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News • Arkansas • United States • 2013-03-28

Ozark Mountain Bike Festival Celebrates 25 Years

WEST FORK - Ride one of the first mountain bike trails in the state while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Ozark Mountain Bike Festival at Devil’s Den State Park in northwest Arkansas April 5-7. Along with scheduled bike rides, the popular festival includes many other fun events, including an evening social.

Test your biking skills as you pedal along guided mountain bike routes over rolling, rocky terrain and creeks too. Bicyclists of all experience levels are welcome and rides vary in length and difficulty. Each one will be geared to a group’s overall ability, so anyone can find one appropriate to his or her skills.

The festival also helps enthusiasts learn the park’s trails. Tim Scott, assistant superintendent at Devil’s Den, says some of the bike trails are tight single tracks, while others are wide double tracks. “Some of them are flat. The relief may not change more than 100 feet,” he explains. “Depending on how adventurous they want to be, some trails have descents anywhere from 400 to 500 feet.”

The trails also vary in length. For example, “the Fossil Flats mountain bike system is really kind of three trails in one. One section of that trail system is three miles long, but can be extended to four or five miles by riding additional loops. Some of the rides will use a combination of trails,” he elaborates.

“The terrain at the park is perfect for mountain biking activities,” Scott adds. “With the development of other trails in the area, the popularity of the sport in northwest Arkansas continues to grow.” The Ozark Mountain Bike Festival was one of the first, if not the first mountain bike event in the state, he adds.

Participants usually include bs usually include beginners who want to learn about the sport, or people that have just moved to the area and want to become familiar with the trails before striking out on their own. Scott says newbies don’t need to be intimidated to attend because the beginner rides are designed for the novice mountain biker and will go at a beginner’s pace.

Experienced riders attend to meet other mountain bikers and converse with them about otherth them about other places to explore. The better seasoned bikers also enjoy the opportunity to ride with peers that are just as fast. Scott adds that the 2 p.m. ride on Saturday and the 10 a.m. ride on Sunday are perfect for an advanced rider. “Especially Sunday,” he says. “They will get all they want.”

Kids can get in on the action too at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kids’ Fun Course, where they can test their bicycling skills weaving around cones, riding a skinny and teeter-totter, and limboing. Scott says about any age can enjoy the fun course but those participating in other events need to be “old enough to be able to negotiate a trail, which is usually around the ages of 8 to 10 and up.”

Plenty of fun social elements are included in the festival mix. “This will be the second year for a poker run.” Scott shares. “We are having music Saturday night, and some old school mountain bike fun – bike toss, slow race, limbo and bunny hop contest.” A ladies only ride and a night ride are also on the schedule.

Other than dressing for the weather and wearing required helmets, Scott suggests attendees bring an appetite for hamburgers, cake and ice cream to celebrate 25 years of mountain biking at Devil’s Den at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

In addition to fun trail rides and events, there are also some learning opportunities. “A couple of the guided rides are for bikers who would like to improve their skills, one for the beginner rider and one for the intermediate rider,” Scott says. Also offered is a course on trail maintenance.

Admission is free. Those attending can plan to spend the night, or just attend the festival for the day. “Absolutely the best way to attend the festival is to camp,” Scott adds. Camping and cabins are available at Devil’s Den; but, cabin reservations usually go quickly. Group camping is another possibility. Also, bike vendors sell supplies and make bike repairs during the festival.

“It is a lot of fun,” says Scott. “You get to meet other people with a similar interest, learn of other places to ride, and if you get tired of riding you can hike.”

Family members of bike festival participants often use their time to explore the park. Devil’s Den has hiking and backpacking trails that lead to caves, crevices and bluff overlooks. The park store offers groceries and gifts. The horse camp area includes riding trails and a bathhouse.

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