The trails, similarly, are remote and challenging. As you pedal deep into the trail system, technical, narrow singletrack interspersed with the occasional machine-built section forces you to ride in control at all times.

In the most remote reaches of the trail system, steep, fall line trails drop down root and rock-infested hillsides, often ending in small cliff drops and rocky chutes. At the bottoms of the hills, inevitably you’ll have to splash through a stream crossing... or wade through in the case of the deepest streams/rivers.

"From an outsider’s perspective, the navigation here was anything but intuitive,” according to an article on Singletracks.com. "A web of ridges, valleys, streams, and cliffs meant that there was no simple up-down component or east-west/north-south compass rose to follow. Sometimes we’d have to go what felt like the wrong direction to reach the top of a technical trail filled with rock gardens, ledge drops, and root webs so that we could enjoy a ripping descent down it, instead of a painful hike-a-bike to the top.”

Local resident Bob Robinson highlights the remoteness and challenge found in this trail system. "Although the UBHT is well-signed, this 40-mile trail network is a truly remote wilderness experience,” he writes. "Be sure to carry plenty of food, water, spare bike parts, and be prepared to get wet on the numerous water crossings.”

For those who are willing to brave the remoteness of this area and the ruggedness of the trails, the sheer isolation and raw beauty of these southern mountains will keep you from ever wanting to find your way out.

Sources: https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/venturing-arkansas-wilderness-riding-upper-buffalo-headwaters/ https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/5-best-mtb-trails-built-arkansas-last-5-years/