Trail Town USA. A place where cycling is a part of everything--even your job.

Five years ago, my family of four left the suburbs of Washington, DC in search of a place with a better quality of life (good schools, amenities, kind people, and trails) and a place that I could move my video storytelling business. We’ve found it here in the land of Oz. Never in my life did I think I’d live in the South, let alone Arkansas. This area, NW Arkansas, also happens to be the home of Walmart, Tyson’s Foods, and JB Hunt. Yes, this is the same place where Sam Walton’s Grandson’s have invested a lot of their resources into trails and bike infrastructure. Yes, Bentonville claimed itself as the MTB Capital of the World. It’s also a place where trail advocates, politicians, land owners, and foundations work together to build some of the best trails I’ve ever ridden. It’s a place where I’ve been able to carve out a niche in my video production business in the growing cycling space here. There is an abundance of stories about how cycling is transforming this region and it’s spreading to the rest of the state. The energy is palpable and the stories transcend cycling. I'm so moved by it that I’m producing a documentary about it all.

NW Arkansas is also a place where trail builders are hero’s. This two part series shows how the town of Bella Vista, north of Bentonville, is being transformed from a retirement community with 7 golf courses to a community skewing younger as mountain bikers and cyclists of all types move into this town that boasts over 100 miles of purpose built mountain biking trails.

Part 1 of Trail Town USA introduces the key players involved that laid the groundwork for the trail builders to do their art. The second part focusses in on the trail builders getting to business and developing new techniques so they can build sustainable trails in the Ozark hills, rain, heat, and foliage. I hope you enjoy these.



100+ miles in all of it's glory.

Insider tip: If you come visit, don’t sleep on the Blowing Springs Trail network, you can camp there, there’s a Gear Garden (read: beer garden) and the dirt and rock there is divine.