4 Best Biking Spots Near Fort Smith

Riding your bicycle or mountain bike is a great way to get exercise and fresh air. The next time you’re ready to put on your bike helmet and hit a local Fort Smith, Arkansas, trail, consider any of these four awesome biking spots. 

1. Fort Smith Bikeway

The Fort Smith Bikeway makes it easy for residents to connect with parks, schools, libraries, and transit bus stops. The city wants to provide citizens with a healthy and safe alternative to driving a car, and the shared-use bike lanes, single-use bike tracks, and shared-road use will help bicyclists get around town. Included in the Fort Smith Bikeway system are several bike path designations.

Class I paths are separate from the main road. Class II bike paths are marked by painted lines on the road and on road signs. Class III paths go through select neighborhoods and secondary streets. Class IV paths use all other public streets. All sections of the bikeway have or will have directional arrows and bike route signs.

2. Ben Geren Trail

The Ben Geren Trail is a loop trail that’s popular with mountain bikers. Over 6 miles of the trail goes around Torraine Lake with part of the trail paved and the rest dirt. The beginning of the trail, which is paved for about 4 miles, is ideal for beginners. As you get further along the trail, it becomes more challenging and turns into one that is rated as moderate.

Expect to bike up and down a few hills with some heart-pounding elevation changes. You’ll pass through woods and open plains filled with wildflowers, and you might even see an occasional fox or deer. Be sure to pick up a good mountain biking map so you can explore some of the other bike trails that crisscross the main Ben Geren Trail and to extend your mountain biking adventure.

3. Springhill Park Mountain Bike Trail

Head over to Springhill Park to enjoy the 10 miles of mountain bike trails. You’ll experience three loops with challenging twists and turns best suited to experienced mountain bikers. The trail system has interesting elevation gains that make for exhilarating, fast downhill descents. The International Mountain Biking Association holds two sanctioned mountain biking races annually along the Springhill Park Mountain Bike Trail, and locals have monthly bike races.

4. Devil’s Den State Park

Enjoy zooming over single-track and double-track trails at Devil’s Den State Park. The trails wind through the Ozark Mountains and have beautiful scenic views of the mountains, forests, and open plains. You’ll find two groups of mountain biking trails at Devil’s Den, the Fossil Flat Trail and the Outlaw Trail. The Fossil Flat trail system has three loops for a total of 12 miles, and the Cross Country Trail system features a 15-mile route with a 7- or 8-mile loop. If you enjoy biking events, the park host the Ozark Mountain Bike Festival and the Northwest Mountain Bike Championships.

Use this handy guide the next time you want to explore the area and get some exercise on your bike.

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