
Syllamo pronounced (Sil’ –la-mo) mountain bike trails located near Mountain View, Arkansas.
~ Joe
Trail Loops–Five of the them!
If ever you want to take a road trip for mountain biking, ride the Syllamo. Located outside of Mountain View, Arkansas, the Syllamo bike trails consist of 50 miles of single track and fire roads with five loops. White River Bluff Loop is 4.5 miles marked by green colored blazes on brown four foot markers. Bald Scrappy Loop at 7.3 miles is marked by orange blazes. Scrappy Mountain Loop at 12 miles marked with blue blazes and Jack’s Branch Loop at 14 miles marked with yellow blazes.
Refer to the following map to see how the Syllamo mountain bike trails are laid out. http://www.syllamosrevenge.com/dl/Syllamo_MTB_Trail.pdf
To see more things to do in Mountain View, Arkansas, read A Weekend Away in Mountain View.
Still EPIC!
The 50 miles of trail once considered an EPIC ride has now been relegated as a “Hall of Fame Epic Trails”. New criteria has been established for judging Epic trails, past and present, by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) to be a demanding, mostly singletrack adventures in a natural setting. The Epics designation denotes a true backcountry riding experience—one that is technically and physically challenging, more than 80 percent singletrack and at least 20 miles in length.
The EPIC description fits the Syllamo trails as other opinions by Outside Magazine rated Syllamo as one of the Top 20 Outdoor Destinations in the United States and one of Men’s Journal’s Best 52 Weekends in the United States. With Syllamo’s challenging terrain, race organizers host mountain bike and ultra endurance running races every year. For mountain bike races, the 30 and 50 mile Syllamo’s Revenge Mountain Bike Challenge will be held mid March. See http://syllamosrevenge.com/ for race information. For hard core running, the “Three days of Syllamo” offers trail running stage races of 50k, 50 mile and 20k trail running races throughout the Syllamo trails.
Take Two
During a visit to the Mountain View 34th Annual Beans and Outhouse Races, the last weekend of October, I took the opportunity to ride two loops of the famed Syllamo trails.
The Syllamo trails are a backcountry experience with scenic views of the Arkansas landscape.
There are also challenges for the seasoned mountain biker through various trail features of steep elevation, rock gardens and terrain changes of hard-pack, dead fall, softball-sized stones and sandy trail sections.

Trailhead Sign
Where do I start?
The Syllamo trails offer multiple access points to the trail heads. There are direct drive access points to 4 of the 5 different trailheads along the Green Mountain Road with exception of the Bald Scrappy Loop marked with orange blazes. It is accessible by riding 1.9 miles along the Scrappy Mountain Loop marked with blue blazes or accessed from the Syllamo Trailhead on AR Hwy 5. Another unique feature are riding short downhills by shuttling vehicles from the Green Mountain road at the Scrappy Mountain loop and end your ride at AR Hwy 5. Look for the Green Mountain road trailhead sign as shown and refer to the drive mileage to the loops or if you are really hard core you can climb the Green Mountain road adding the extra mileage.
For other trailhead access points checkout Ozark Recreation Directories at http://www.ozarkmtns.com/sylamore/activities/mtnbiking.asp
I rode on Friday and Saturday with the hardest rated trail Scrappy Mountain Loop and easiest rated of the trails Bad Branch Loop.
Refer to the following trail ratings for fitness and skill level posted by the Sylamore Ranger District.
Scrappy Mountain Loop
The 12-mile Scrappy Mountain loop (blue) is rated a difficult skill level by the Sylamore Ranger district unless you are a Red Bull energy drink rider. The loop comprises of natural large limestone stone gardens creating a technical challenge to maneuver a line to pick through. This challenge is encountered going up and down steep mountainous switchbacks with a 600 plus feet vertical rise at high and low points with three river crossings. There is a bailout to the Green Mountain road on about the 8 mile mark.
Take it Easy–Syllamo Bad Branch Loop
The easiest, but the longest loop is the Syllamo Bad Branch loop with red blazes at 14 miles with about 1000 feet easy sloping elevation gain. Singletrack routes along the contours of the mountain side for fast trails. Trail conditions at the time vary with sandy sections, large softball loose stones and fallen branches and barbed bushes. There are two bailouts to exit at the Green Mountain road at 4 and 8 miles which will loop you back to the trailhead.
