Ride like an Olympian in Arkansas: Expedition-worthy outdoor fun in The Natural State

By Jill Rohrbach

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Vacations are great, but expeditions can be truly transformative. For instance, consider mountain biking the trails Olympians train on, thru-hiking miles and miles of national forest land, or bikepacking an extensive gravel network. If floating is more your style, instead of a half-day excursion, imagine the thrill of embarking on a 10-day expedition floating down the Buffalo National River, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty and unspoiled wilderness.

Arkansas boasts a wide range of outdoor adventures worthy of expedition status. By immersing yourself in the state's natural beauty and rugged terrain, you can experience the thrill of adventure and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Here are a few of Arkansas' epic experiences just waiting for adventurous souls:

Ride Like an Olympian

Bentonville is home to the U.S. Mountain Bike National Team, which trains in Bentonville a few times a year, predominantly on the trails in the Bentonville and Bella Vista areas. Some of these National Team members are currently racing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"The international mountain bike race courses are getting harder and harder. That's why our skills camps in Bentonville are crucial. The features in Bentonville help our athletes perfect their technical skills while also getting those endurance miles in on the endless trail network," Angelina Palermo, director of communications and public relations for USA Cycling, said.

Northwest Arkansas has about 400 miles of trail systems running across its bluffs and hollers. Much of it is seamlessly connected. With that much mileage to explore, you'll want to schedule ample vacation days to head to the hills to ride like an Olympian.

However, planning a mountain biking trip to Arkansas also means making time to ride the Monument Trail collection of world-class trails found within Arkansas State Parks. The Monument Trails are shared-use trails professionally crafted by some of the world's best trail builders to highlight unique terrain, historic landmarks, and scenic vistas.

If that's not enough, the state is home to five International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) EPIC rides, which means they are a "true backcountry riding experience - one that is technically and physically challenging, more than 80 percent singletrack and at least 20 miles in length." Arkansas has the most EPICs of any state - The Upper Buffalo, Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT), Ouachita National Recreation Trail, Syllamo and Womble trails. Riding all five is a bucket list expedition in itself.

In southeast Arkansas, the Delta Heritage Trail, a rails-to-trails initiative, stretches through a shaded canopy of native hardwoods, across an open levee and over former train trestles, showing riders a variety of wildlife and native plants along the way. When the project is complete, it will be 84.5 miles long. To date, 57.7 miles of trail have been built. The completed northern corridor is 29.5 miles from Lexa to Mellwood. The completed southern corridor is 28.2 miles from Yancopin to Arkansas City, including 14.4 miles of shared-use roadway on the Mississippi River Mainline Levee. Eventually, the trail will cross the White and Arkansas rivers.

Riding in Arkansas is possible year-round and caters to all ability levels. Adaptive bike trails and bike shops are also found in Arkansas. Visit arkansas.com for more information.

Canoe through backcountry

There's a reason the Buffalo River was designated as America's first national river in 1972.

From its source to its confluence with the White River, the Buffalo National River wends its way 153 miles, offering recreational floaters sections of rushing whitewater interspersed with sections of calm water and swimming holes.

Boaters use about 146 miles of the river, starting seven miles below its source. However, those upper reaches are sporty expert runs that are only floatable briefly after substantial rains. Floating the almost 135 miles along National Park Service land from the Ponca low-water bridge to the takeout at Buffalo City is a bucket list accomplishment for many people.

This challenging, multi-day adventure typically takes about seven to 10 days, averaging about 20 miles daily. Since the river is rain-dependent, spring usually has the best water levels for a full-length float.

Backcountry camping is allowed. Several Park Service campgrounds about a day's float apart are found along the otherwise non-developed river, but camping on gravel bars provides the ultimate experience.

The banks of the lush green valley of the Buffalo are home to elk, deer, black bear, and other woodland creatures. Tall limestone bluffs in earthy gray, tan, and brown hues define this river, one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. Hiking trails crisscross the national park land. The popular Hemmed-In-Hollow trail leads to a 200-foot waterfall and can be accessed from the water.

It took years of debate and the hard work of many landowners, individuals, groups, politicians and federal agencies to pass the legislation designating the Buffalo as a national river. Today, the National Park Service oversees 95,730 acres and three designated wilderness areas within that acreage. The Buffalo National River may not be as famous as more prominent national parks, but this National Park Service site should not be overlooked.

The National Park Service website has up-to-date floating information and trip planning. Pick up Kenneth L. Smith's Buffalo River Handbook for a detailed guide to the Buffalo.

Thru-Hike the Ozark and Ouachita mountains

Hike these corridors of public land for the ultimate backpacking experience.

The Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail, or OHT, is a 270-mile trail through some of the most scenic areas in the Ozark Mountains. It's rugged and mountainous, with waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and stream crossings along the way. Currently, its longest continuous section is 207 miles in the Boston Mountains and Buffalo River areas. About 50 miles across the Lower Buffalo Wilderness and three gaps near Lake Norfork have yet to be built. When finished, the OHT will be about 320 miles across northern Arkansas, stretching from the west end at Lake Fort Smith to the east end at the Missouri border north of Lake Norfork.

The trail is pretty remote, avoiding most towns and roads, so plan ahead regarding mapping, some bushwhacking at the gaps and supplies. Trail details and updates can be found at the OHT Association website.

The Ouachita National Recreation Trail, known more simply by locals as the Ouachita Trail, runs 223 miles through the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma, with most of the route in Arkansas. It goes from Talimena State Park in Oklahoma all the way to Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. Along the way, it crosses Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Mena, Arkansas.

The path meanders through dense forests, deciduous groves, and pine forests and crosses streams. The Ouachita Trail is known for its incredible trail community, which maintains the trail and lean-to shelters for camping. The trail is popular with trail runners, and sections are also open to mountain bikes. For trail information, visit the Friends of the Ouachita Trail website.

