Hit the trails
The metro has mountain biking spots for newbies and experts alike.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It’s 7:45 on an overcast weekday morning, and the rat race is slowly inching southward on Interstate 30 over the Arkansas River. But I’m free, cruising northward, heading toward Burns Park and an early morning mountain biking rendezvous.
Since training for and completing the 50-mile Tour de Rock, I’ve been typecast as Sync’s cyclist, and glancing across I-30 to the mass of vehicles stuck in morning rush-hour traffic, I’m okay with that.
While the Arkansas River Trail offers the perfect training ground for road cyclists, there is an abundance of off-road opportunities for mountain bikers in Little Rock and the surrounding area as well. I’ve been charged with riding five of central Arkansas’ mountain bike trails — Burns Park, Allsop Park, Boyle Park, Mills Park and Camp Robinson — and comparing and contrasting the trails I pedal from a beginner’s point of view.
Burns Park
The 1,575-acre Burns Park in North Little Rock offers countless trails for beginners and experts alike, with a nice mixture of steep climbs and descents as well as flat loops. Parts of the trails can be rocky and laced with roots, fun for the advanced rider, while other loops of single track simply wind through the woods.
Since it was my first time on a mountain bike in about four years, my “coach,” Dan Lysk, organization manager with Arkansas Cycling and Fitness, threw in a mixture of climbs and tight descents along with twisty loops around the flat land. Although Lysk and I mosey through the most of the trails going about 7 mph, Lysk reports that when he is racing through the park as part of the Arkansas Mountain Bike Championship Series his speed can reach 20 mph to 25 mph.
“Burns is probably one of the hardest trails on the Arkansas Mountain Bike Championship Series,” Lysk said. “It’s a fun ride though.”
I’m content with our pace, getting used to the bike under me, but with the wealth of trails in Burns Park it doesn’t take much for riders to find a trail or speed that fits their mood of the moment.
The trails weave in and out of the woods so riders should always be mindful when crossing the roads in Burns Park. The trails are also shared by hikers, and are single track so be watchful of walkers and other riders.
Allsop Park
Tucked between Hillcrest and Riverdale, Allsop Park is a mountain biking treasure in the heart of Little Rock. Although I could hear the world going by, I was lost in the woods, climbing and cutting back in a zigzag motion on the single track from Allsop’s parking lot up to Lookout Road. It was a technically challenging ascent on the route I biked, a narrow, rocky trail with steep drop-offs in points (and I had to dodge dog waste on more than one occasion), but the reward was an exhilarating bolt back to the parking lot.
The mountain bike trails are actually divided into two parts thanks to a peninsula of homes jutting into the park. The two sections are connected by cutting through the neighborhood on Beechwood Street, but both sections have multiple entry points.
While probably not intended for novices, Allsop Park’s trails are a good training ground, but riders need to be careful to avoid runners and dogwalkers.
“It’s incredible,” Lysk said. “You can go and experience any element of mountain biking ... real good technical climbs, real good switchbacks. All the things that make a good ride a good ride.”
Boyle Park
The hardest part about Little Rock’s Boyle Park is actually finding the trail heads. I had to pedal around the park on the paved paths until I finally discovered trail heads and pounced on them.
The two trails I found were both on the southern end of the park, just north of where Boyle Park Road runs into West 36th Street. Trail one was up-and-down single track going south to north on the ridge between Boyle Park Road on the east and the creek that runs through the middle of the park on the west. While there was nothing technically challenging about the ride, it offers a steady climb that rises about 40 feet above the creek bed before depositing you on West 28th Street.
The second trail head is on the east side of Boyle Park Road, about 200 feet from where the road dead ends at West 36th Street. The trail both starts and ends here so stick to the right and pedal up the gently sloping ridge. You’ll pedal along a chain-link fence before taking a hard left and entering the meat and potatoes of the trail. Snaking up and down the ridge, the trail delivers uphill climbs and swoops, allowing beginners the opportunity to eliminate their fear (a key ingredient in being a good mountain biker) as they dodge around the trees and jump roots on the downhill sections.
The trails I rode at Boyle Park are designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, but they’re au naturel as well and not as well-maintained as other trails. Twice I had to stop and get off my bike to cross over fallen trees, but overall the trails are great for beginners and one the Sunday morning I was there, I had the trails all to myself.
Mills Park
Mills Park, nestled between neighborhoods off of Arkansas 183 in Bryant, is the perfect practice spot for newbie mountain bikers in central Arkansas. There’s no climbs and no white-knuckle downhill sprints, just tons of trails with twists, turns and bumps to keep riders interested. For riders searching for a spot to get their tires dirty while learning the ins and outs of mountain biking, Mills Park is a good jumping off point.
There are multiple entry points to the trails from the paved path that serpentines through the park. The south side offers one main loop that can get swampy in the southeast corner of the park while the north side provides longer stretches that meander through pines and hardwoods.
And while there are no climbs, be careful of the bumps in the trails, especially on the west side of the park. Trails also dead-ended in backyards on more than one occasion.
Camp Robinson
Mountain bikers can thank the Central Arkansas Recreational Pedalers for creating and maintaining the 40-mile system of trails that snake through the southwest area of Camp Robinson in North Little Rock.
With trails for experts (Advanced Trig, Double Dip) and beginners (Airport Loop, Two Bridges), the maze of single track at Camp Robinson offers thrills for every type of rider. Most of the climbs are relatively easy and the descents allow riders to build up speed as you twist and turn through the woods.
The route I followed started off on the Yucca trail before connecting with the Airport Loop, two trails that allow riders to stretch their legs. Both Buddha and Ball of Nails were tougher, but a short ride on Flatlands, Dogwood and Christmas Tree Loop brought me back to the Christmas Tree (You can’t miss it.) and the Yucca trail where I headed back to the parking lot.
Camp Robinson was the rockiest trail I rode so be prepared for a jolting experience, but trails are well-maintained and offer surprise turns. Although the trail heads are marked with white signs, when you are zooming through the woods it is easy to miss the trail names so carrying a map is a good idea. Also, once you are finished, check for ticks.
One quick tip: You must be a member of Central Arkansas Recreational Pedalers and check in at the main gate at Camp Robinson before entering the base. When checking in you need your vehicle registration, driver’s license and proof of insurance to get your visitor’s pass.
Comments
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)