Sending it for Salvation at the Passion Play Trails

I recently checked out the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. What a cool place! Get all the info you need to plan your ride.

Quick tips on riding the Passion Play Trails

The trails are free to ride
Bring your climbing legs – it’s either up or down!
e-bikes are allowed
There are some big features here. Always scope before you send and ride within your skill level
Respect the ‘downhill only’ signs
It’s worth spending at least two days here

I hope I don’t offend anybody with that title… but the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs, Arkansas are built on the grounds of a Biblical reenactment scene, so I thought it was fitting. I’m not religious, but it was pretty unique.

Anyway, I just finished up a few days of riding here and these trails are a blast! I can’t say that I’m really that surprised, though, because all of the mountain biking in Arkansas is pretty amazing.

What sets the Passion Play trails apart – and what makes them worth visiting – is the variety of terrain and the elevation gain/loss. This place is packed with great runs from fast machine-built trails to some pretty legit and steep downhill tracks. But expect to work for your descents – the climbing here is real!

What is the Great Passion Play?

Before I get into the trails, it’s worth trying to describe what the Passion Play is. I still don’t fully understand it (I’m not religious), but it was very perplexing the first time I drove in and rode the trails. There are several components to this place:

The Great Passion Play is a reenactment of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ. There’s a huge outdoor stage with tiered seating where it’s performed. Shows happen throughout the summer and fall.
The Christ of the Ozarks is a 67-foot statue of Jesus Christ. A lot of people come just to see this.
The Holy Land Tour takes visitors around the grounds to life-sized replicas of places that would have been found in Jerusalem. Depending on what trails you ride (mostly the eastern ones), you can check out some of these replicas during your ride.

As I said above, I’m not religious, so the Passion Play felt very strange to me. It is pretty cool that they allowed mountain bike trails to be built throughout their grounds, though!

Mountain bike lying on ground in entryway biblical reenactment structure — I think this was a replica of an inn on the Holy Land Tour

Passion Play Trail Map

Map of the Passion Play trails at Eureka Springs in Arkansas

What I loved

I’ve been coming back to Arkansas for several years now and for some reason, the Passion Play trails haven’t been on my ride-it list until this trip. I’m so glad I made the time to check them out! They’re super fun and the whole religious theme makes them even more unique. Here’s what I loved about this place:

You get real downhills: Arkansas may not be entirely flat (The Leatherwood Gravity Project, Mt. Nebo, and BOC Ponca downhill trails are a testament to that), but you do have to seek out real elevation loss if that’s what you want to ride. The Passion Play trails definitely deliver on that! You’re either going up or down and the downhills are worth the climbs (very important).
It’s weird, in an interesting way: You kind of have to experience it to really understand it.
There’s a little bit of everything here: I dive into the trail descriptions below, but Passion Play has a little bit of everything, which I love. There are beginner-friendly flow tracks, jump lines, old-school DH, and everything in between.
It’s close to Eureka Springs: This is a fun, funky little town! Make sure you walk around the old part of downtown and explore the side streets.
The trails are well-maintained: At least when I was there, the trails were in great shape. I think they get support from the Walton Foundation for trail maintenance.
The trail names and signs are fun: They all have a Biblical theme, which I thought was clever.

Trail sign for Atonement (expert only) at the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs, Arkansas — Atonement is a must ride – it’s my favorite trail at Passion Play

What I didn’t

Honestly, I thought the Passion Play trails were pretty darn fun, but here are a few reasons they might not be for you:

You’ll be climbing. A lot. The trails here are up or down (unless you just do the Genesis loop). Expect to earn your descents. E-bikes are allowed, so if climbing isn’t your forte, consider bringing or renting an e-bike.
The religious theme may not be comfortable for everyone: I in no way felt pressured or expected to take part in any of the religious going-ons at Passion Play, but if you have strong feelings against religion, it may not be for you.

Photo out over from of mountain bike handlebars of the Christ of the Ozarks statue — The religious theme is a bit strange

How I rate the Passion Play Trails

Overall fun-ness:

I thought the Passion Play trails were great! They were well-built, well-maintained, and there was lots of variety to choose from. Sure, there’s quite a bit of pedaling involved, but (most importantly), the climbs were worth the descents.

Trail variety:

I was actually surprised at how much variety there is here. A lot of the trails are machine-built with big berms, jumps, and kickers, but there is also plenty of rocky tech and natural features. Anyone can have fun here if you pick the right trails and routes (see more on both of those below).

Average difficulty:

While there are some legit black and doubleblack trails at Passion Play, there are also beginner-friendly ones too (Genesis is awesome!). Most of them fall in between and the features on the harder trails can be skipped or walked.

Photo out over front of mountain bike handlebars onto trail signs for Genesis and Revelation — There’s a little bit of everything at Passion Play from beginner-friendly trails to expert-only ones

Large rock drop with landing through two boulders on the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs, Arkansas — A large rock drop on Vengence. You need to nail the landing!

Trail sign for the Passion Play mountain bike trails

The Best Trails to Ride

Passion Play is a pretty big trail network. I did two big rides here and was able to cover almost every trail. That being said, not every trail is really worth it – below are the ones I recommend checking off. The * indicates the top trails I really loved.

