FATMAP by Strava

Coler: East Side

If you're into jumps, drops, rock gardens, and other fun MTB stuff, Coler MTB Preserve East is a Must Ride!

Mountain Biking Extreme

Distance
9 km
Ascent
218 m
Descent
220 m
Duration
0-1 hrs
Low Point
333 m
High Point
384 m
Gradient
Coler: East Side Map

Named after the family that once farmed the land, the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve has transformed mountain bike trail construction in Northwest Arkansas into a work of art.

Description

The trails on the east side of the preserve are designed with the skill sets of intermediate and advanced mountain bikers in mind, although most of the features include ride-around options for those not ready to catch big air.

The east side also includes the most talked about feature in the preserve, “The Hub.”

Located on the crest of a hill situated in the center of the east-side trail network, with multiple paths branching out from it like spokes on a wheel, The Hub is where your downhill adventure begins. Below it, riders can mingle, rest and juice one another for the next downhill run. With its elevated position, towering some 13 feet above the ground on steel supports, its wooden ramps are designed to help cyclists obtain maximum speed within the first few feet into their ride.

The droplines off The Hub launch cyclists onto the more challenging trails, such as “Cease and Desist.” Rated a black diamond trail (translation: Make sure your insurance is paid up before riding), this trail is definitely designed for advanced level riders. It includes big berms, tabletops and “Drop the Hammer.” Drop the Hammer is a 12-foot drop that actually shoots the rider over the heads of cyclists on their way up the approach trail and then drops him onto a steeply sloping hillside.

The Hub also sets riders up to choose from an assortment of other lines down the mountainside, with each offering their own excitement and challenge. “Fire Line” is basically a downhill pump track, with lots of big berms and smooth rollovers, prefect for satisfying your need for speed. “Rock Solid” is, as the name advertises, a continuous rock garden that will test both skills and equipment at whatever speeds your skills can handle — or not.

The east side also includes “Oscar’s Loop,” an intermediate 4-mile loop that circumnavigates the east-side trails and provides an easy ascent to The Hub.

Difficulty

Extreme

Very steep, difficult, narrow singletrack with widely variable and unpredictable trail conditions. Unavoidable obstacles could be 15in/38cm tall or greater, and unavoidable obstacles with serious consequences are likely to be present. Obstacles could include big rocks, difficult root sections, drops, jumps, sharp switchbacks, and more. Ideal for expert-level riders.

Extreme Exposure

4 out of 4

Some trail sections are extremely exposed where falling will almost certainly result in serious injury or death.

Remoteness

1 out of 4

Close to help in case of emergency.

Best time to visit

all year round

Features

  • Flow
  • Technical
  • Drops
  • Gap Jumps
  • Tabletops
  • Rock Slabs
  • Rock Gardens
  • Wooden Feature

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area