TIPS before you go
During Oct 1 – Feb 28, Syllamo area gives a new twist in multi-use trails with bow hunting season then modern gun season in mid November. I neglected to check the very small orange square safety sign in photo below which stated:
Attention Trail users for your safety your are strongly encouraged to where blaze orange while using the trail.
The Scrappy Mountain Loop did not have as much overgrowth as other trails. The trail is strewn with rock gardens, limestone paths and forest canopies limiting forest floor growth. The easy Bad Branch loop had swaths of trails with open areas allowing sun exposure encouraging the fast growth of thorn bushes and saplings.
During my ride in the last week of October there was heavy overgrowth and fallen trees where I had to dismount to maneuver them like a cyclecross race. Otherwise, the trails were pleasantly challenging and allowed for a fast ride along the switchbacks.
Trails are cleared by mid March to accommodate the 30 and 50 mile Syllamo’s Revenge Mountain Bike Challenge and the three days of Syllamo for trail running races. Bring small bills for the $3.00 day use fees to help support trail maintenance.
It is highly recommended to contact the Syllamore Ranger Station for conditions and closures throughout the year as well as trail maps and various trailhead access. Contact information below.
Sylamore Ranger Station
PO Box 1279 (1001 East Main Street)
Mountain View, AR 72560
870-269-3228 Monday-Friday 8am to 4:30pm
Cell phone service is spotty so bring a buddy, communicate your trail ride plan and expected return or bring a GPS messager device such as–
Since you may ride 12 miles or more away from the trailhead bring the necessary first aid, tools, tubes, patches, C02 cartridges to ride out back. I had to change out my two tubes after running over thick thorn bushes to continue my ride. Also, bring a buddy to ride point (in front) so they can clear your way of spider webs.
The Syllamo trails area is in a dry county. BYOB. There is a package store available in the next county 18 miles outside Mountain View.
Does this sound like an EPIC-trail to you? Please share by commenting below!
Keep up with all of our travel, camping, and cycling tips by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Leave us your email (form at the bottom of the post) to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss a post!
Sam
November 12, 2016 7:25 amI am impressed! In those videos, you can hardly see the trail at some points. I don’t know how you stayed on track!
Pack Your Baguios
November 13, 2016 3:10 pmHello Sam! There were too much brush! They really need to work on their trail maintenance!
Jessica
November 14, 2016 6:23 pmSounds epic indeed. I am so bummed that my bike got stolen, because riding is one of my favorite things to do. I have never attempted 50 miles, though! I bet your calves were burnin!
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 7:38 pmYeah 50 miles would burn my legs. Sorry to hear about your bike. I hope you get the opportunity for a replacement. I did one trail at a time at 12 miles. For your next bike, may I suggest looking into a SPOT Trace GPS Tracker and placing a business card in the seatpost or frame to find the bike and prove you are the owner. Happy Trails to you.
Lauren | Justin Plus Lauren
November 14, 2016 7:18 pmLooks like fun! I like riding my bike, but I don’t know if I’m adventurous enough to do it on uneven terrain and hills and the like. I’ll stick to hiking these kinds of places – but it looks like great exercise and a fantastic way to explore the outdoors!
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 7:48 pmI hiked in the forests of the Pacific Northwest growing up and found mountain biking covered more ground. I practiced riding at a controlled speeds to enjoy the scenic views while covering ground. You can build your biking skills on easier trails and then build up to tackle the longer trails. Arkansas has 19 other trails and 4 EPIC rated trails which range in skill level and make for multi use for hikes as well. Check them out if you make a road trip to Arkansas. Happy Trails to you.
Kallsy
November 14, 2016 7:24 pmWow! First of all, this is EXTREMELY informative. Thank you for that! So often we go to a trail blind except for the rough sketch of a map that is usually given on a worn out sign. We haven’t been here yet but we love exploring new biking and hiking trails. The fall leaves are very beautiful during this time of year.
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 7:54 pmThanks. Glad that I was able to provide some value to you as a reader! I experienced the same thing going to the trail blind armed with only couple of reviews, online maps and strava posts of trail rides. I’ll will be busy documenting them as I ride with 4 other EPIC rated trails and 19 other trails in Arkansas. Happy Trails to you.
neha
November 14, 2016 9:04 pmLoads of information out here for someone who is looking to bike this trail. Really useful. Loved the pictures too
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 7:56 pmThanks for you4 response. Glad that I was able provide some value for readers like you. I hope to ride the 4 other EPIC rated trails and 19 smaller trails throughout Arkansas. Stay tuned and happy trails to you.
