Hot Springs, Arkansas, has added top-tier MTB trails to its portfolio — and more are planned for construction in 2026.
By Greg Heil for Arkansas Tourism
October 10, 2025 Last Updated: October 10, 2025
The town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, is known as “America’s first resort.” Tourism in the region runs so deep that the town is a tourist destination to the core — and mountain biking is a major draw. Though Hot Springs is located far from Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas, it has a top-notch mountain bike scene of its own that’s truly worthy of a visit.
Hot Springs boasts three IMBA Epics within a one-hour drive
Arkansas has more IMBA Epic rides than any other state in the country, and three out of five — Womble Trail, Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT), and the Ouachita National Recreation Trail (ONRT) — are located within a one-hour drive of Hot Springs.
The Womble is one of the oldest MTB trails in Arkansas
Of the three long-distance IMBA Epics, the Womble is one of the oldest — and has a claim as one of the first trails designated for mountain biking in Arkansas. “Devil’s Den likes to claim it, but I’m not sure. I think those are really close to the same year,” said Jake Meredith, Northwoods Trail Specialist.
Out of all three of the IMBA Epics, the Womble is the most rideable — but it’s still far from easy. “It’s out in the woods a long ways — it’s a very remote-feeling trail,” said Meredith. “There’s a lot of bench cut trail that’s no more than 18 inches wide on the side of a hill, which has got a really unique feel to it.”
The 35-mile point-to-point trail has very few access points, making for a very committing ride. Along the way, riders will encounter plenty of rock gardens and rugged root webs, as well as historic sections of railroad grade and logging roads that have since reverted to natural singletrack.
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