Arkansas Biking Hubs: Trails, Towns and Taps
1 /
Arkansas connects riders to nature and community with its trail-to-taproom towns. Here are seven bike-friendly destinations where you can ride all day, then grab great grub and craft beer in the evening. These towns have an outdoor lifestyle vibe, lively downtowns and bike-friendly lodging.
Bentonville
Ride
More than 550 miles of singletrack run through Northwest Arkansas on the OZ Trails network with Bentonville, the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, at its heart. Slaughter Pen, the trail system that started it all, flows 30+ miles directly from downtown, past Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where sculptures appear trailside, and on through the wooded, hilly landscape. The whole network runs beginner-friendly green routes to double black diamond lines, which means the group with mixed abilities can split off, then meet for lunch. Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, on 300 acres just west of the square, offers jump lines and technical terrain for riders ready to push harder. Extend your adventure at Coler Campground, which has an on-site bike wash, repair station and e-bike charging outlets. Opening June 12, 2026, just over the city line in Bella Vista is the OZ Trails Bike Park, featuring 20+ miles of gravity trails and the first chairlift mountain bike park in Arkansas. From Bentonville, the paved Razorback Regional Greenway runs south to Fayetteville, connecting riders to more trails, towns and taprooms.
Tap
Accessible only by trail, Airship at The Homestead at Coler is the place to enjoy coffee and local craft beer. Bike Rack Brewing sits in Bentonville's 8th Street Market and is popular for post-trail ales and music. Other great hangouts catering to the biking crowd include Bentonville Brewing Company, Pedaler’s Pub, Trailhead Tap, and The Hub Bike Lounge.
Plan Your Visit
Bentonville sits in the northwest corner of Arkansas, about 30 minutes from Fayetteville and four hours from Memphis. Bike rentals and guided rides are available through Phat Tire Bike Shop and several other outfitters. Most hotels in the area offer bike storage. Some are built specifically for cycling travelers and are located right beside trails. After the ride and a round at Bike Rack, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is worth the visit. Admission is free.
Fayetteville
Ride
Fayetteville is Mile Zero of the Razorback Regional Greenway, the 40+-mile multi-use trail that links the region's trail towns and many of Fayetteville’s mountain bike trails. Mount Kessler, a 1,800-foot peak inside the city limits, anchors 13 miles of hand-cut natural surface trails through old-growth forest, boulder fields and rocky Ozark terrain. Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain adds purpose-built flow trails and technical features to the mix, including the Junk Drawer trail with its gap jump over a vintage pickup truck. Road cyclists will find more than 400 miles of low-traffic scenic roads. Gravel riders have hundreds of miles of accessible roads rolling out from Fayetteville straight into the surrounding Ozark National Forest. With 110 miles of paved and singletrack trails inside city limits alone, the toughest decision in Fayetteville is which bike to load.
Tap
Fayetteville's craft beer scene is deep enough to have its own passport with stamps and prizes. The Fayetteville Ale Trail connects nine breweries across town, several within easy reach of the trails. Columbus House Brewery sits just off the bike trail on North Street, a small, welcoming taproom run by University of Arkansas alumni that actively invites cyclists and runners to roll in as-is. West Mountain Brewing Co. anchors the historic downtown square, and Flyway Brewing Company sits trailside by Lake Fayetteville on the north side of town. Crisis Brewing, tucked into a hillside just south of the square, offers a 10 percent discount to cyclists and walkers.
Plan Your Visit
Fayetteville sits about 30 minutes south of Bentonville, making it a natural stop on a Northwest Arkansas road trip. The University of Arkansas lends a college-town energy to this city, known for great restaurants, live music and late hours in the downtown entertainment district. Bike rentals and retail shops service cyclists of all abilities. Experience Fayetteville, the city’s downtown tourism office, created a bikepacking route guide with options for beginners or seasoned riders. Bicycle-friendly restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and hotels, plus public art, complete the experience.
Eureka Springs
Ride
Eureka Springs earns its place on the OZ Trails network with two distinct riding hubs and terrain that suits everyone from first-timers to gravity-focused experts. Lake Leatherwood City Park covers 1,600 acres and features 25 miles of cross-country trails, as well as a downhill-specific gravity zone with seven descent lines, each about a mile long. A shuttle carries riders and bikes to two platforms at the top. The Great Passion Play grounds add more than 20 miles of trails, including the area's best beginner course, Genesis. Eureka Springs has flow trail, smooth singletrack and terrain that mixed-ability groups can enjoy together. Nearby, Marble Flats is a five-mile trail system packed with three short but memorable downhill runs, a skills area, and a photo-worthy bridge.
Tap
Gotahold Brewing sits just off Highway 62 west and features a one-acre beer forest alongside its taproom. A rotating tap list ranges from sours and barrel-aged beers to pilsners and IPAs. Live music runs most of the year. Eureka Springs Brewery, in the historic downtown, is the other local option for a post-ride pint.
