The Bentonville Bike Fest presented by Mobil1 concluded on Sunday, May 26, in a particularly unusual and unfortunate manner. A severe weather system brought significant damage to Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas, spawning at least three confirmed EF3 tornadoes and leaving a trail of destruction. There were numerous cases of loss of life, property damage, and injuries.
Northwest Arkansas and Bike Fest endured a difficult weekend. However, it is certain that both the Bentonville community and the cycling family strengthened their bonds and wove tighter the fabric of this beautiful corner of the world.
Moving Forward in Northwest Arkansas
Visit Bentonville sent out an update on June 4 highlighting area amenities including trails:
- Hotels: All have power, some may have exterior damage. Call to confirm availability.
- Vacation Rentals: Residential areas may have damage, please contact the rental owner as soon as possible for updates and recommendations on if your stay has been impacted.
- Restaurants: Restaurants are open and operating as normal. Visit the Dining Guide here.
- Trails: Thanks to the many volunteers and community leadership, the trails are reopening daily.
- You can stay up to date on trail cleanup via social media updates from Trailblazers and the Bentonville Parks and Rec Department and on the Peel Compton Foundation (Coler Mountain Bike Park) website. Please avoid riding on any paved trails that are marked as closed by Bentonville Parks and Recreation or that have signage indicating a closure. Rogers, AR has also closed all parks and trails until further notice.
Cycling options in close proximity to Bentonville include:
- Siloam Springs – the new WOKA trails are open and you can cool off at the new WOKA whitewater park, or check out City Lake Trails
- Fayetteville – check out Centennial, Mount Kessler, Gregory Park or head south to Devil’s Den State Park. The southern portion of the Greenway from Fayetteville to Lowell remains open.
- Springdale – Mount Fitzgerald is open, but again proceed with caution as you could encounter obstacles.
- Bella Vista – most trails in Bella Vista are open, but please use extreme caution as there could be downed trees and you may have to hike-a-bike.
Visit Bentonville can help you with any additional information needed during your stay in Bentonville. Visitor’s Center is open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. Stop by and see them at 406 SE 5th Street, Suite 6
Other Trail Resources:
For more information on most trails in Arkansas, you can find trail conditions pages listed in this article.
(Title photo courtesy of We Are Trailblazers)