*Genesis: This is a really fun and rolly cross-country loop that circumnavigates the top of the ‘mountain’. If you just want an easy, fun ride without much climbing, the 4-mile Genesis trail is great. You’ll also ride parts of it on nearly every ride you do here since it connects the other trails together.
Beauty is Everywhere: This loop isn’t quite as easy as Genesis, but it’s another good option for newer riders. This is a bit more climbing and some rocky sections that may need to be walked.
*Holy Roller: A super fast and fun downhill with small jumps and kickers. This was one of my favorites!
Passover: A good cross-country trail with some switchbacks and optional features to play on. It also passes through the Holy Land Tour where you can get a glimpse into Old Jerusalem.
Temptation: Half buffed flow trail and half climb. You can opt to take Salvation to make the descent a little longer.
*Prussian Blue DH: This was one of my favorite downhills. It’s on the lower half of the mountain and it’s a great mix of flow and moderate tech.
*Atonement: The best trail at Passion Play! I loved this one. The top is fast and flowy with small jumps while the bottom has some rocky tech. Definitely a must-ride.
Vengence: Steep and old-school with one really big rock drop. I liked this one, but it’s definitely a black.
Ninevah: Narrow, old-school tech. It’ll take a few runs to piece this one together, but it’s worth checking out.
Deliverance: A rough, rocky, and rooty double black trail. The last rock garden at the end is pretty legit, but then you pass through a cool rock arch! I think it’s worth doing even if you need to walk sections.
Gn’Armageddon: I wouldn’t really call this one a doubleblack, but it is very steep, so make sure your brakes are working. There’s not a whole lot of tech, it’s just straight down the mountain.

Skinny wooden drops at Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs Arkansas — This drop zone is at the bottom of Holy Roller

My Route Recommendations

Passion Play is the kind of place where you really have to ride it to figure it out. The route I recommend below is a good first ride, but you’ll probably need a least two rides here if you really want to explore it all.

Here are two alternate route options if you want to ride more or less:

Beginner option: Beginners Full Tour / 11 miles / 1,220 ft climbing
Ride it all: Passion Play Tour / 22 miles / 3,237 ft climbing

Passion Play in a Day

After spending two full days of riding at Passion Play, this is the route I’d do again and what I recommend as a first ride for those visiting.

Trail Basics

Skill level: Advanced
Fitness level: Very good
Distance: 13 miles
Elevation Gain/loss: 1,900 ft
High point: 1,505
e-bikes allowed? Yes
Map: TrailForks

Ride it for:

Good mix of trails from technical downhill to fast flow
Probably one of the more unique trail networks you’ve ridden

Need to know:

There is up and there is down. Bring your climbing legs
These trails are not tamed down. There are hike-a-bikes, legit rock gardens, and big features
Pack snacks and lots of water

Route directions: Statue Parking > Genesis > Atonement > Ascension > Ninevah > Hallelujah > Good Samaritan > Foregiveness > Genesis > Passover > Vengence > Revelation > Genesis > Holy Roller > Lord’s Prayer > Genesis

Do more: If you have one more climb in you, head down to the lower trails and ride Prussian Blue DH.

Make it harder: Take Deliverance instead of Ninevah (or do both by climbing back up the other side of Ascension).

Mountain bike propped up under natural rock arch on trail in Arkansas — This natural rock arch is on Deliverance. It’s a true double black, but worth doing even if you need to walk sections

Facts & FAQs

Q: Where are the Passion Play trails?

Passion Play is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It’s about 45 minutes east of Bentonville. It’s also close to the Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project.

Q: Where should I park?

There’s free parking at the top of the Passion Play near the Christ of the Ozark statue. Here are the Google driving directions. There are bathrooms here.

Q: Are the Passion Play trails free to ride?

Yes. The Great Passion Play does accept donations if you want to chip in a few bucks.

Q: Are e-bikes allowed?

Yes.

Q: Is there water along the trails?

I would plan for no water. There are bottles of water for sale for $1 (honor system) at the Holy Land Tour stops on the east side of the network (namely Revelation and Passover trails). You can fill up on water at the parking area.

Q: When are the trails open?

The Passion Play trails are open year-round (please don’t ride them when wet) from sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.

Entrance to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas — The Passion Play trails are open year-round from dawn to an hour after dusk

Post-ride Fun & Food

Eureka Springs is a really cool and funky town. I recommend at least walking around for a bit maybe grabbing something to eat. There are also a ton of cute Bed and Breakfasts if you want to spend the night!

Walk around the historic downtown area. Put away your phone and just explore – guaranteed you’ll find something(s) unexpected!
Check out the events calendar. There was free live music downtown the last time I visited.
Visit Thorncrown Chapel. It’s amazing.
Check out the Onyx Cave. I haven’t been, but a friend said it’s pretty cool.
Eat! Eureka Springs is a tourist town and has lots of great restaurants, including fine dining (maybe take a shower and change your clothes first…). Local Flavor Cafe, Grotto Wood-Fired Grill, and Nibbles Eatery (breakfast/lunch) are all popular.

Don’t leave without visiting Thorncrown Chapel!

Where to stay

Everywhere you look in Eureka Springs is a cool, old Bed and Breakfast or vacation rental. There is no shortage of places to stay, but I do recommend booking in advance because it is a tourist town.

If you’re looking to camp, I love Lake Leatherwood City Park, which is about 15 minutes from downtown Eureka Springs. Reservations are a good idea on the weekends.

Book Accommodations & Campsites

Use these affiliate links when booking your accommodations – it helps me keep Two Wheeled Wanderer running. Thanks for your support!

H ipCamp – Find some cool camping/glamping spots. Use the code BECKYT315233 to get $10 off your first booking.
Booking.com – If you prefer to stay in a hotel
Hotels.com – Another hotel listing site
Expedia.com – Can also book cars and flights
VRBO – For unique home rentals
TrustedHousesitters – My favorite way to travel!
Harvest Hosts – Stay at cool venues around the US like wineries, breweries, farms, etc…

Have you ridden the Passion Play trails in Eureka Springs? What did you think about them? Are they worth the trip from Bentonville? Leave a comment below!

Was this post helpful?

buy me a coffee!

Add to the tip jar