but it’s set in a really pretty park on a lake. The trails are mainly cross-country with not a lot of tech.
  • Fayetteville – Home to two of my favorite trail networks – Mt. Kessler and Centennial Park – the mountain biking in Fayetteville is worth a trip!
  • Hobbs State Park – Home to some of the best cross-country mountain bike trails I’ve ever ridden. Hobbs State Park is one of my favorite places to ride.
  • Devil’s Den State Park – the trails at Devil’s Den are absolutely stunning (and fun!) with cool rock formations and river views.
  • Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project: Looking for a downhill day? Book a ride on the shuttle at Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project and lap the 7 downhill trails!
  • Passion Play in Eureka Springs – built on the grounds of a biblical reenactment camp, the Passion Play trails are odd, but so fun!
Mountain biker riding on trail under a waterfall at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas
Devil’s Den is one of my favorite places to ride in Northwest Arkansas for its cool rock formations on Devil’s Racetrack trail

Watch BKXC ride some of the trails in Bentonville

Planning Your Bentonville Mountain Bike Adventure

☀️ When to go: Bentonville can technically be ridden all year long, but the summer months can be very hot and humid and winters can be cold, rainy, and snowy. It’s best to visit during the shoulder seasons of March-May and September-November when the temps are perfect and the rain and humidity are minimal. Bentonville also hosts several mountain bike events if you want your trip to coincide with a shindig. Bentonville Bike Fest happens in May and OuterBike comes to town in October.

🗓️ Number of days to spend here: A month? A year? Honestly, the more time the better! There’s so much riding in Northwest Arkansas you could spend weeks here and not do everything. I recommend at least 5 days to explore the highlights.

🚲 What bike to bring: There’s nothing too techy or hardcore in Bentonville, so I recommend a short or mid-travel full suspension mountain bike (120-150 mm rear travel).

⚡️ e-bikes: They are alive and thriving. Bentonville is one of the most e-bike friendly places to mountain bike in the US.

🚗 Getting around: A car is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. If you’re going to stay close to town (Slaughter Pen and Coler), then you can get away without a car. But if you want to explore the Bella Vista trails and other networks in NWA then a car is necessary. Alternatively, Shuttle Hound is a shuttle service in Bentonville that provides transportation to and from trailheads.

🏠 Bike shops & rentals: There are a lot of great bike shops in Bentonville. I’m partial to Mojo Cycling and Phat Tire Bike shops.

🚴 Mountain bike tours: There are actually quite a few businesses in Bentonville that offer trail tours and lessons:

\⛺️ Camping: Surprisingly, there’s not a ton of camping in and around Bentonville. Coler Preserve has a handful of sites that book up fast and Blowing Springs campground is an option, but personally I don’t like it (too crowded with very little privacy). The Bike In Bentonville has a few van camping sites and Bentonville Bike Camp a newer option that gets good reviews. (Use this link to get $10!)

🏨 Hotels: There are a ton of places to stay in Bentonville. Check out my guide on mountain-biker-friendly accommodations and the Bentonville Bike Inn.

🧳 Bentonville-specific packing list: For a complete packing list, head over to my Mountain Bike Trip Packing List post. Here are a few recommendations specific to Bentonville mountain biking:

  • Salt Stick Tabs: If you’re visiting in the summer, be prepared to sweat a lot. I swear by these Salt Stick tabs, which are basically a compact shot of electrolytes.
  • Photochromatic lenses: The trails in Bentonville weave in and out of the woods and I’m always so glad I invested in photochromatic lenses whenever I ride there. These Smith Shift Mag shades are light sensitive and go from clear to dark depending on the conditions. I love them! (Make sure you get the photochromatic ones).
  • A bell: The trails in Bentonville can be busy with other riders, trail runners, and hikers. It’s helpful to have a bike bell so you can pass people without scaring the bejesus out of them.

Have you been to Bentonville to ride? Does it live up to the hype? What questions do you still have about Bentonville mountain biking? Leave a comment below!

Planning your trip? Download my 5-day Bentonville Mountain Biking Itinerary!

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17 Comments

  1. you had bike shop recommendations, on this page. I bookmarked it for a upcoming trip and now there are no local bike shops listed….. bummer

    1. Hi Dane – I moved the bike shops to my 5-Day Bentonville Itinerary, which also includes the Google maps locations for them (and a lot more!). I’m trying to move away from ads as much as possible while still keeping most of my content free. I hope you understand and have a great trip to Bentonville!

  2. What’s the lay of the land when it comes to e-bikes? Wanting to get a Sur Ron X soon and am not sure how welcome it would be in Bentonville.

  3. I’m from Wisconsin and get winters off from work. I would like to get some off-road action late Feb or March. How is the riding in Bentonville that time of year?

    1. There’s a ton of fun stuff to do around Bentonville! The Crystal Museum is really cool (and I’m not a museum person). If you have kids, the Amazeum is supposed to be awesome. There are also a lot of really cool hikes, parks, and outdoor off-bike things to do within a short drive. And there are some great restaurants and bars and a cute downtown to walk around.

  4. Do you recommend renting a car? Or most of the trails are accessible directly from Bentonville with 10-20 minutes bike ride?

    1. A car is not absolutely necessary since all of the trail networks are connected by bike paths. However, you may need to add quite a few miles to your ride depending on where you’re staying (I’d say 10-30 minutes one-way). I just did a quick search for mountain bike shuttles in Bentonville and it looks like Shuttle Hound has some good options if you don’t want to rent a car. If you’re not staying in or close to downtown Bentonville, though, I’d recommend renting a car. Have fun!

  5. Becky-glad you had a good time in our little paradise. Next time don’t forget to check out Pedalers Pub. Very best pizza, staff and beer selection.

  6. So glad I came across your post as we will be making our first biking trip to Bentonville. Your tips on what to do, where to go and where to stay were very helpful. Thank you!

  7. Nice guide. I appreciate the tips. This will definitely help me decide on where to bike this summer on a cross-country road trip. I have 1 day/night in Arkansas and I was struggling on which city to camp and hit some easy to intermediate level trails. My main objective is scenery without being too technical.

    1. Thanks for reading Charles and glad these posts are helpful. Bentonville is awesome and definitely worth a stop. There’s also a lot more mountain biking around Arkansas that I haven’t ridden (yet). Hobbs State Park is supposed to be amazing as are Pinnacle and Mount Nebo State Parks. Hoping to hit those this fall. Check out the Monument Trails page

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