While Cottonwood is referred to as a descent, the recently-completed singletrack known as the Beasway Trail that forms the first portion of Cottonwood undulates across the hillside—a bench cut masterpiece that holds some rocks and flow in alternating doses.

After a quick pedal to the top of Rumba Ridge the true descending begins, with high-speed bench cut singletrack transitioning into a flowy, swoopy drop down the valley.

Then, the singletrack gets radically more technical, with the Waterfall section offering wall rides, steep rock rolls, chunder, ledge drops, and more—the advanced mountain biker's dream!

Following the Waterfall, the singletrack drops into the Cottonwood drainage from whence the trail gets its name, speeding down to the tightly-wound Arkansas Hills trail network. While the singletrack here isn't as technical as the Waterfall, it feels like the rocks never end, and optional jumps and drop lines abound.

Once into the Arkansas Hills, you can choose any number of descent options, but finishing on Sweet Dreams -> Chicken Dinner offers a swoopy, berm-filled reward after the rigors of endless rock gardens.