The Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests announced the official opening of their popular mountain bike trails to all classes of electric bikes (e-bikes). This decision, finalized in November 2024, will be implemented in January 2025 to allow for proper signage and updates to Forest Motor Vehicle Use maps.
The move expands recreational access for a wider range of users while prioritizing resource protection. Previously, e-bikes were only allowed on designated motorized roads and trails as outlined in existing Forest Motor Vehicle Use maps.
Trail Details:
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Womble Trail (Ouachita National Forest): This point-to-point trail stretches from McGill Mountain to North Fork Lake, offering approximately 38 miles of riding with elevations ranging from 600 to 1,200 feet.
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Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail (Ozark-St. Francis National Forests): This network of interconnected loops and spurs features diverse terrain with elevations between 300 and 1,000 feet. Approximately 51 miles will be open to e-bikes, except for a portion of the Jack’s Branch Loop that falls within the designated Wild and Scenic River corridor of North Sylamore Creek. E-bike use in this section will be deferred pending an update to the Comprehensive River Management Plan, which currently prohibits new motorized use in the corridor.
For more information, including the final decision notice and environmental assessment, visit the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/ouachita/?project=62170.
More details on this new rule are available in our September 23, 2024 article including this section on bike classes,
“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.”
(All photos courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.)
