Arkansas's IMBA Epic Syllamo Trail System

"The five interconnecting loops in the Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail System make up 50 miles of mountain bike trail that IMBA recognized as being an outstanding, destination-worthy mountain bike trail," according to local mountain biker Bob Robinson. In honor of Syllamo's backcountry flavor and formidable challenge, IMBA has assigned this trail the coveted "Epic" designation.

"Most of the Syllamo trails are singletrack; however, there are sections where the trails follow old abandoned ATV trails," writes Robinson. "Over 70% of the trails are over rocky, rugged, and demanding terrain."

In this guidebook, the trail system has been broken down into five different loops of varying lengths and difficulties. You can easily connect several loops together to create a much longer ride or, if you're feeling ambitious, attempt to ride it all!

As you plan your trip to Syllamo, realize that trail maintenance can be really hit-or-miss depending on the year. Some reports in recent years have indicated that the trails were horribly overgrown, to the point of being unrideable. This is likely due to how remote this trail system is, and the fact that there isn't a large group of local mountain bikers available to handle the incredible amount of work that it takes to maintain over 50 miles of trail.

In recent years, there has been talk of financial support to help keep the trails maintained. Whether or not the latest round of maintenance has taken recently, realize that riding Syllamo isn't like pedaling a quick loop in Bentonville's manicured trail network. This is a true backcountry mountain biking experience, so plan accordingly!