Riding the “Mountain Bike Capital of the World”
Ruth’s Revenge
When Bentonville, Arkansas, awarded to itself the crown of "Mountain Bike Capital of the World," the collective mountain bike industry rolled its eyes and sighed. Bentonville's self-adulating marketing campaigns have only increased in intensity and frequency, ultimately culminating with this ridiculous claim. Even the locals wish that the marketing firms would pull back on their hyperbole—it makes this bustling town in Northwest Arkansas sound downright delusional.
Instead, it would be better if Bentonville would focus on what it has done: built an incredible network of singletrack trails surrounding and connected to downtown which shows you can truly create fantastic, world-class trails without the massive vertical relief found only in mountain ranges. Combining rolling hills and short, steep ridges with the world's best mountain bike trail construction techniques, all funded by tens of millions of dollars from the Waltons, can indeed create a fantastic mountain bike trail system.
Rock Soft Trail
I first rode in Bentonville in March of 2017, and the region has been a hive of activity since then. Currently, the local builders aim to lay down an average of 2 miles of fresh singletrack per week. That's an absolutely insane rate of trail construction, which naturally necessitated that I return to the area and check out the freshest lines.
The opportunity to return presented itself this fall, and we rolled into town as the fall colors were getting into full swing. Our two-week stay in Bentonville granted us the opportunity to enjoy yet another peak fall color experience — at least our third, maybe fourth, of the season.
Handcut Hollow
Between my last visit in 2017 and my recent visit in 2021, four and a half years had passed. In that intervening time, entire swaths of the map have gone from blank white to filled with singletrack. The entire Little Sugar network, which didn't exist in 2017, now boasts some 50 miles of mostly cross-country singletrack, with a few gravity lines sprinkled throughout. The Handcut Hollow network is now one of the favorite haunts in Bentonville, is also new since 2017. The area offers some 10-15 miles of trail, with at least 7 rad and rowdy downhill lines ranging from highly technical to flowy jump lines.
We set up camp for the duration at Coler Campground—one of the only camping options close to Bentonville, especially this late in the season. When I visited in 2017, we got lost on the new trails being built at Coler... and now, it's a full-fledged trail system that's one of the most popular in the region. The massive jumps, rowdy tech descents, and flowy beginner trails combine to create a well-conceived trail system that could hold your attention for days, if you let it.
Coler Campground
Coler Campground itself is a true gem. It feels risky, thinking that I might blow this place up by writing about it, but with the relative lack of camping in the area, a quick Google search reveals Coler as the best and most convenient campground around.
This campground is an absolute work of art. Beautifully-constructed stone steps lead up to a pair of bathroom and shower buildings that look more like a modern shipping container home crossed with a log cabin than a bathroom. A massive communal fire ring serves as the focal point of the common area, with suspended string lights illuminating the grounds at night.
But perhaps the most interesting feature is the rules. Camping at Coler is by reservation only, and no refunds are given for any reason. You have two options of spaces that you can reserve: a wooden tent pad or a camper van space. Camper van spaces can only be occupied by camper vans / Class B RVs. Larger RVs are too big and won't fit, and trailers of any type—campers, pop-ups, teardrops, it doesn't matter—are strictly prohibited.
I found the restrictions on the van camping pads to be extremely interesting and an intriguing format that I'd love to see others emulate. With the minimal design of the van camping pads, they easily stacked five sites into a small space. My only complaint is that there aren't more van sites available, but if you look at the grounds, there's a very logical zone for them to expand the campground into if they so choose.
Further Exploration
Tanyard Creek Falls
Our two-week stay gave us plenty of opportunities to explore further afield, including some mellow, flowy cross country trails at Hobbs State Park just under an hour away. We also explored the paved bike paths around Bentonville, which in and of themselves provided an enjoyable cycling experience. We did find the bike paths to be interrupted and re-routed in many places due to ongoing construction. Bentonville continues to grow at an insane rate. The biggest building project in town is Walmart's new home office, which will eventually inhabit the center of the city.
"Is Bentonville actually the mountain bike capital of the world?"
All-American Trail
No, no of course Bentonville isn't the mountain bike capital of the world. But that doesn't keep it from being a fantastic mountain bike destination with soooo much more to offer than simply riding. From art museums to a fantastic food and beer scene, a music scene, and plenty of tourist attractions, Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas have created a vibrant community filled with fun and adventure.
Our experience in Arkansas was easily one of the highlights of our fall travels, far exceeding our expectations going into it. This might have been because we didn't originally plan to head down to Arkansas, and then it proceeded to thoroughly impress us. It might have had something to do with observing Christine's awe at the incredible opportunities in this unsuspecting region, especially after having just spent so much time traveling across the economically-depressed upper midwest.
Whatever the case, Bentonville has left a positive mark on our memories, to such an extent that we could see returning year after year to this incredible destination. Bentonville, we'll definitely be back!
