Welcome to Bentonville—the best place to ride a bike! Keep reading to discover everything you need to enjoy a bike ride in Bentonville. This includes must-have gear suggestions, tips for finding the right bike, recommended routes, trail etiquette, and additional helpful information.

Bentonville has emerged as a premier biking destination over the last few years, earning acclaim for its extensive trail network, unique terrain, and vibrant biking culture. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville offers an unparalleled outdoor experience for cyclists of all skill levels. Renowned for its world-class mountain biking trails, Bentonville also offers a surprising amount of beginner and family-friendly routes, bike-themed cafes, and art installations.

What Bike Should I Ride?

While Bentonville is known for our incredible mountain biking, we also have incredible paved trails, protected bike lanes, 84 accessible trails, and a nearly 40-mile greenway connecting Bella Vista north of us down to Fayetteville in the south. The following guidelines will help you determine what kind of bike to rent (or bring) on your adventure.

 

Mountain Bike—A mountain bike will offer you the most flexibility during your stay, allowing you to ride nearly any trail in our region. These bicycles are designed to be ridden on singletrack trails and typically feature wider, knobby tires to keep you rolling on dirt surfaces.

 

Hybrid Bike—An excellent option for those intending to stick to paved trails and streets, including the Razorback Greenway. The upright position is well-suited for the casual rider and lets you take in the beautiful sights on your ride.

 

Road/Gravel Bike—For those more experienced riders looking to explore further outside of Downtown Bentonville, a road or gravel bike is a great choice. Road bikes have drop bars and skinny tires to maximize efficiency on pavement, while gravel bikes have a similar design but allow for wider tires to tackle looser surfaces like a  gravel road.  

 

E-bikes—Bentonville is located in the Ozark Mountains and can be surprisingly hilly, especially if you venture outside the Downtown core. E-bikes are a great option to make the hills less daunting. Of note, e-bikes are allowed on all local mountain bike trails.

Bike Rentals in Bentonville

 

Bentonville has over ten bike rental businesses, each offering something different. Check out Bike Bentonville’s Resource Page for a complete listing of options, or check out the businesses below. We highly recommend reserving your rental bikes in advance, as this a very popular activity for visitors to Bentonville!

Family Biking

 

Buddy Pegs HQ—Offering bike rentals for the whole family, including cargo bikes and kids bikes. Pedal Kids USA is your one-stop shop for all things family biking.

 

Oz E-Bike Rentals—E-bikes are a great option for exploring Bentonville, allowing you to explore further and ride more without additional effort. 

Rentals Near the Square

 

Spoke Adventures—Located directly across the street from 21c Museum Hotel and a stone's throw from the Razorback Greenway, Spoke Adventures is a fantastic option for those wanting to rent a mountain bike.

 

Phat Tire Bike Shop—One block south of the popular Bentonville square, you can rent mountain bikes, e-bikes, gravel/road bikes, and rent a bike or trailer for your children. Note that the rental location and the main bike shop with retail are separate facilities, located within a block of each other.

Other Options for Rentals, Lessons, and Guided Rides

 

Mojo Cycling - Located on Walton Blvd, Mojo Cycling offers both acoustic and e-bike rentals for the entire family. They also offer bike rack rentals and tailgate pads, allowing you to transport your rented bikes for adventures further outside of the city.

 

Smiley Bike Rentals - Specializing in electric mountain bikes, Smiley Bike rentals also offers pickup and delivery to you at your hotel, AirBnB, or other location of your choice. 


With hundreds of miles of trails to explore, it can be daunting to know where to start. Hiring a bike guide service, like Ozark Bike Guides or Oz Cycling Tours, can help you make the most of out of your time in Bentonville. With options for small group lessons and tours and catering to your riding abilities, a guide service can be a great option for riders of all levels.

Where to Ride

 

Bentonville is a small town with many residential roads and nearly everything accessible by bicycle. Cyclists are welcome to ride on the roads and are expected to follow all traffic laws. Most of our roads are shared-use roads, meaning that cars and cyclists are riding in the same lane. Please do not ride on the sidewalks downtown—you may walk your bike on the sidewalks if needed.

