The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Fort Smith
Location: From I-540 take Hwy. 255 east / Zero Street. Enter the park and follow the park roads counter clockwise until you pass an old BMX track. Turn left at this road and follow it until you see a parking lot and the paved trail on your left.
Type: Single track and paved walking trail / loops.
Distance: About 7 miles doing all loops.
Summary: This trail is actually made up of 4 loops that jot off the side of the paved trail. The first loop you come to will take off to your right if you are coming from the parking lot. This loop goes up and down the side of a hill about 4 times and has a few technical places on it. The single track will drop you off onto the paved trail, just head straight on down the paved trail until you come to the next loop which will be on your right. This loop is probably the biggest of the loops and is a lot more easier then the first. The next two loops are pretty mild as well with a couple of whoopie doo's. Overall the trail is a pretty fun little trail. The surface is made up mostly of loose rock but there are some areas that are hard packed and some areas where you will find sand. The trail as a whole is not real technical, there are a few places that will require some good bike handling skills but these areas are short and can be walked if needed. There are really no big climbs out there other then what you will find on the first loop and those are pretty short and not real steep. The trail has a lot of fast and twisty places so it is a good place to go out and put the pedal down. It is a fun little trail and if you are in the Fort Smith area you should add this and Springhill to your agenda. The two trails compliment each other very well.
Recommended Route: Start at the parking area, follow the paved trail down to the first loop, ride it counter clockwise. Then continue on to the next two loops and ride counter clockwise. Ride the last loop clockwise. You can ride them in either direction but counter clockwise always felt better to me.
Rating: Almost anyone would enjoy this trail. Novice riders will probably like most parts of the last 3 loops however they may not care for the first loop. Beginners to advanced riders will like the trail for its fast pace. Even if you have a non-mountain bike person with you they will appreciate a ride or walk on the paved trail or around the park. The park has BMX, go-carts, miniture golf and other things for folks to do.
Other recommended trails in the area: Springhill Park, Fossil Flats