OZ is short for the Ozarks, of course, home to the OZ Trails Network. This magical trail system lives in the land of OZ, covering 550 miles of purpose-built bike trails in northwest Arkansas including the OZ Trails Bike Park coming soon. From Bella Vista and Bentonville to Springdale, Rogers, Eureka Springs, and Fayetteville and beyond, the system also includes four Monument Trails integrated into Arkansas State Parks. You'll click your trail shoes together three times, wishing for more after riding and experiencing the many epic, scenic routes. OZ trails have found the perfect balance of quality and quantity, which is hard to find in other trail systems.
What makes OZ so special? You just can't beat the connectivity and amenities that span 500+ miles for all levels and types of riders (road, gravel, and mountain biking). This includes the Razorback Greenway, a paved trail that connects Bella Vista to Fayetteville and provides access to trailheads at various communities along the way. E-bikes are encouraged, and riders can join social rides with groups like FAST (Friends of Arkansas Single Track) and WOZ (Women of Oz), which offer women-specific bike experiences. All trails are professionally built and maintained, with thoughtful integrations to parks, urban areas, restaurants, and art installations. Plus, the new OZ Trails Bike Park in Bella Vista is in the works, with lift-served downhill riding slated to open June 12, 2026.
Bella Vista, Biker Home Base
We always stay in Bella Vista during our annual visits; we love the neighborhood feel. And, off course, biking from the house, directly to a trail is nothing short of divine, considering the logistics we typically deal with in Michigan. Our vacation formula includes the BV rental house, bike-in/bike-out rides, followed by home-cooked meals to refuel and rest. The exclamation point is a soak in the hot tub, perfect to rejuvenate the legs for the next day's ride. Looking for an affordable place to stay instead of hotels? There are about 400 well-appointed vacation rentals, including our favorite, the CycloTherapy house.
Social Rides and Groups: FAST & WOZ
As we continue to visit and make pedal pals, we've plugged into both the WOZ (Women of OZ) and FAST (Friends of Arkansas Singletrack) group rides. Both have social media platforms or apps to find weekly meet-ups and details on events in the area. The Women of OZ hold Flagship rides, once a month, on the first Saturday, with a social gathering at a local bar or restaurant. Plus, WOZ ambassadors host and lead weekly no-drop group rides from various locations for both beginner and intermediate riders. I joined several rides in Feb. and was super impressed that on a Tuesday at noon, over 10 women gathered at Blowing Springs Park for a romp around the Back 40 Happy Hour Loop.
Women of OZ group ride
Each time we visit, we're introduced to a new trail or route in the land of Oz. It's like pedaling the yellow-brick road, where new and fun two-wheeled experiences are always behind the curtain. Besides the Happy Hour loop, try starting at the Snowbird Trailhead (near Phat Tire Bike Shop), tackle the uphill on Tunnel Vision to Tweety Bird, then to Down Under, and make your way on a loop following Sick-a-More to Vista for some sweet views. For the return, hit the Greenway, along the river, back to Tunnel Vision.
Snowbird loop in Bella Vista, AR
Mt. Kessler, Fayetteville
Also, from the Bella Vista home base, we day-tripped (45 minutes) to Fayetteville and the Mt. Kessler trail system. Another OZ gem, a hand-cut techy variety, with plenty of rock gardens and technical features. Our tip: suck it up and start by making the climb up Last Call to the Fayetteville Traverse to the top. Soak in the panoramic views of Fayetteville, then session the black downhill, Flight Training. The reward for the climb is a mostly downhill rip down Eggbeater, to Spellbound with a flowy rock-armored finish on Chinkapin Oak.
Monument Trails in Arkansas State Parks
In town for a longer stay, Josh and I were able to fit in a few day trips on our OZ hit list. The Monument Trails are a collection of trails for mountain bikers or hikers, built into the infrastructure of Arkansas State Parks. It's free entry, so it's another good reason to use the parks. So far, we've visited three of the four: Hobbs, Mt. Nebo, and Devil's Den. There's a common thread: helmet-dropping scenery along the trails.
