The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mena / Glenwood
Location: Starting from Glenwood take Hwy. 70 west, watch for Hwy. 84 in Salem and take it going west. Stay on Hwy. 84 until you reach Langley then hang a right onto Hwy. 369, going north stay on Hwy. 369 until you come to the Albert Pike Recreation area. This trail can also be reached from the Shady Lake Recreation Area as well. See Shady Lake Trail for more information.
Type: Single track and road / loop.
Distance: About 15 miles.
Summary: This is a shared use trail but it is still a really nice trail to ride on. From Shady Lake to Athens Big Fork trail is old road for about 3 miles and then it's double track trail to Athens Big Fork Trail. The road and the trail are not to difficult and makes for a pretty nice ride. No technical spots, no hard climbs and very scenic as it follows the Little Missouri River. The Viles Branch trail actually goes past Athens Big Fork Trail all the way over to Hwy. 369. If you continue on toward Hwy. 369 you will encounter some big crossings of the Little Missouri River as well as some really scenic areas around Winding Stairs. Most of the trail heading toward Hwy. 369 is not really all that bad. There are a few technical areas around the Winding Stairs area that you may have to get of and walk but they are only about 10 yards in length. There are no big climbs on this section of the trail. If you decide to do the loop, you will hang a left at the Viles Branch and Athens Big Fork junction and head north on Athens Big Fork. The trail on this section is a lot more demanding then any other parts of this trail. You will be climbing a very long and very steep hill going up the side of Brush Heap Mountain. The trail through this section is hard packed and loose rock, not really any technical stuff. Once over the top there is a really fun downhill and then some pretty smooth single track. The trail will eventually drop you off on Forest Road 106. On 106 you will need to hang a left and follow this all the way to the junction of Forest Road 38. Follow 38 all the way back to Shady Lake. The road going back is all dirt road, there will be some fairly mild climbing on the way back with the biggest climb coming just as you approach the junction of 38, after that it is all a fast downhill ride back to the lake. This trail is part of the Eagle Rock Loop and Brush Heap Mountain Loop. From the Viles Branch Trail you can access Athens Big Fork which in turn has access to Little Missouri Trail. These trails can all be accessed from the Albert Pike Recreation Area. Check out the Eagle Rock Loop, Brush Heap Mountain Loop, Little Missouri Trail and Athens Big Fork Trail for more information.
Recommended Route: From Shady Lake do the loop in a counter clockwise direction. There are signs to direct you to the trail. Optionally you can do the Shady Lake Trail and then head down Viles Branch, makes for a nice ride.
When to ride: This trail is best during the Spring and Fall months. Winter is ok but the creek crossings can be bad. The trail is usually in pretty good shape during the summer months as a lot of hikers take this trail.
Rating: The section between Shady Lake and Hwy. 369 would be good for most riders. There are a few tricky spots along the trail but they are not long. The section between 502 and 106 would be for riders with good cardio as the climbs are very demanding. Overall its a nice trail and with all the other trails in the area that connect it makes for a wonderful weekend of riding and for an added bonus you can camp at Shady Lake or Albert Pike Recreation Area, both are great places to camp.
Other recommended trails in the area: Shady Lake Trail, Athens Big Fork, Little Missouri, Brush Heap Mountain Loop, Eagle Rock Loop