River Mountain Park: A sweet singletrack surprise in Little Rock, Arkansas!

Q: 🪨 How technical are the black-rated trails?

Narrow: The upper part of it isn’t too technical, but it gets more challenging toward the bottom with embedded rocks and rock gardens. Intermediate riders should be fine - you might need to walk one or two spots. Gravity Falls: I loved this trail! I’d say it’s a solid advanced trail, though. There’s one big drop (6 ft maybe) and there are some really steep slalom-like corners. I was impressed :)

Photo out over front of mountain bike handlebars onto large drop

When I committed to spending a few weeks in Little Rock, Arkansas (to hang out with a boy 🙄) I didn’t really expect there to be great mountain biking. Sure, Arkansas is home to amazing trail networks across the state, but you never really hear of Little Rock, right? Turns out there some pretty fun singletrack just a short drive from the city!

One of my favorite trail networks is River Mountain Park. On TrailForks, it doesn’t really look like much – a few parallel lines that hint at ridge riding. But after riding it for the first time, and then a second, I was surprised at how fun it was! The trails are a mix of new school flow (the gravity zone) and old school XC with rocks, roots, loose climbs, and sidehill descents. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for some sweet singletrack in central Arkansas.

Quick Tips

For mountain biking at River Mountain Park

There’s some pretty good exposure on Narrows, Main Current, and Headwaters. Stay in control so you don’t go over the edge!
Whirlpool and Gravity Falls are the ‘new school’ flow trails. They’re easy to lap if you’re just looking for DH fun.
Fox Trail on the other side of the river is actually pretty cool. It’s a narrow, paved trail with some skinnies. Great for beginners.
Because of the climbing, the main trails aren’t great network for beginners

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

POV photo of mountain bike riding over arched foot bridge

What I like about mountain biking at River Mountain Park

The two downhill trails are awesome!
Scenic setting by the Arkansas River
Long sidehill descents
Trails seem well-maintained overall

What I don’t

Several loose, steep gravelly spots that steal your traction
The exposure is pretty substantial in places – it wouldn’t be good if you tumbled off the trail

Planning your River Mountain Park it

Best trails to hit

It’s a small park and all the trails are worth checking out, really.

Main Current (intermediate)
Headwaters (intermediate)
Whirlpool (intermediate)
Narrows (advanced)
Gravity Falls (advanced)

Tip: Narrows is best as a descent (west to east) unless you’re up for some techy climbing.

Route recommendations

Joe’s Sample Ride (intermediate) – Two long(ish) climbs and two long(ish) descents for the best flow at River Mountain Park.
Ride It All (advanced) – If you want to explore all the trails, this route covers them all. Pack water and snacks!

River Mountain Park Trail Map

Switchbacked mountain bike trail in the forest — Big, flowy berms on Whirlpool

FAQs for River Mountain Park

Got questions? I’ve got answers! Here are some helpful tips for riding the River Mountain Park mountain bike trails in Little Rock:

Yes, class 1 pedal assist e-bikes are allowed at River Mountain Park.

The main parking area is down by the river at the end of River Mountain Road. Here are the google directions. There are bathrooms and a water fountain (across the train tracks). There’s another parking area off of Southridge Drive, but it’s a lot smaller and there are no facilities.

Yes, but they may be closed temporarily for rain or snow.

The trails are well-marked, but there are no maps at intersections. It’s not a big trail network and it’s hard to get lost, but I still always recommend having TrailForks downloaded.

Narrow: The upper part of it isn’t too technical, but it gets more challenging toward the bottom with embedded rocks and rock gardens. Intermediate riders should be fine – you might need to walk one or two spots.

Gravity Falls: I loved this trail! I’d say it’s a solid advanced trail, though. There’s one big drop (6 ft maybe) and there are some really steep slalom-like corners. I was impressed 🙂

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.

See my gear favorites

I didn’t really know what to expect heading to River Mountain Park in Little Rock, but I definitely came away pretty darn impressed. It’s a small network, but the trail builders have packed in a lot: rocky tech, bermed downhills, well-built climbs, fast sidehill descents, and even a few jumps and drops. It really has everything – not something you get in most small trail networks. Check it out next time you’re in central Arkansas!

Have you ridden in Little Rock? What’s your take on River Mountain Park? Is it a place you’d like to ride? Leave a comment!

River Mountain Park: A sweet singletrack surprise in Little Rock, Arkansas!

Quick Tips

TWW Take

What I like about mountain biking at River Mountain Park

What I don’t