Arkansas High Country Route (Northwest Loop)

• Although it could technically be ridden year round, the AHCR route is best tackled in one of the shoulder seasons (spring or fall). Summers can be notoriously hot, and winters are generally unpredictable.
• The route is best ridden clockwise from Bentonville. Timing and mileage is critical as there is limited camping. Study the itinerary in Trail Notes and POIs on the map. In addition, you can buy the digital maps from ACA for even more options.
• Public parking is available throughout Bentonville. I left my car just near the route start in the public lot behind the Phat Tire bike shop, without issue. See map for details.
• 51% of the route is unpaved. Most of the remaining 49% is on roads accessible by motor vehicles, so wear bright colors and bring safety lights.
• This route is ideal for a gravel bike. The full-suspension Salsa Spearfish I brought along was definitely overkill (although it’s impressively fast for a full-squisher!).
• Most of the gravel roads are fairly mellow and easily ridden, but there are sections of National Forest and WMA roads that can have rough, rubbly surfaces with loose gravel. A minimum of 37mm tires with some tread is recommended by ACA. However, I would personally recommend a minimum 47mm road-plus tire, or bigger.
• Climbs/descents can reach gradients between 17 – 21%, so make sure to carefully consider your gearing choices.
• There are a lot of black bears in this part of Arkansas. Tie up your food and smelly items when camping. If you don’t know how, here’s a video from LNT.

• One of the biggest tricks to this route is a lack of public land for camping. Essentially, there are only two swaths of public land on route with designated, free campsites: the Madison County WMA, about 58 miles from the start, and the Ozark National Forest, which has very limited camping.
• Pay campgrounds are scattered throughout the route; a couple are noted on the map.
• There are several places with cabin rentals, lodges, and inns, such as Eureka Springs. For a complete list, make sure to get the full waypoint file from ACA.
• As mentioned under the Must Know tab, this is black bear country. Tie up your food and smelly items when camping. If you don’t know how, here’s a video from LNT.

• Generally speaking, if you are willing to eat mostly convenience store fare, this route could be done without carrying much food.
• Harp’s Market in Seligman (only 28 miles in) is the most significant resupply and is basically a small grocery store.
• The longest stretch without resupply is the 55-mile stretch between Marble and Oark. That said, note that Oark store has limited hours and serves food only at breakfast and lunch.
• The restaurant at Byrd’s Adventure Center came recommended, although it was closed for the Easter holiday when I rode through.
• There is also a very small store at the White Mountain Recreation Area. It only has a limited selection of snacks and ice cream.
• Filterable water is abundant all along the route. And, there are plenty of spigots along the way as well. I brought a filter, but didn’t need to use it. I filled up at gas stations, a public area in Eureka Springs, a piped spring, and schools and churches.

Trail Notes

Here’s my day-by-day itinerary; numbers taken directly from my Lezyne Mega GPS:

Day 1: Bentonville to Madison WMA (~69 miles, 4,271’ ascending)

The route departs from the bustling, up-and-coming mountain bike mecca of Bentonville. I was a little bummed to find that this route didn’t utilize any of the regions Walton family funded, purpose-built singletrack. However, as mentioned, the character of the route is definitely gravel oriented.

Leaving Bentonville, the loop quickly joins a gravel road and follows smooth gravel and paved back roads through rolling farmland until it briefly traverses the Pea Ridge Military Park. This is the first and only non-private land for the first 60 miles. Leaving the Military Park, the route continues on mixed surfaces with a resupply point near mile 28 at Seligman (the most significant resupply on route).

After rolling across the historic Beaver Bridge (note that there is a small store there, as well as an RV camping area), the route makes its way to the quaint art community of Eureka Springs. Make sure to stop and look around at the old North Arkansas Railway station. There were a couple of small cafes in Eureka Springs, as well as lodging. However, I couldn’t find a store.

From Eureka Springs, there are more backroads and gravel before you make it to the Madison County Wildlife Management Area. Be advised that there are likely to be hunters in this area during hunting seasons. There are seven designated campsites throughout the WMA.

Day 2: Madison WMA to Oark (~62 miles, 5,623’ ascending)

Leaving the Madison WMA, the AHCR Northwest Loop dishes out a steady supply of gravel before turning to pavement at Marble. Make sure to resupply at the country store (see map) as it’s the last hearty resupply for a while.

Once past Kingston, the climb into the Ozarks begins and alternates from gravel to pavement. There are a couple steep bits before you hit Hwy 16 for a long, scenic paved ride before turning off onto County Road 3 toward Oark. There are several turn offs into the National forest; the road marked where I camped seemed like the most secluded. There are a couple options along the roadside.

Day 3: Oark to Bentonville (~116 miles, 8,412’ ascending)

Wake up and have breakfast at the Oark Store. It was closed for the holiday when I rolled through, but it looks interesting. Afterward, it’s a long, rolling ride on pavement through the Mulberry River Valley. Stop at Byrd’s for another meal if you’re still hungry. The store there has some snacks, I think. Again, it was closed when I came through.

After you pass the bump in the road called Cass (no resupply), you’ll turn onto the beautiful White Rock Mountain Road and begin the toughest part of the route. Several steep climbs and descents await as you make your way up to the White Rock Mountain recreation Area. as noted, the small shop there has a minimal assortment of snacks and ice cream. You can also camp on site, making it a perfect place to stop on day three to make it a four day ride. I chose to finish it on day three.

After several ups and downs, the route descends onto a relatively flat section. A mix of gravel and a lot of pavement takes you toward Fayetteville, where the paved Razorback Regional Greenway makes for easy travel. Follow the Razorback Greenway all the way back, stopping as you wish for as many snacks as you’d like along the way. There are also a couple breweries and plenty of lodging in Fayetteville if you wish to prolong your visit.