by Yvette Skinner
In November 2018 an enthusiastic group of mountain bikers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts gathered at Cedar Glades Park north of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the grand opening of Phase 1 of the Northwoods Trail System. While mountain bikers in the East Bay remain relegated to steep and eroded fire roads, other states are embracing the explosive growth in mountain biking and welcoming riders with open arms. One such visionary state that is building singletrack mile after mile is Arkansas which seeks to become a world class mountain biking destination.
In the green hills north of Hot Springs, Arkansas, sits the forlorn Garland County Landfill. Yup, a dump. What to do with the land surrounding such a woe begotten place? Build trails, of course! Cedar Glades Park came first, with hiking and biking trails that encircled the landfill, a modest trail system but well loved by the locals. This was just the beginning. Big plans were underway to create a destination-quality trail system that would attract riders from across the country. As the saying goes . . . if you build it, they will come.
The Northwoods Trail System now offers 26 miles of professionally designed and built trails. IMBA provided the trail design work and crafted a trail system that has something for every rider: mellow green trails, flowy blue trails, and even expert level black diamond trails complete with gap jumps and opportunities for big air.
The trail system is open to mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners but make no mistake – this trail system was built BY mountain bikers FOR mountain bikers. Trail building professionals relocated to the Hot Springs area in the year before the grand opening. They walked the ravines and hillsides and planned the lines they knew would give the best flow. It’s hard to believe that a world-class trail system can be designed and built within a year while open spaces in the East Bay sit vacant for decades, tied up in permits, over-regulation, and lawsuits.
Executive director of IMBA, David Wiens, said, “Arkansas is leading in a lot of categories of mountain biking trail development in the country. They’ve done a very good job of spreading the word so Arkansas is on the lips of mountain bikers all around the country that are talking about it as a place to go.” He said that riders are coming to Arkansas from as far away as Minnesota and Wisconsin. “They’re coming down here where they know not only are the trails phenomenal, but in the communities around the trails the hospitality is great and they’re welcome,” reported Wiens.
Gary Spann, Arkansas State Parks director, added that the Northwoods Trail System will encourage people to “break out that bike they haven’t ridden in years.” He continued, “These are phenomenal trails. They are definitely an addition to why people should visit Arkansas,” he said. “What we’ve discovered is the new way to build sustainable trails is to take the ability to build trails that will last a long, long time, that are environmentally aware…”
How did I happen to discover this gem of singletrack goodness? By pure coincidence I happened to be visiting Hot Springs with my husband on vacation the same weekend that my friends from BRAMBA, Baton Rouge Area Mountain Biking Association, my former MTB club, happened to be visiting Hot Springs for a riding vacation. When I found out they would be in town on the same days as I would, I asked them to bring a spare bike and helmet. For two days we enjoyed miles of sweet singletrack with smiles a mile wide despite the withering heat and humidity. After each exhausting day we rode our bikes to the creek and all jumped in to wash off the sweat and dirt.
This amazing experience reminded me that communities across America are recognizing the value of building trails specifically for mountain bikers and small towns like Hot Springs are getting a much needed infusion of cash by attracting mountain bikers to stay and play. While in town we patronized local restaurants and lifted a pint at each of Hot Springs’ breweries. We strolled the streets at night and shopped in local stores.
While the East Bay continues to stubbornly say NIMBY to mountain bikes, fortunately across the country there are people shouting YES IN MY BACKYARD to new mountain bike trails.
