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The Back 40 Loop - Complete Ride

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.6 (119)
  1. Areas
  2. AR
  3. …Greater Bentonville and Fayetteville
  4. …Bella Vista
  5. Blowing Springs Park
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“This is a great loop that offers a little over 20 miles of excellent varied terrain with a little bit of everything! ”

Charles Williams
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Map Key

22.2

Miles

35.8

KM

100%

Singletrack

1,360' 415 m

High

990' 302 m

Low

1,475' 449 m

Up

1,479' 451 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (1°)

14%

Max Grade (8°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

Family Friendly There is nothing children can't ride on these trails. They are excellent for hiking and trail running, and there are plenty of rocks for kids to climb around on, and even some short caves!

Open 7AM - 10PM. No motorized vehicles. The trails aren't closed for deer hunting season, but bow hunting is allowed on these "common grounds" where the trails are built. It is recommended that you wear orange or hi-vis yellow during season. Check the Arkansas Game & Fish for details: agfc.com/Pages/default.aspx.

Overview

This loop is excellent in EITHER direction, CCW or CW. It's a different experience going each way, but to try to sum it up, I'll put it like this. If you like steeper climbs and longer descents, then CW is your preferred direction. If you like longer less steep climbs, and shorter/steeper and faster descents, then you'll enjoy CCW more.

Strongly consider one thing in your decision making. The Ledges trail is perhaps the best section of trail on the Back 40 System, and it's an "alternate line." It is "along the loop" if you are going CCW, and it branches off of Back 40 Loop, and rejoins it. It is an amazing 2.8-mile trail, but it is for advanced riders.

Therefore, it's my strong opinion that going CCW is the preferred option if you're visiting and only have the chance to ride it one direction, and you are an avid rider who isn't concerned about some exposure, and technical riding (the few exposed sections are short, and can be walked).

I STRONGLY suggest taking The Ledges alternate trail, which will meet back up with the Back 40 Loop in a field with excellent signage to make sure you get back on the Back 40 Loop to complete the ride. It only adds about 0.8 miles to the loop total by taking that alternate trail, and it's worth it!

Need to Know

TIRES!!! This trail is a known "tire eater." It is STRONGLY suggested that you run tires with sidewall protection, and a little beefier tread than you may be used to using. There is loose chat on our trails that can make traction difficult on low profile knobby tires. Leave the XC race tires at home, or you'll destroy them!

Bring at least one extra tube on your ride if you run tubes, and if you are tubeless I suggest having a plug kit, as well as a tube and temporary sidewall "patch" just in case you damage the tire beyond repair. Oh...and bring an extra tire or two if you are planning on multiple days of riding here...better safe than sorry!

ROAD CROSSINGS. There are many of them, and they are marked with crosswalks and flashing lights as you approach. THE CARS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, so you must stop and wait for traffic to clear to cross. Do NOT assume that cars will stop!!

Bring plenty of water and food...no relief stops!

Description

This loop will cover an amazing "hanging bridge" cut into a rock bluff, and another bridge that spans a creek with a waterfall. There are other vistas along the way as well. It has some technical riding, but it is mostly XC based on the loop proper with rollers, small doubles, berms, and great flow! If you incorporate The Ledges alternate route, then it immediately boosts the technical aspect.

The climbs are moderate, and the entire loop's elevation change is only around 1,950 feet, so it is a lot of "up and down" along the way, which keeps the interest level high. This loop is a great cross section of what MTB'ing in Arkansas is all about. It's a "must-ride" in the Northwest Arkansas corridor!!

History & Background

These trails are built on "common grounds" that were outlined for the Bella Vista community, dating back to its ownership by the local POA (property owner's association). It goes through wooded areas within subdivisions. This land sat unused, and it was a vision of the community and others to put it to good use by adding mountain bike trails. You'll cross over multiple road crossings as a result, but after the first few, they become commonplace and you don't notice them, because the singletrack is spectacular.

Five different trail building groups collaborated on these trails, allowing them to be completed in less than a calendar year! It's a great example of using land to help bolster the local community's tourism, and to entice avid riders to move their families here for the excellent job opportunities that are present in Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville, which is about 25 miles south, was recently named the third best place to live in America by US News and World Report!

Contacts

Local Club: Friends of Arkansas Singletrack - FAST

Land Manager: City of Bella Vista, AR

Shared By:

Charles Williams
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.6 from 119 votes

#1

in Blowing Springs Park

#20

Overall
  4.6 from 119 votes
5 Star
70%
4 Star
18%
3 Star
11%
2 Star
1%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Blowing Springs Park

#1

in Arkansas

#20

Overall
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86,225 Since Nov 7, 2016
Intermediate Intermediate
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Photos

Highlight video of Segment 3. This doesn't capture a lot of the scenery due to the scaled down view, but this is a very scenic part of the trail system, and the waterfall spillway bridge is a must see!
Nov 7, 2016 near Bella V…, AR
Strava segment: O.G.G.R.
Oct 25, 2016 near Pea Ridge, AR
Small rock drop near the Bluffs SE of Lake Ann. Get some speed up, because there's a rock on the landing to wreck rims!
Nov 6, 2016 near Bella V…, AR
Strava segment: O.G.G.R.
Oct 25, 2016 near Pea Ridge, AR
Bridge over the Lake Ann Spillway Waterfall. It's a "must see" on your Back 40 ride!
Nov 6, 2016 near Bella V…, AR
Riding the "Bluff Bridge" along the trail near Hwy 71. A great feat of trail engineering!
Nov 6, 2016 near Bella V…, AR

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 78 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Nov 2, 2024
Doron Weinstein
Description says 1400 feet elevation gain/loss. Not sure how they got that number. We did the entire loop CCW and got 2300 feet. Regardless, awesom… 22.2mi
Oct 26, 2024
Matt Hage
23mi — 2h 30m
Oct 16, 2024
Steve Scherck
Jul 17, 2024
Joey Atkins
Dec 15, 2023
Mitch Schulz
Oct 5, 2023
Michael Whitney
Jun 10, 2023
Cameron Carrillo
May 28, 2023
Roger Ekstrom

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