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The Slaughter Pen - Blowing Springs Tour

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.6 (61)
  1. Areas
  2. AR
  3. …Greater Bentonville and Fayetteville
  4. …Bentonville
  5. Slaughter Pen Trails
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“A grand tour of Slaughter Pen and Blowing Springs singletrack ”

Leslie Kehmeier
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Map Key

23.6

Miles

37.9

KM

50%

Singletrack

1,271' 388 m

High

1,015' 309 m

Low

973' 297 m

Up

970' 296 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

18%

Max Grade (10°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Allowed

Overview

The Bentonville - Blowing Springs Tour is a ride featuring the Slaughter Pen trail system in Bentonville to the Blowing Springs trail system in Bella Vista.

The ride is a mix of singletrack and paved bikeways through the beautiful forests of Northwest Arkansas.

The Slaughter Pen trails have a lot of variety, including a fun gravity line down Medusa. Blowing Springs is free-flowing singletrack that contours through hardwoods and around rocky cliffs.

Need to Know

The Slaughter Pen and Blowing Springs trail networks are two separate systems. Each one can be accessed and ridden individually. Together they make a nice half to full day of riding.

Description

The Bentonville - Blowing Springs Tour starts at the Crystal Bridges Trail parking area just north of the water park in downtown Bentonville. Roll out on the paved trail and look for The All-American trail on your left, just past the entrance to the Crystal Bridges museum.

The All-American is a super fun intro to Slaughter Pen trails; very flowy and progressive, feature everything found on the trails throughout the system. Expect a series of optional lines ranging from ladder bridges and boulder to small rollers and berms.

At the end of The All-American, stay left onto the paved trail and pass under a road, pedaling until you reach The Urban Trail. Turn left and pedal on an easy singletrack connection to Phase I of the Slaughter Pen trail network. The route parallels the paved bikeway but provides the woods experience.

Roll off The Urban Trail and back onto the bikeway for a brief time to connect with Seed Tick Shuffle. Stay left and cruise on easy singletrack all the way to a major intersection where you'll access Tatamagouche.

Tatamagouche is a middle hillside traverse that climbs to start and the contours to an intersection with Medusa. Make a hard left to climb up to the start of a wickedly fun gravity fed downhill section.

Initially, you'll build some speed through big bermy turns. The route then transitions to steeper terrain, deep rollers and tabletop jumps. The finale of this section takes you on giant wooden wall ride. followed by a series of quick turns and another wall ride. Stay left at the bottom to pedal back on a connector trail to the intersection with Seed Tick Shuffle and Tatamagouche.

Make a right to roll out the the paved bikeway and head out toward the Blowing Springs Trails. You'll be on pavement for a bit on a scenic bike route heading north. After two underpasses, make a right crossing the Bella Vista Lake outlet. Pedal towards the hillside and follow the bend around to the left, passing a trail intersection on your right. As the path straightens out, look for another intersection on your right and jump off here onto singletrack.

This next part of the ride is a short fun section with big roof rocks and a hanging bridge.

The trail climbs steeply and then switchbacks to a large rock overhang. From here the route descends sharply and the climbs again before contouring around the cliff to a hanging bridge.

Continue on to another section of overhanging rock before descending back to the paved trail.

Head north again, this time all the way to the Blowing Springs trails. The paved path ends at Veteran's Way. Go straight here for a short distance and then bear left on Dartmoor Rd around the elementary school. Turn right at the next two intersections to get on the Copper Elementary Spur. Pedal up here to connect the South Lower Trail.

When the trail splits, stay right on the South Upper Trail and ride it out to the Central Spur. Turn right and head towards the north side of Blowing Springs. Pedal a few stroke first on North Lower Trail and take a quick right on the North Upper Trail. You'll do a quick loop to the east before heading back to the west, first contouring through the trees before navigating an extended rock ledge.

At the far end, jump out onto Central Spur at the bottom of the hill and pedal back to the east. From there take a hard left onto North Lower Trail to finish a complete tour of Blowing Springs.

The last part of the route takes the paved path back to The Urban Trail. Right before the Bush Push, turn right on doubletrack to connect to Angus Chute. Cross the Bush Push and then stay right onto Razorback Ridge. Climb briefly and then traverse the ridge to a fun downhill with a few switchbacks. Stay right at the bottom to retrace steps back to the parking area in downtown Bentonville.

Contacts

Local Club: Friends of Arkansas Singletrack - FAST

Shared By:

Leslie Kehmeier with improvements by Chris 22841
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.6 from 61 votes

#1

in Slaughter Pen Trails

#181

Overall
  4.6 from 61 votes
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4 Star
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3 Star
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1 Star
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Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Slaughter Pen Trails

#2

in Arkansas

#181

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Photos

Big rock roof on the Bella Vista Spur.
Sep 19, 2014 near Bentonv…, AR
Sending it off the rock drop!
Nov 17, 2018 near Bentonv…, AR
This large rock marks the start of steep switchbacks on the way to the west end of the trail.
Oct 29, 2016 near Bella V…, AR
Making a way through the trees along the North Upper Trail at Blowing Springs.
Sep 19, 2014 near Bella V…, AR
You'll want tons of speed to hit the step up to finish off the Mad Hatter run. I like to hit the drop as fast as possible, without popping, then 2-3 hard pedal strokes into the step up, and launch.
Dec 6, 2023 near Bentonv…, AR
Lots of berms the whole way through Medusa's gravity section.
May 21, 2014 near Bentonv…, AR

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Check-Ins

Jul 29, 2024
Evan garner
Y
Jun 27, 2024
J Ski
Apr 7, 2024
Amanda Deen
12mi
Mar 25, 2024
Lisa Munsch
to do
Sep 1, 2023
Ray Williams
Jul 26, 2023
Lex Hester
I did most of it, but not all of it 19mi — 2h 32m
Jul 22, 2023
diego ramos
Nov 14, 2022
Tim Smith

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