BENTONVILLE

Field guide

Trails in Bentonville, AR

15 trails, from the paved Greenway to the mountain bike systems, with trailheads, miles, and how hard they ride.

Field notes

The Greenway ties the trails together

Bentonville’s trails come in two kinds. The paved Razorback Greenway runs past Crystal Bridges, Compton Gardens, and the square on its 40-mile way from Fayetteville to Bella Vista. Off it are the mountain bike systems: Slaughter Pen starts at the edge of downtown, Coler sits to the west with a campground and a café, and Hand Cut Hollow was built entirely by hand east of I-49. Just north, Bella Vista’s Back 40 and Little Sugar add close to 90 miles more. The difficulty ratings here follow each system’s own trail map.

  1. 01The name

    Why it’s called Slaughter Pen

    The hollow north of downtown once held six slaughter pens and was known as Slaughter Pen Holler by the 1940s. The first five miles of trail opened there in 2007, built by the Northwest Arkansas Trailblazers with Walton Family Foundation funding, and the trails were connected to downtown in 2013.

  2. 02The gift

    A farm that became a preserve

    Coler was a forested former farm that mountain bikers already rode informally before it was donated to the Peel Compton Foundation in 2020. In 2024 it became the first certified firefly sanctuary west of the Mississippi River, and the first in Arkansas.

  3. 03The spine

    Nineteen trails, one Greenway

    The Razorback Greenway’s first 37 miles were dedicated in 2015, joining 19 existing paved trails into one route. Later additions rounded it out to 40 miles, from Mile 0 at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville to Mile 40 at Mercy Way Bridge in Bella Vista.

  4. 04The spring

    Where Crystal Bridges got its name

    The museum takes its name from Crystal Spring, which bubbles up from the Ozark limestone at the base of a ravine a short walk from the south entrance. It puts out 100 to 125 gallons of fresh water a minute, and the quarter-mile Crystal Spring Trail leads there from the South Lawn.

Show sources
Planning a first trip? Start with the first-visit guide.

15 places

Razorback Regional Greenway

Paved greenway · Bentonville

2400 N Walton Blvd

40 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
2400 N Walton Blvd, Bentonville, AR
Trailhead
North Bentonville Trail
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
40 miWhole greenway. Over 10 mi run through Bentonville.
Surface
Paved
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

A 40-mile paved trail that links seven Northwest Arkansas cities, from Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville to Mercy Way Bridge in Bella Vista. More than 10 miles of it run through Bentonville, past Slaughter Pen, Crystal Bridges, Compton Gardens, downtown, and the Walmart Home Office. The speed limit is 15 mph.

Slaughter Pen Trails

Mountain bike trail system · Bentonville

2400 N Walton Blvd

23 mi · Beginner to expertDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
2400 N Walton Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72712
Trailhead
Parking just south of the Bark Park
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
23 miThe city says 23+. Other trail guides count over 30.
Surface
Natural
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

More than 23 miles of mountain bike trail on the north side of downtown, rated a Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The trails run from easy to extremely difficult, and there is a free-ride area with table-top jumps, bermed turns, and a wall ride. The paved Razorback Greenway runs through all three phases, so you can ride in from Compton Gardens and the square.

Coler Mountain Bike Preserve

Mountain bike preserve · Bentonville

2500 NW Coler-Grove Ln

20 mi · Beginner to expertDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
2500 NW Coler-Grove Ln, Bentonville, AR 72712
Trailhead
Coler Grove Parking Lot
Open
Sunrise to 11 PM
Length
20 miMore than 20 mi across 300 acres
Surface
Paved and natural
Dogs
Leashed pets allowed

A free, 300-acre preserve west of downtown with more than 20 miles of professionally built trail. The Westside is for beginner and intermediate riders, and the Eastside is for more experienced riders, with downhill runs that start at The Hub. The paved Applegate Trail runs through it to downtown. There are no bike rentals on site.

Hand Cut Hollow

Hand-built mountain bike trails · Bentonville

2909 NE J St

16 mi · Beginner to advancedDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
2909 NE J St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Trailhead
J St. parking lot
Length
16 miPer OZ Trails
Surface
Natural

Sixteen miles of singletrack built entirely by hand in northeast Bentonville, east of I-49. The Traverse Loop circles a downhill hub with seven downhill lines, and Mother Necessity is the climb back up. Singletrack Trails broke ground in November 2020, and the trails are owned and operated by the Northwest Arkansas Trailblazers.

Crystal Bridges Trails

Walking and nature trails · Bentonville

600 Museum Way

5 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712
Trailhead
Museum Parking garage
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
5 miMore than 5 mi across the grounds
Surface
Paved and natural
Dogs
Leashed dogs welcome

More than five miles of trails wind through the museum’s 134-acre site of Ozark forest. They are free and open daily from sunrise to sunset. The paved Art Trail and North Forest Trail pass outdoor sculpture, and the Crystal Bridges Trail runs through Compton Gardens to downtown.