 

Starting in 2019, Arkansas adopted the “Idaho Stop,” allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and red lights as stop signs, when no other traffic is present. Please use caution when rolling through stop signs, and remember that cyclists are expected to obey all other traffic rules.

 

Bentonville has a growing network of protected bike lanes, including on 8th Street and 3rd Street, allowing for a safe connection to the Walmart Home Office, Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, and downtown.

 

Looking for a trail to ride? 

🚲  Check out the trail maps posted around town

🚲  Download local maps here

🚲  Download the TrailPilot app for an audio-guided ride

🚲  Download TrailForks, which has a vast library of trails to both ride and hike.

 

A few of our favorite routes include:

 

The Crystal Bridges Trail 

Part of the City of Bentonville Trail System, and the Razorback Greenway, Crystal Bridges Trail connects the Art Trail with downtown Bentonville. The trail begins at NE 3rd Street, and culminates at NE A Street at the northern edge of the museum grounds, near the trailheads for Slaughter Pen Hollow. Riders will enjoy a downhill journey through Compton Gardens, flanked on both sides by artwork, single track, and thousands of native plants. Veering to the right at the Crystal Bridges Art Trail leads riders on another 0.5 mile path past world-renowned works of art, including the Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kasuma, Maman by Louise Bourgeois, and many more. Bonus—you can park and lock your bike at Crystal Bridges Museum and enjoy a world-class, free museum with constantly rotating art.

 

Razorback Greenway through Slaughter Pen

The Razorback Greenway is a 40+ mile regional trail system, connecting seven communities through an off-street, paved, multi-use path. Winding north from Fayetteville all the way through Bentonville and onto Bella Vista, the Greenway offers a low-stress trail suitable for all levels of bicycle riders. 

 

I love the section of Razorback Greenway through Slaughter Pen, as it showcases the best of Bentonville art, mountain biking, and nature and is easily accessible. Keep your eyes peeled for mountain bikers flying past on the adjacent single track trails, Amanda Willshire’s Sasslly the Sasquatch, 2018 (made from old bike parts), and the new skills park.

 

This trail can be accessed from downtown by following the Crystal Bridges trail, or by car, with small parking lots at Tiger Blvd and NE A St/Walton Blvd. Amenities along this section of trail include restrooms, an exercise park, water fountains, and trailside repair stations.

What to Wear

Depending on what time of year you visit, you’ll want to dress for the elements. Late Spring, Summer, and Fall can be hot and humid with lots of winged friends (bugs) around. Loose fitting, sun-protective clothing is a good bet. Cycling-specific clothing is also a good idea, especially padded shorts, gloves, and knee pads if you plan to mountain bike. These can be purchased at many local bike shops. 

 

Be sure to carry sufficient water, snacks, and sunscreen on your ride. There are numerous water bottle refill stations along the Greenway and in popular riding locations, including Slaughter Pen. 

 

Trail Etiquette and Safety

 

Bentonville trails can get pretty busy, especially on nice days. To ensure everyone has a safe, positive experience, please follow good trail etiquette:

 

  • Cyclists should yield to pedestrians and equestrians (yes, we have horses on some trails!)

  • Call out “Passing on your left” or use a bell to alert people that you are passing them

  • Slow down in congested areas

  • On two-way trails, downhill traffic should yield to oncoming/uphill traffic.

  • When stopping, be sure to move out of the way so the trail stays clear for other users.

  • Always wear protective gear, including a helmet.

 

Bentonville is lucky to have incredible first responders who are familiar with and use the trails regularly. In the event of an emergency, dial 911, and help will be routed your way.

 

Where to Learn More

 

Biking in Bentonville is an endless adventure, with new trails and destinations to be ridden every day. While this guide hopefully answered some of your questions about how to get started, there is a lot more to learn. Check out these resources for additional information:

 

Oz Trails 

Oz Gravel NWA

Women of Oz