Mountain Biking Mt. Kessler: Fayetteville’s Chunky, Funky Trail Gem
Fayetteville might not get as much love as Bentonville when it comes to mountain biking, but don’t write it off just yet. Tucked into the hills just outside town are a handful of trail networks—namely Centennial Park and Mt. Kessler.
I’ve spent a good amount of time riding both (they’re practically neighbors), and while they might not have the same polish or hype as some of the trails farther north, they’ve got their own unique charm and they’re a lot of fun!
Mt. Kessler in particular is a bit of a beast. It’s a mash-up of machine-built flow and chunky, old-school tech. And when I say rocky, I mean ROCKY. If you’re not into navigating boulders and getting bounced around a bit, this might not be your scene. But if you’re up for a solid challenge and something a little different, Mt. Kessler delivers.
In this post, I share everything you need to know to make the most of a day riding Mt. Kessler.
Quick Tips
For mountain biking at Mt. Kessler
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 Mt. Kessler
What I like
What I don’t
Planning your Mt. Kessler rides
Best trails to hit
Not all the trails at Mt. Kessler are ‘fun’. Here are my favorites:
- Last Call (intermediate)
- Fayetteville Traverse (intermediate)
- Terrapin Station (intermediate)
- Flight Training (intermediate+)
- Bewitched (advanced)
- Chinkapin Oak (advanced)
- Crazy Mary (advanced)
Tip: Choose your route here carefully. You can either have a great ride or a very frustrating one.
Route recommendations
- Kessler Easy-ish (beginner+) – It won’t be ‘easy’, but it’s the easiest you can get at Kessler. Add Fayetteville Traverse & Flight Training (not really a black) for a longer ride.
- Mt. Kessler Sampler (intermediate+) – It’s hard to put together a ride at Kessler that doesn’t include some suffering, but this is the best I’ve come up with.
- Hitting Kessler from the Back (advanced) – If you want more tech.
Mt. Kessler Trail Map
FAQs & Planning Tips
🅿️ Parking: There is a huge parking area at the sports complex at the base of the Mt. Kessler trails. There are bathrooms and water stations. I like to park at the end of Saddle Up.
🗺️ Navigating the trails: Navigation is pretty easy. All of the trails are signed and there are several trail maps at the bigger intersections. I always recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone though.
💧 Water: There is water at the bathrooms in the main parking area.
📅 How many days: You can cover most of the trails in one day using my route recommendations above, but if you have the time, I suggest camping overnight and spending two full days there.
☀️ When to go: The trails are rideable year-round, but please don’t ride them when muddy or wet.
🚲 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 Mt. Kessler (and pretty much all of Arkansas).
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.
As I’ve learned from many rides at Kessler, the mountain trails here can be challenging and frustrating, but also fun and rewarding. I do enjoy riding there whenever I’m back in NWA, but I only go when I know I’m up for a bit of punishment. I don’t say this to discourage you from riding here (they are fun and unique!) but you just need to know what you’re getting into. I highly recommend following one of my route recommendations above to avoid unnecessary type two fun (like pedaling up Spellbound).
With all my warnings about the rocks and technical terrain, is Mt. Kessler still a place you’d like to ride? Leave a comment below!
I’ve ridden here four times and still not sure why?! I do like a challenge and enjoy climbing. Plenty of that to go around at Kessler. It is marked fairly well but if you haven’t ridden here it gets confusing and frustrating when you’re riding some of the techy sections in the wrong direction. Your review is pretty spot on. (Not for beginners!) Enjoy your reviews!
Haha, that’s how I feel about Kessler, too. Somehow I always find myself back there whenever I’m in NWA, though. It’s good to have a beat down ride every now and then.