The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mena
Location: There are two ways to get to this trail. One way is if you are already on the Earthquake Ridge Trail just follow it to the southern most part of the trail which will be where the Fern Loop meets the Carriage Trail. If coming from the Fern Loop the Rocky Bottoms trail can be accessed by turning right onto the dirt road going south. The other option to get on this trail is to ride from town. Just head for Wal-mart on Hwy. 71. On the west side of Wal-mart at the traffic light turn north onto N. Cherry Road you will be heading toward the Wal-mart parking lot. Before you get to the parking lot there will be a road to your left called Wagner Street. Take a left onto Wagner and follow it to Pickering Ave. At Pickering Ave. turn right and follow it over some railroad tracks. When you come to Race Track Road hang a right and follow it for about 1/4 of a mile. Watch for a sign that reads Polk County Senior Center it will be on your left. Turn left into the parking lot and follow it all the way to the back where you will see an old dirt road to your right. Turn onto the dirt road and the trail head will be about 100 yards down.
Type: Single track and dirt road / loops.
Distance: About 2.6 miles.
Summary: All of this trail is located on private property. The land owners allowed these trails to be built out here. Please respect the land as you travel through their property and remember riding here is a privilege not a right. These trails were built with the purpose of one to allow access to Earthquake Ridge trails from town. Two add a few more miles to the Earthquake Ridge trails and three add some more technical areas. The trail is made up of four separate loops, the Agony Hills Loop, the Rocky Ridge Loop, the Black Forest Loop and the Cottonwood Loop. The Agony Hills Loop is made up of two hills one of which is a dirt road taht is on the south end and the other which is single track on the north end. The loop takes you down into a valley and then brings you back up again. The trail has a lot of rocky sections and the climbs are steep but not to long. Either way you go on this loop you are going to have a really fun downhill and a really tough little climb back up. The soil is mostly loose rock with the exception of a few hard packed areas. There are a few rock gardens but all are manageable. The Rocky Ridge Loop which connects to the Agony Hills loop on the south side of the loop, goes up a dirt road to a fence and then turns to the left. A little single track area will dump you out on a old fire road which is pretty smooth. After going down this fire road for about 200 yards you will see where the single track goes to the right this is where the loop gets its name. This section of single track is very rough with rocks and roots to keep your suspension busy. The single track will eventually drop you off on a dirt road that is part of the Agony Hills Loop. The next loop is the Black Forest Loop which has one connection at the top of one of the steep hills of Agony of Hills Loop and one at the bottom of the same steep hill. This loop does have some climbing involved depending on which way you are riding it. There are plenty of rocks, roots and technical areas to ware you out. Down in the valley the trail really becomes quit smooth. The Cottonwood Loop is the southern most loop of this trail and is the loop nearest to town. There is also a trail head at this loop as well that allows access to the trails from town. The loop on the east side of the dirt road is rocky and rough in places and has a couple of steep but small climbs. The section that is on the west side of the dirt road nearest to Race Track Road is pretty mild and pleasant with only one or two technical areas. Overall this trail makes for some really fun added miles to Earthquake Ridge as well as a route to get to the trail with out having to drive to the trailhead or riding up Hwy. 88. If the Earthquake Ridge Trail and the Rocky Bottoms Trail have not given you enough of a workout then there is a spur trail on the east side of the Cottonwood Loop that connects the Rocky Bottoms trail to the Briar Creek Trail for another added 5 miles. Check out the Briar Creek Trail for information on it. A lot of hikers from the nearby housing addition use this trail as well as a local trail running group so please keep an eye out for them. This trail will beat you up, wear you down and have you coming back for more.
Recommended Route: We normally ride from the house to the Senior Center and take the Cottonwood Loop going counter clockwise to the Black Forest Loop and then to the Agony Hills Loop, do the Earthquake Ridge Loop counter clockwise. When you come to where the Fern Loop and the Carriage Trail meet on Earthquake Ridge ,continue on straight and do the Inner Loop taking the first left after the Carriage Trail. Once done with the Inner Loop you will come to a T. Continue straight for about 10 feet and the trail will turn and dump you off on a dirt road. Turn left on the dirt road going away from the Carriage Trail. Follow this dirt road around and down a short rocky hill. At the bottom of this hill you will come to a Y. Continue off to the right and go up a small hill to a gate. Once at the gate hang a left down a short section of single track and this will bring you back out on an old fire road. Follow this for about 200 yards and watch to your right for the single track. Take the single track down and around to the another dirt road. At the dirt road hang a right and go for about 20 yards (do not go down the big hill) there will be a single track going off to your right. Take this and it will bring you back out to the Senior Center.
When to ride: Any time of the year is great for this ride. The trail is always in good shape and maintained.
Rating: This trail was built for with the advanced beginner to advanced riders in mind. There is a lot of rough sections on this trail and some heavy duty climbing, not really conducive for getting someone hooked on mountain biking. This trail requires some good bike handling skills.
Other recommended trails in the area:
Earthquake Ridge, Briar Creek,
Twin Pines, Big Brushy, Womble,