The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mena
Location: To start at the Hwy. 59 trail head: From Mena take Hwy. 71 going north toward Fort Smith. At Acorn turn left onto Hwy. 59 and go for about 8 miles just past the little community of Eagleton the trail will be on your right.
To start from the Hwy. 71 trail head: Take Hwy. 71 out of Mena for about 10 miles go toward Fort Smith. The trail head will be on your right.
Type: Single track / out and back.
Distance: About 10 miles one way.
Summary: Forun Gap trail is actually part of the Ouachita Trail and I try to ride it at least once a year. The trail is all single track and is made up of mostly loose rock such as what you will find at the Womble or Earthquake Ridge. There is a lot of climbing on this trail no matter which way you go but the views from the top of the mountains are spectacular to say the least. Some of the climbs can be steep and sustained so be prepared. This little section of the Ouachita Trail has some really nice downhill's as well as some nice little burms to get some air, be careful you can get to much speed on some of these burms and launch yourself into the hospital. Some of this trail has some really nice flowing sections to it especially as you get near the bottom of the mountains on the Hwy. 59 side. There are a few hike-a-bike sections but they really are not to long. There are a few tricky spots out there that require some good handling skills. If you come to a section that looks a little to tricky you can always walk it. I think what I love most about this trail is the views at the top and the fun downhill's.
Recommended Route: The way we usually ride this trail is to start from Hwy. 71 and ride west. This direction offers the best downhill riding, however those burms I spoke of earlier will be going up hill in this direction but that's the only real loss. Once we come out at the Hwy. 59 trail head we will hop on the Highway and take it back to Hwy. 71 and then back to the vehicle and make a loop out of it. Its not but about 13 miles back to the 71 trail head via the highway and its pretty much all down hill. If you plan on doing an out and back I would suggest you start at the Hwy. 59 trail head, it is a much nicer ride.
When to ride: This trail is best ridden in the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring. During the Summer months the trail can be really overgrown especially at the tops of the mountains. If we ride this during the summer we normally ride until the foliage starts to get to thick and then we turn around. Watch for poison ivy it can really grow rampant on the tops of the mountains.
Rating: Advanced and intermediate riders will find this trail a joy and a challenge. Some beginners may have a little difficulty out here. I would not bring a new beginner or novice rider to this trail. The trail goes through some isolated areas and there are no bail outs. Bring plenty of water and some snacks.
Other recommended trails in the area: Earthquake Ridge, Rocky
Bottoms,
Briar Creek, Twin Pines, Big Brushy,
Womble