Two International Mountain Bicycling Association Epic Trails will be opened for e-bike use on January 1, 2025.
On September 16, 2024, Dan Olsen, the official responsible for E-bike Use on the Womble and Syllamo Mountain Bike Trails, made an official announcement authorizing the use of e-bikes on both trails. This decision follows the signing of the final approval. The implementation will begin on January 1, 2025, after updating each forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map and adding signage at the trail sites.
Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail Details
The Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail is a network of interconnected loops and spurs on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests north of the town of Mountain View, Arkansas ranging from about 300 to 1,000 feet in elevation. Trail grades are generally at or below 10 percent. The total trail mileage in this area currently managed for mountain biking and proposed for E-bike use under this action is about 51 miles. This includes several short stretches that overlap with existing roads that are already classified for motorized use. The trail system overlaps with various management areas, as defined in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP), none of which prohibits motorized use (USFS 2005b).
A section of the Jack’s Branch Loop within the Syllamo Trail System is located in the designated Wild and Scenic River Corridor of North Sylamore Creek. The Comprehensive River Management Plan for North Sylamore Creek prohibits new motorized use in this area. As a result, the authorization for E-bike use on the portion of Jack’s Branch Loop south of Green Mountain Road, which enters the WSR Corridor, will be postponed until the Comprehensive River Management Plan is updated to allow for an exception for E-bike use.
Riders will be able to make the connection between Bad Branch Loop and Scrappy Mountain Loop using the portion of Jack’s Branch Loop running along Green Mountain Road or Green Mountain Road itself. Signs will be posted at the intersections of Green Mountain Road and Jack’s Branch Loop.
Womble Mountain Bike Trail Details
The Womble Trail is a point-to-point trail in western Arkansas on the Ouachita National Forest that extends from McGill Mountain on the northeast end to North Fork Lake on the southwest end. Trail elevations range from about 600 to 1,200 feet in elevation. The total trail mileage currently managed for mountain biking and proposed for E-bike use under this action is about 38 miles. Some stretches of this trail intersect roads already managed for motorized use. The trail overlaps with various management areas, as defined in the Ouachita National Forest Revised LRMP, none of which prohibit motorized use (USFS 2005a).
The decision was made to designate the Womble Trail on the Ouachita National Forest for use by E-bikes. This designation includes the 38 miles of the Womble Trail currently managed for mountain biking.
Consideration of various classes of e-bikes
Some comments suggested limiting the class of E-bike authorized by the decision due to safety concerns. However, after analysis, it was found that there is no expected increase in potential negative effects from different E-bike classes. The published decision states, that allowing all classes of E-bike may have beneficial effects on public access. Therefore, a decision was made not to set a limit on E-bike classification.