Agnes
November 15, 2016 2:29 amLooks nice and if it is already rated as an epic trail it must be awesome. I like to do all sorts of outdoorsy things but have not tried biking on a mountain. This will be definitely on my list 🙂
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 8:00 pmGlad that I was able to intrigue your interest in Mountain biking. I hiked in the Pacific Northwest and wanted to see more within a day so mountain biking allowed me to see the trails and cover more ground. There is a groundswell of interest in bike packing with all your gear on the bike instead of the back. Check it out and start slow by building your biking skills on smaller easier trails. Happy trails to you.
Larry and Jaala
November 15, 2016 3:29 amWe’ve never considered Arkansas for mountain biking, but it looks like a great destination. We’ve also heard of bouldering in the area as well. So much to learn about the country we live in!
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 8:06 pmI lived in the Pacific Northwest growing up mountain and road biking. Arkansas is a great road trip destination to ride four other EPIC rated trails and 19 other smaller trails to explore on mountain biking or hiking as well as road rides so I will be busy exploring the neck of the woods. Happy Trails to you.
The Travel Ninjas
November 15, 2016 4:18 amWow this truly sounds like an epic trail! We would have never guessed this was located in Arkansas. We better make sure to train before trying to bike this. 🙂
Pack Your Baguios
November 15, 2016 8:08 pmThanks for you post. I found there are four other EPIC rated trails and 19 other well maintained hike and mountain biking trails. So stay tuned for more reviews of other trail rides. Happy Trails to you.
Colleen
November 17, 2016 3:56 pmYou are so brave!! Just watching some of those videos made me sweat. I don’t think I could mountain bike, let alone ride a regular bike on a flat road! hahah! Looks like you had a great ride
Pack Your Baguios
November 21, 2016 5:44 pmThanks. No need to feel intimidated by the fast moving scenery. It as easy as riding a bike! You have the opportunity to control speed and enjoy the scenic views along the way. It is even better riding with a group which I often do. Get good fitting bike from your local bicycle shop, find a mountain biking trail group near you to show you the ropes and walla! You may find it a captivating thrill. Happy Trails.
Punita Malhotra
November 17, 2016 10:46 pmHiking and mountain biking…great activities for the adventurous. What a great post..its evident that you had a fabulous time.
Pack Your Baguios
November 21, 2016 5:49 pmThanks for your post. The level of adventure doesn’t stop there. Four other EPIC rated trails plus 19 smaller other trails are available for exploring. Happy Trails.
Vyjay
November 19, 2016 7:10 pmThis really sounds like an epic trail. Biking up the mountains in the midst of such awesome landscapes must be really a great experience. Of course, it would be gruelling too . You have given a wonderful guide for this trip which is going to be of immense help when planning.
Pack Your Baguios
November 21, 2016 5:52 pmThanks for your post. The adventure doesn’t stop there as Arkansas hosts four other EPIC rated trails and 17 smaller trails for discovery. I would love to pack the bike up and board the plane to travel and ride in Singapore. I couldn’t even fathom how awesome bicycling opportunities are like there. Happy Trails.
Sudipto
November 19, 2016 8:59 pmMountain biking and that too so professional? This sounds pretty awesome. But I think it requires quite a bit of training. I would just like to visit these places walking. Haven’t ridden a bike for too many years.
Pack Your Baguios
November 21, 2016 6:00 pmThanks for you post. It is as easy riding a bike, literally. I don’t ride the trails at speeds as seen by the Red Bull Energy drink riders on Youtube. Get a good fitting bike from your local bicycle shop and ride at controlled speeds will give you such immense joy as you ponder the views on your ride. No need to speed along if you enjoy the scenic vistas. You also can rent a mountain bike at local trails sites or from the local bicycle shop to try mountain biking out. Give it a try. Happy Trails.
Alvaro Brown
November 25, 2016 4:18 amNow ready for some adventures, gonna explore that place soon!
Mike
November 27, 2016 8:19 pmGood call on wearing orange, that could be a situation that goes horribly wrong!
Pack Your Baguios
December 3, 2016 9:33 amYup! Put orange gear on my Christmas list. Here’s hoping I’ve been good enough this year to get some orange jerseys from Santa!