~ Joe

If you are traveling to or from the big MTB trails of Northwest Arkansas there is a cross-country tight, tree-lined, single track trail tucked away off of Interstate-40.  If you have an opportunity, take some extra time for a little over 9-mile cross country mountain bike trail.  The Enders Fault Mountain Bike Trail is located at Woolly Hollow State Park off of Highway 40 at Greenbrier, Arkansas.  It is  one hour northwest of Little Rock.

Here’s a little YouTube sample of the Enders Fault Mountain Bike Trail:

Enders Fault Mountain Bike Trail

Bike, Hike, Canoe or Camp

This past summer,  my wife, Carmen, and I camped with our travel trailer at one of the 30 AAA campsites located at Woolly Hollow State Park.  We have relatives not far from the state park, so it was a convenient place to get some outdoor time while catching up with friends and family.  For a flatlander from Memphis, this was also a welcome opportunity to ride other trails outside of Memphis and Mississippi.  This small park offers amenities for fishing plus canoe, kayak, pedal and fishing boat rentals. There are 10 tent sites and bathhouses for showers.  It is a small state park so book early.

Woolly Hollow State Park

Enders Fault Mountain Bike Trail

Where in the world?

The park is nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Enders Fault Trail is multi-use with designated sections for hiking and little over 9 miles of mountain biking trails.  Park at the welcome center to get a trail map and updated trail conditions. Although the trail is small, it is listed in MTB Project mtbproject.com.

Wild … Wildlife

Beware of ticks and wildlife. During our stay I didn’t encounter wild boars, but sightings from other riders were posted on the interwebs during the fall.

Speaking of webs, spiderwebs annoying as they are add increase that fear factor level for me.  I rode solo early at 5:30 am to beat the heat and cleared the trails of spiderwebs.  If you are riding in a group let some one else ride lead to hear the exclaimations of arghs and expletives.

Beware of the ticks and DEET up.  I had the misfortune to be bitten by the Lone Star tick on a separate ride on Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) trail developed allergies to red meat.  So no more Memphis pork BBQ for me!

Ferocious wildlife!

Trail conditions

As an XC trail with intermediate ratings on the trail signage a seasoned cyclist would find this not too difficult. Certain sections have sloping drops, dry/wet stream crossings and chunky rock strewn climbs.

The trail has a gravel parking at the trailhead and is comprised of a North loop with distance of 4.17 miles and South loop at 5.67 miles from the trailhead and return.

The North loop has more of the technical sections of rock and stream crossings and short climbs, sloping drops and tighter turns.

The South loop has a long steady climb to smoother flowing switch backs and a long sloping down hill at the end.  Both the trails have tight tree-lined single track which offers a classic MTB experience.

Bring the gnome back!

During my ride the South loop I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a gnome at the beginning during a switchback along a climb.  As a Memphis native, I was elated to find an Elvis gnome halfway through the trail. I had to stop and forgo the Strava achievements to take a selfie.  Unfortunately on my second ride the following day Elvis left the trail to adorn some ones building. So if you are so inclined pay it forward and bring a gnome.  To the rider/hiker who was so enamored with Elvis, bring back the gnome!!!!

So are you a mountain biker?  Please share by commenting below!  Any questions?  Please ask!

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~ Joe

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