Put these trails on your to-do list for thru-hikes. They're especially great hikes in fall, winter and spring. Parts of both trails are open to hunters, so don't forget to wear hunter orange during hunting season.

Cycle Arkansas Highway 7

Extending through four diverse geographical regions, AR 7 from Arkadelphia to Harrison became Arkansas' first scenic byway in 1993. It was extended in 1999 to include the highway section south to the Louisiana state line for a total length of 290 miles. While most folks experience it via a car, it's a fantastic long journey for road cyclists.

"I was amazed by the changing terrain of Highway 7 when I bicycled the full length of it back in the 1990s. Some sections I knew fairly well, but others were entirely new to me," Charlie Alison, a longtime Fayetteville resident and avid outdoorsman, said. "You cross the rugged escarpment of the Boston Mountains in the Ozarks and then the lightly rolling hills and lush farmland of the Arkansas River Valley. Next are the rock-ribbed Ouachita Mountains and finally the sweeping horizons of the Gulf Coastal Plain in southern Arkansas. Highway 7 offered a near perfect cross-section of Arkansas on lightly traveled rural highway roads. It's not for the faint of heart, though, with its climb out of Jasper tipping 8 percent in places and going upward for more than 3 miles. I was camping as I went, and the route included numerous public campgrounds, state parks, two national forests, a national river and a national park."

Whether you camp or take advantage of hotels along the way, AR 7 gives riders a great cross-section of The Natural State to explore.

While Scenic 7's official northern point is Harrison, following it further to the quaint little fishing town of Diamond City, you will find beautiful pastoral views and a majestic lake awaiting you.

Bikepack the Network

The Fayetteville Bikepacking Route Network is a curated set of overnight to multi-day adventure bikepacking routes in the Northwest Arkansas region. A partnership between Experience Fayetteville and Bikepacking Roots, the project aims to create a unique, progressive loop system of bikepacking routes showcasing the area's best gravel and singletrack.

"The terrain and gravel riding opportunities in the Fayetteville region are incredibly diverse, and I've really enjoyed exploring it. This is the perfect place to create a suite of routes that cater to the full spectrum of bikepackers, from first-timers looking for relatively short overnight loop options to experienced riders looking to get out for a few days in the more rugged Ozarks. With destinations like Devil's Den State Park, the Buffalo National River, White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, and Lake Wedington, the route network will take riders to some absolute gems along the way," Kurt Refsnider, Bikepacking Roots' co-founder and routes director, said.

Routes and resources have been packaged into a convenient guidebook format, which includes the area's history, logistical information such as camping and lodging, and all the best attractions in Fayetteville and other towns in the network. The guide also includes access to handy checklists and other tips to prepare new bikepackers for their adventures. Routes have been developed for those who just want a taste of bikepacking as well as those with a goal to work their way up to more epic routes in the Ozarks, such as the Arkansas High Country Route, a 1,170-mile loop system created by Adventure Cycling Association, or Doom, an intimidatingly named 375-mile route with over 40,000 feet of elevation gain. The guidebook is currently being printed and will be released in Fall 2024.

Climb Arkansas Sandstone

With around 3,000 established climbing routes, The Natural State offers great bouldering, sport, and traditional climbing for route seekers of all skill levels.

"Arkansas Climbing offers some of the best sandstone climbing in the country. You can easily spend a month here and still not see all of the best rock. With steep valleys and thick forests, locals are still finding amazing new climbing areas," David Thompson, president of the Arkansas Climbers Coalition, said. "Arkansas has several guidebooks to choose from to help navigate route finding and planning of a trip to the state. No matter what guidebook or area you choose to climb at, you are bound to find something for all styles and experience levels on some of the best rock climbing the county has to offer."

Most of the quality Arkansas rock climbing and bouldering is in the state's northwestern region in the Ozark Mountains. While more sparse, the Ouachita Mountain range in the southwest also offers some climbing opportunities.

By far, the best-known rock is on private land at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, located in Jasper near the Buffalo National River. This well-rounded, graded area boasts more than 500 routes. There is a day-use fee if you don't stay at the resort. Bring your own gear or rent some at the ranch. The legacy rock award definitely goes to the decades-popular Sam's Throne, where you can camp and climb for free. Within about a two-mile radius of Sam's Throne is Candy Mountain, a really pretty sport climbing area, and Valley of the Blind, offering some of Arkansas's tallest, bolted cliffs.

Another favored spot is Mount Magazine, Arkansas' highpoint at 2,753 feet. Experienced rock climbers can rappel and rock climb on the south bluff overlooking the Petit Jean River Valley. A rarity in eastern Arkansas is Jamestown Crag, located just south of Batesville. This piece of Atoka sandstone contains more than 100 bolted routes for great sport climbing. Other southern sandstone to explore can be found in Cowell along Scenic Highway 7, Lincoln Lake near Fayetteville, Shepherd Springs at Lake Fort Smith and Big Foot Hollow on the Mulberry River in a national forest area.

Arkansas is home to one of the best climbing events in the nation - 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell. This endurance rock climbing competition is held annually on the last full weekend of September within the steep sandstone cliff walls of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. Teams of two choose between a 12-hour or 24-hour climbing event. The festival lasts four days and includes food, camping, music, swag, games, competitions, and fellowship. The event starts off with participants yelling out the Climbers' Creed, and a banshee yell goes out every hour, sweeping through the whole canyon.

Visit the Arkansas Climbers Coalition website for more information on climbing areas, events and guides.

Arkansas is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Embark on one of these multi-day expeditions to discover Arkansas and yourself in a whole new way.

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