Bella Vista Lake Trail

Lake loop and bike trails · Bentonville

Bella Vista Lake Park

1.75 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
Bella Vista Lake Park, off Hwy 71B North, Bentonville, AR
Trailhead
Bella Vista Lake Park
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
1.75 miPaved loop, plus 2.5 mi of mountain bike trails
Surface
Paved and natural
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

A 1.75-mile hard-surface loop around Lake Bella Vista, in a 132-acre Bentonville city park at the north end of town, with 2.5 miles of mountain bike trails beside it. The loop is not fully open while the city removes the dam and restores Little Sugar Creek.

Park Springs Park Trail

Wooded nature trail · Bentonville

300 NW 10th St

1.5 mi · BeginnerDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
300 NW 10th St, Bentonville, AR
Trailhead
Park Springs Park
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
1.5 mi
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

A 1.5-mile trail through woods past a natural spring, with large rock benches along the way. The park dates to the 1890s, when two springs were found there, and the Bentonville Rotary dedicated its arboretum trail in 1996. The official Slaughter Pen map rates its trails easy and shows them linking north under Tiger Blvd into Slaughter Pen.

Citizens Park Trail

Paved park loop · Bentonville

1101 SW Citizens Circle

1 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
1101 SW Citizens Circle, Bentonville, AR
Trailhead
Bentonville Community Center
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Length
1 mi
Surface
Paved
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

A one-mile paved trail that loops through Citizens Park, home of the Bentonville Community Center.

Compton Gardens & Arboretum

Garden trails · Bentonville

312 N Main St

BeginnerDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
312 N Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Surface
Paved and natural

A free, 7-acre garden of native plants and woodland in downtown Bentonville. The Razorback Greenway and the All-American mountain bike trail both pass through it, and its paved and soft-surface paths connect the square to Crystal Bridges. The foundation’s site notes limited trail access during bridge improvements.

Osage Park

Wetland boardwalks · Bentonville

700 SW 16th St

Details
Trail facts and contact
Address
700 SW 16th St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Trailhead
Main lot by the pavilion
Open
Sunrise to sunset
Surface
Paved
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed, and there is a dog park

Paved trails and floating boardwalks run through a 12-acre wetland, past prairie and a beaver wetland, beside Lake Bentonville. The park opened in 2021 and is free.

Little Sugar Trails

Mountain bike trail system · Bella Vista

2 Kingsdale Ln

50 mi · Beginner to intermediateDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
2 Kingsdale Ln, Bella Vista, AR
Trailhead
Kingsdale Complex
Open
5 AM to 10 PM
Length
50 miNearly 50 mi, by the City’s count
Surface
Natural

Nearly 50 miles of trails on Bella Vista’s west side, built for mountain biking and open to walkers. The system runs under bluffs along Sugar Creek and reaches the waterfall on Tanyard Creek. Eight tunnels and three steel bridges carry it under roads and over streams.

The Back 40

Mountain bike trail system · Bella Vista

1 Wem Ln

40 mi · Beginner to advancedDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
1 Wem Ln, Bella Vista, AR
Trailhead
Lake Ann Trailhead
Open
5 AM to 10 PM
Length
40 miNearly 40 mi. The outer Back 40 Loop is 21.4 mi.
Surface
Natural

Nearly 40 miles of singletrack on the east side of Bella Vista, built for mountain biking and open to hikers. The 21.4-mile Back 40 Loop circles the network, and the Lake Ann Trailhead sits at its center. The first 15 miles opened in August 2016, built by NWA Trailblazers with a $3 million Walton Family Foundation grant.

Blowing Springs Trails

Mountain bike trail system · Bella Vista

700 Blowing Spring Rd

6.3 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
700 Blowing Spring Rd, Bella Vista, AR
Trailhead
Blowing Springs Trailhead
Length
6.3 mi
Surface
Natural
Dogs
Leashed dogs only

6.3 miles of natural-surface trails at Blowing Springs Park, built for mountain bikers of every skill level and open to hikers. They run along bluffs, springs, and caverns and cross eight bridges. It is the first dirt you reach riding north from Bentonville, and one of the ways into the Back 40.

Blowing Springs Greenway

Paved greenway · Bella Vista

700 Blowing Spring Rd

3 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
700 Blowing Spring Rd, Bella Vista, AR
Trailhead
Blowing Springs Trailhead
Length
3 mi
Surface
Paved

A 10-foot-wide, three-mile paved trail from Metfield Park to the northern end of the Razorback Greenway. NWA Trailblazers designed it, with funding from a $3 million Walton Family Foundation grant.

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail

Nature trail · Bella Vista

Off Hwy 340

2 miDetails
Trail facts and contact
Address
Off Hwy 340, less than a mile west of Town Center, Bella Vista, AR
Trailhead
Tanyard Creek Pavilion
Length
2 miAbout 2 mi
Surface
Paved and natural
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed

About two miles of walking trail that volunteers began building in 1991: a level 0.3-mile paved loop and a hillier natural-surface trail through the woods, past a waterfall below the Lake Windsor Dam. Bikes are not allowed.