Video: Mark Matthews Finds Gold in Arkansas
Words: Mark Matthews
The trip began right in Bentonville, the self-proclaimed "Mountain Biking Capital of The World!" Despite being unfamiliar with the trails, I was intrigued by the buzz generated by the Bentonville Bike Fest and all the positive reviews circulating. I couldn't help but wonder if Arkansas would truly deliver an experience that would rival other world-class areas.
Lake Leatherwood had the biggest lines.
An amazing variety of trails in Coler Mountain Bike Reserve.
Impressive wood work in the Boneyard!
Well built flow trails intertwined throughout town.
Upon arrival, it didn't take long to realize that Arkansas had a lot more to offer than I even imagined. The level of dedication and investment put into developing the trail networks in the state is awe-inspiring. While the hills might not be as big as those in many other riding destinations around the world, the trail designers have masterfully harnessed the available elevation to create a riding paradise. In Bentonville it isn't just about using the natural landscape to link up fun lines, but creating perfectly shaped trails that seamlessly integrate into the urban landscape. Making them accessible to riders from all walks of life. Bentonville was just the beginning – this entire corner of the state is teeming with mountain biking adventure.
"The Masterpiece" is the perfect example of how to tastefully integrate mountain bike trails into urban landscapes.
Among the many captivating locations in Northwest Arkansas, one stood out above the rest – the Lake Leatherwood shuttle zone. Nestled amidst picturesque surroundings, this area boasted the best gnarly riding I found in Arkansas. It was evident that countless hours of labor and passion had been poured into the trail construction, as the natural rock formations were utilized to craft some of the coolest features ever!
DH1, in particular, featured a big step-up jump that demanded absolute commitment and skill, leaving little room for error.
Followed by this rock lily pad.
With its super technical and rough features, Lake Leatherwood was undoubtedly an advanced rider's paradise. The place keeps you on your toes all day long.
Later in the week, I discovered two more zones that left me very stoked – Mount Nebo State Park and Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Each location has its own unique charm, adding to the diverse tapestry of riding experiences in the state.
Mount Nebo State Park, situated in the Ouachita Mountains, provided a pristine natural setting and a solid amount of elevation. It's steep and exposed off the top so the sunsets and sunrises are both epic! The trails meandered through lush forests and scenic overlooks.
Meanwhile, Pinnacle Mountain State Park offered a different flavor of excitement. It's just outside of Little Rock and this zone was a pretty unique experience. The spot had some big trees, a vibrant forest floor, and colourful dirt. It’s a nice balance of well-thought out flow trails and natural, raw riding. There wasn't one place in the state that didn't surprise me! The diversity poured into Arkansas' trail systems is seriously impressive.
Early summer conditions brought on vibrant colours and pleasant weather, but the temperatures are favourable for riding all year. The diverse terrains, welcoming community, and unparalleled trail development makes Arkansas an ultimate year-round mountain biking destination, and an amazing escape for those of us with cool winters. Whether you're a novice rider looking to improve your skills, an intermediate seeking a well-rounded experience, or an advanced rider in search of challenging lines, this place has something for everyone.
The state's trails, infused with the passion and creativity of dedicated builders and riders, has become an ultimate playground for mountain bikers.
Add Arkansas to your bucket list, it will be a rad experience etched in your memory forever!
Cinematography & Post Production: Scott Bell
Camera Assistant: Max Mcculloch
Drone Operators: Josh Beckemeyer & James Bobo
Photography: Jarrett Lindal
Author Info:
Member since Jan 15, 2000
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With a proper tax structure for the wealthy many problems in our society could be addressed, that they have the Walton Foundation and are doing good things there is sort of greenwashing.
FWIW, none of these trails are paid for with Walmart $. It's all city + Walton family philanthropy + lots of volunteers doing maintenance and additional building. Maybe the Walton's could do a lot more than Bentonville trails. The thing is that they are. There are 400 miles of purpose build singletrack in the NW Arkansas region (~500K population). The success here (economic, quality of life, better health outcomes--painful dirt samples notwithstanding) has been spreading out from NW Arkansas into the state and beyond over the past 5 years. They've partnered with IMBA over the past 5 years to host a workshop called IMBA Trail Labs to help city leaders, advocates, etc to learn from NW Arkansas's mistakes and success so they get more leaders at home on board with building trails in their towns.
The Waltons have also funded the The Monument Trails networks in 4 of our 50 state parks in the past 5 years. Two of which were featured here, Mt. Nebo (also site of 2023 BME) and Pinnacle Mountain, both close to the middle of the state.
The First Gentleman, Brian Sanders (Gov Sanders husband) loves the outdoors and mountain biking. Initiatives have been signed to put more effort into growing outdoor recreation around the state. The future is bright for Arkansas, and hopefully what is learned there truly does spread across the nation.
Bellingham / Squamish / Burke / Pisgah and 50 other places are true "mountain" biking and feel wild. Bentonville is barely even hills and the town feels overdeveloped - no wilderness left. The trails are fun, but there's nothing that rowdy or gnarly for substantial distance and it feels overbuilt - its ultimately a theme park. Those can be fun - for a few days and sure that's some people's dream - that's fine.
The sickest riding isn't even in Bentonville - that's Mt Nebo, Devils, Leatherwood, Passion (and others) but there are not towns right nearby except Leatherwood Lake (east of B'ville)
Its easy to shrug B'ville off - there's some serioius cheese about it. Like anywhere - there are pros & cons. The pros - every possible type of trail (except actual mountains!) and nearby beers & food aren't enough to keep me interested and the cons are plenty to keep me beyond stoked where I live & ride and hitting other actual mountain towns or places that don't feel overrun by Walmart outside of trails - just my choice and opinion, but one shared by all my rider buds who prefer wilder places.
As a Central AR local I'm going to have to respectfully agree. Nebo is the very best IMO.
But my real reason for posting is to reveal my go to place for good, cheap food: Tortilleria La Popular at 400 S. 8th St. in Rogers. Barbacoa and Carnitas by the pound, comes with plenty of tortillas and salsa. Grab some pan dulces while you're there as well.
Lol
www.instagram.com/reel/CkGO6uiPtiY/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA=
Kook fest