The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Hot Springs
Location: From Hot Springs take Hwy. 7 north for about 17 miles. Just before Jessieville watch to your left for Hwy. 298. Hang a left onto Hwy. 298 and follow it for about 13 miles watch to your left for Harpers Grocery Road and take left onto it. Parking is just a little ways down from the turn off.
Type: Double track and roads / loops.
Distance: About 18 miles doing all loops.
Summary: If you are looking for a good place to go out with the family and just do some riding then Possum Kingdom is where you want to be. The route, and I call it a route because it is mostly made up of road, is a very gentle ride. There are not really any big climbs, all the riding is done on dirt and paved road. There are some nice scenic areas along the route. We usually go out there to ride when we just want to get in some miles on some mostly flat surface and do not want the hassle of dealing with traffic on the roads. There are plenty of loops to choose from to make the ride as long or as short as you would like. The trail is also close to the Hwy. 298 trailhead for the Irons Fork area of the Ouachita Trail. If you have the family with you then they can toddle around on Possum Kingdom while you are hammering away on Irons Fork.
Recommended Route: Following the markers on the Forest Service map from 1 go to 2 via J44E then head over to marker 3 via 37120. Turn left onto 127 and go to marker 4 then go to marker 5 via 811. Nest head on to marker 6 via J45T. From 6 turn right and head for marker 7 via 5832 and then turn left and go to marker 1. Doing this route will get you about 11 miles for the round trip.
When to ride: The Spring and Fall months are the best time of year to ride this trail. We have ridden this trail in the summer with out any problems.
Rating: This is a great trail for someone just trying out mountain biking. It is also good for a family ride. More advanced riders will probably not like this trail much as is does not have anything that is really challenging, unless you are looking for a place to just get some good pedal time in and do not feel like riding the highway's.
Other recommended trails in the area: Cedar Glades, Charlton
Lake Ouachita Vista Trail, Womble, Irons Fork,
Little Blakely