Hobbs State Park (From Bella Vista, 40-minute drive)
Donning short-sleeves in mid-February, we drove with the windows down to Hobbs State Park, just east of Rogers. From the trailhead, we rode the connector to the green loops (Wolf Den and Karst) that meander around Beaver Lake and its unique limestone banks and ridgelines. There's plenty of miles here…. we logged almost 20 without even touching the blue loops on the west side. I'd give this a nod for easy to mid-level cross-country riding, fewer gotchas with approachable climbs and terrain. Tip: Ozark Brewing is along the route for a refreshing post-ride stop.
Riding Hobbs Karst Loop
Mt. Nebo State Park (From Bella Vista, 2.5-hour drive)
Wow, what a view! I do question our choice to park at the base, which required a long 2+ mile climb starting on Ox Pull, with over 1400 feet of elevation gain. However, once we stood on the rock outcropping at Sunset Point, which extends into the Arkansas atmosphere, I forgot about my tired quads. So, yeah, bring your climbing spirit and be ready for a more technical riding experience, especially on Lizard Tail, which features narrow ledges with plenty of exposure. Take Miller's Goat for a great downhill return to Haney's Ridge and the bottom parking area at Mt. Nebo State Park.
Sunset Point at Mt. Nebo State Park
Devil's Den State Park (From Bella Vista, 1 hour drive)
We discovered that many consider Devil's Den the birthplace of Arkansas mountain biking, thanks to the vision of park employee Tim Scott in the 1980s. Today, the park is home to 15 miles of singletrack, highlighted by towering rock formations, caves, and creek crossings. The popular Fossil Flats trail takes riders on a tunnel-like ride through dramatic rock walls. Again, our experience is that the rugged scenery is just as sweet as the singletrack riding experience. On the way back to Bella Vista, stop in Fayetteville at Sassy's Red House for BBQ and beers!
Riding Fossil Flats at Devil's Den
OZ Trails Bike Park Preview
A lift-served bike park, it is the only thing that OZ didn't have behind the Ozark curtain. Until now. The OZ Trails Bike Park is well underway and slated to open in June 2026. It's hard not to get excited when we routinely drive or bike by the site off Highway 71 in Bella Vista, across from Allen Foods. The progress is steady, and the crews can be seen working on the base headquarters, the POMA lift is complete, and work is wrapping up on the downhill trails.
During our February visit, we joined a group of Send it South VIP ticket holders for a sneak-peek ride experience. On Feb. 27th, OZ Trails Bike Park opened the lift and a limited number of trails for two guided riding sessions. Josh and I, with about 200 others, got to try a new gravity riding experience, complete with the high-speed quad chairlift that takes you to the top in a mere three minutes.
Six or seven trails were open for the preview, from some easy green rollers to blue jump lines, a tech line with a creek gap jump, plus a dark blue for the big senders. There were kids with mom or dad in tow, eager intermediates like me ready for air, and plenty of expert riders, counting the days for the big features to open. Shout out to the volunteers at the park, FAST volunteers, and the bike patrollers who patiently corralled us into manageable groups with a lead and a sweep. To my knowledge, no one got lost, and we all rode with big smiles for about two hours.
So, the countdown to June has begun. The bike park will have 20 miles of dedicated downhill trails, plus a perimeter hiking trail. The lift can take up to 1000 bikers per hour to the top, so capacity will not be an issue. The trails are professionally built by Gravity Logic, so yeah, they're the best. Basically, we can look forward to a complete experience, as is the motto for any OZ Trail project. The main lodge will have a café, beer garden, bike shop with on-site rentals, bike wash station, and plenty of space to hang out, rest, gaze at art installations, or watch from comfortable patio seating at the base.
OZ Trails Bike Park, gap jump
I hope to run into YOU in the magical bike land of OZ, in Bella Vista, on the trails, or at the bike park.
There's no place like OZ Trails…
There's no place like OZ Trails…
There's no place like OZ Trails…