Plan Your Visit
Eureka Springs sits about 45 minutes northeast of Fayetteville in the Boston Mountains, making it a natural add-on to a Northwest Arkansas trip. The historic downtown, full of Victorian architecture and built into steep hillsides, is worth time on foot after the ride. Shuttle service is available at Lake Leatherwood for the gravity trails. Several lodging options cater specifically to mountain bikers, including Loblolly Pines Adventure Camp, a cabin resort.
North Little Rock and Little Rock
Ride
North Little Rock is home to the oldest mountain bike trail system in Arkansas. Camp Robinson's 40-plus miles of volunteer-built singletrack have been open to local riders for more than 30 years, and the variety runs from smooth, flat loops that work well for beginners, through intermediate cross-country to technical rocky terrain in the western reaches of the system. Because the trails sit on the grounds of Camp Joseph Robinson, home of the Arkansas National Guard, access requires a day-use pass obtained at the entrance gate on Military Road (378 Military Rd #346, North Little Rock, AR 72199). Show your driver's license, insurance card and registration, stick your pass on the front windshield of the driver’s side, then make your way to the trailhead. No pass is required to ride at Burns Park, one of the largest city parks in the country at 1,700 acres on the North Little Rock side of the Arkansas River. It connects to the Arkansas River Trail, which connects to Big Dam Bridge, the longest bridge in the U.S. built specifically for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge takes riders to additional trail systems on the Little Rock side, including River Mountain Park and the Monument Trails at Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
Tap
Flyway Brewing is a ten-barrel microbrewery in the heart of North Little Rock's Argenta Arts District, a few blocks from the Arkansas River. Each beer name is tied to a migratory bird from the Mississippi Flyway, and the brewery sources Arkansas-grown hops and grains where possible. Also downtown is Diamond Bear Brewery, the state’s oldest brewery. You’ll find great barbecue here. Across the river in Little Rock are Vino’s Brewpub, Stone’s Throw Brewing, Lost Forty Brewing and Southern Tail Brewing.
Plan Your Visit
North Little Rock sits directly across the Arkansas River from Little Rock, connected by multiple bridges and the Arkansas River Trail. The Argenta Arts District is a walkable corridor of restaurants, galleries and live music venues worth exploring after the ride. Argenta Plaza hosts a regular farmers market and outdoor events through the warmer months, as does the River Market on the Little Rock side. Riders using the river trail network can combine North Little Rock and Little Rock trail systems in a single day, making this a strong base for riders who want mileage, variety and post-ride fun.
Hot Springs
Ride
Great rides on Ouachita Mountain terrain are within five minutes of downtown Hot Springs. The Northwoods Trails system covers 31.5+ miles of singletrack, with green, blue and black routes, flow trails, jump lines and the expert-only Lucky 13 section. Hot Springs is home to three IMBA Epic Rides: the 33-mile Womble Trail, the 45-mile Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) and the 108-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail.
Tap
Superior Bathhouse Brewery occupies the historic 1916 Superior Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park. It’s the only brewery in a U.S. national park, and the only one in the world to brew with thermal spring water. The taproom has 18 rotating handles, a farm-to-table kitchen and outdoor seating. SQZBX Brewery & Pizza Joint offers a more casual option in the heart of downtown.
Plan Your Visit
Hot Springs sits about 55 miles southwest of Little Rock, roughly an hour by car. Bike rentals and repairs are available through Parkside Cycle and Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company. After the ride, downtown restaurants and bars, like the Ohio Club, and shops are all walkable from the Northwoods trailhead area. Work out sore muscles after a day on the trails with a thermal bath or massage at Quapaw Baths & Spa or the Buckstaff Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row, right downtown in Hot Springs National Park.
Mountain View
Ride
Mountain View is the gateway to the Syllamo trail system, one of Arkansas' five IMBA Epic Rides. Located in the Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest north of Mountain View, the Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail covers more than 50 miles of singletrack across five interconnecting loops, accessible from a trailhead on Highway 5 and three additional trailheads on Green Mountain Road. The terrain ranges from beginner-friendly to technically demanding, with ridge riding, creek crossings and Ozark hardwood forest throughout. Blanchard Springs Campground, accessed from the trail via the Jack's Branch Loop spur, gives riders a place to base camp inside the national forest.
Tap
Mountain View sits in Stone County, a dry county where packaged alcohol sales aren't permitted, although some restaurants with private clubs can serve alcohol on-premise. Mountain View is a place where the after-ride tradition is more likely to be a bluegrass session on the courthouse square than a round at a taproom. However, Gravity BrewWorks, a nanobrewery in nearby Big Flat, opens Thursday through Saturday and is a short drive from the Syllamo trailhead.
Plan Your Visit
Mountain View sits about two hours north of Little Rock and an hour east of Yellville in the Arkansas Ozarks. The courthouse square draws musicians most weekend nights, with spontaneous jam sessions. Bring a lawn chair and sit and listen. Ozark Folk Center State Park is another draw with traditional crafts and music, a restaurant and cabins. Blanchard Springs Caverns, a large tour cave, is a short drive from the Syllamo trailhead.