Boston Mountains Loop

• Climbing away from Fayetteville and into the high Boston Mountains via quiet gravel roads
• Remarkable views and long descents reward the effort to get up every big climb
• Ridge top gravel roads that meander along for miles and miles
• The scenic views, small mountain-top campground, and little store in White Rock Recreation Area

The Boston Mountains Loop, created as a 3-day adventure, departs downtown Fayetteville and meanders southwest out of town on bike paths, past Kessler Mountain Park, and then follows ~6 miles of paved roads before turning toward Prairie Grove on rural gravel. Just past mile 16, riders can opt to follow the route into downtown Prairie Grove (where there’s a nice café, restaurants, a grocery store, and town park) or bypass it on Centerpoint Church Road. A quiet paved country road leads to the historic Canehill townsite at mile 26. There’s a small museum here, as well as restrooms and water.

The climbing begins in earnest at mile 32 with the ascent to the ridgeline of Skylight Mountain. An exhilarating descent to Cove Creek follows, and at mile 43, riders enter the Ozark National Forest. There are several creek side dispersed camping opportunities along this stretch of road, and more campsites can be found along the route for the next 10 miles of up-and-down mountain roads; most campsites are not adjacent to creeks, however, so plan accordingly for water needs. Most riders will opt to spend the first night out in this area.

At mile 58, the route passes a beautiful swimming hole in Lee Creek before climbing 1,000 feet past more dispersed camping areas. At mile 65, the “Easier Mountainburg Alternate” splits off the main route. The main route meanders south past Kimes and Meadow Mountains on chunkier gravel roads with numerous short, steep climbs and broad views before descending 1,000’ in just 4 steep miles to the town of Mountainburg. This community has several restaurants and a small market, and there’s an inn 4 miles off route in Chester.

The “Easier Mountainburg Alternate” into and out of Mountainburg is similar in length and climbing to the main route, but the alternate is entirely paved (as opposed to almost entirely unpaved), bypasses the very demanding Warloop Road climb east of Mountainburg, and passes through Chester and its café and inn. All services in Mountainburg are also on this alternate.

East of Mountainburg, the main route climbs Warloop Road, a steep, rocky, and adventurous 4×4 road. The toughest part is ~2 miles in length and likely will include ~0.5 miles of hike-a-bike for virtually all riders; it is, however, a beautiful climb through the forest for riders who want a short bit of adventurous technical riding. For riders wanting to bypass this, the “Easier Mountainburg Alternate” continues east of Mountainburg on a steep paved climb and rejoins the main route at mile 83 at the upper end of Warloop Road.

The high Boston Mountains and an appreciable amount of climbing lie ahead. From Mountainburg, it’s 20 miles with nearly 3,000 feet of climbing on mostly gravel roads to reach White Rock Mountain Recreation Area at mile 97, an ideal place to spend the second night out (there also are numerous dispersed campsites between miles 86 and 94). The White Rock summit area has a small campground with water spigots, cabins, a little store, and an incredible overlook at the cliffs’ edge. Reservations are required for the cabins and strongly recommended for the campground. The helpful resident hosts try to find space for bikepackers to camp if the campground is already full.

After leaving White Rock Mountain, the route follows another 20 miles of up-and-down ridge top roads that can be loose and chunky, particularly in summer. At mile 110, the “Scenic Return Alternate” splits off the main route. This alternate is a more scenic route on the way back north toward Fayetteville – it adds 3 miles, ~500 feet of climbing, and a few extra expansive views. The alternate and this section of the main route are both roughly half paved and half gravel.

At mile 114, the route leaves National Forest lands, and at 117, the route begins to trend downward and follows a mix of well-maintained gravel roads and pavement back toward Fayetteville with just one last notable climb of ~400 feet.

• Paved: 35%
• Smooth Gravel: 46%
• Rough Gravel: 15%
• 4×4 Road: 2%
• Singletrack: 0%

See POI descriptions on route in RWGPS for more information; reservations generally required in campgrounds

• Mile 18 – Prairie Grove: grocery store, café, restaurants
• Mile 28 – Canehill: water spigot
• Miles 44-64 – Dispersed camping on Ozark National Forest; see POIs in RWGPS
• Mile 44 – Cove Creek
• Mile 58 – Lee Creek
• Mile 77 – Mountainburg: stores, restaurants
• Mile 78 – Bearded Lady Inn in Chester (4 miles off route)
• Miles 86-93 – Dispersed camping on Ozark National Forest; see POIs in RWGPS
• Mile 92 – Hurricane Creek
• Mile 96 – White Rock Mtn. Recreation Area: small store, campground, cabins, water spigots
• Mile 122 – Middle Fork White River

No camping options for the first ~44 and final ~30 miles of loop

Singletrack Trail Systems:

• None

Route Alternates:

• Easier Mountainburg Alternate (miles 65-83): This alternate route into and out of Mountainburg is similar in length and climbing to the main route, but the alternate is entirely paved (as opposed to almost entirely unpaved), bypasses the very demanding Warloop Road climb, and passes through Chester and its café and inn. All services in Mountainburg are also on this alternate. This alternate crosses the main loop in Mountainburg, so riders can opt to take the western half of the alternate, the eastern half, or both. The Warloop Road climb on the main route east of Mountainburg includes ~2 miles of steep, rocky 4×4 road that sees virtually no vehicle traffic and is guaranteed to include a half mile of hike-a-bike for nearly all riders; it is, however, a beautiful climb through the forest for riders who want a short bit of adventurous technical riding.
• More Scenic Return Alternate (miles 110-132): This alternate is a more scenic route on the way back north toward Fayetteville – it adds 3 miles, ~500 feet of climbing, and a few extra expansive views. The alternate and this section of the main route are both roughly half paved and half gravel.

• What kind of bike should I ride? We recommend a gravel bike with an absolute minimum of 45c tires and low gearing for steep climbs. During summer months, the gravel roads in the mountains tend to become drier, dustier, looser, and chunkier, so during those months in particular, wider tires may be preferred by many riders. A mountain bike would also be absolutely fine.

• What’s the ideal time of year to ride the route? Spring and fall months tend to be ideal for riding in northwest Arkansas. Summer months can be dangerously hot and humid, and winter months can be cold, snowy, and icy at times, particularly in the mountains. Pre-leaf-out in the spring (typically late April/early May) will offer the best views, and fall colors typically peak around mid- to late October.

• How long will the route take to ride?  This route is designed as a two-night ride with dispersed camping options on Ozark National Forest Lands west of Mountainburg on the first night and camping at the White Rock Recreation Area or dispersed camping nearby on the second night. This would break the ride up into 3 roughly 50-mile days. Private lands with no camping options in the first 44 and final ~40 miles of the route make it logistically challenging to do the route in 4 shorter-mileage days.

• Do I need any special permits? No.

• Are there any specific safety considerations on this route? See the general route network information for suggestions related to vehicle traffic, dogs, and ticks.

• What is the longest distance between resupplies? ~50 miles

• What is the longest distance between reliable water sources? ~30 miles; riders should be prepared to filter or treat stream water.

• What are the most recommended camping locations along the route? See the accompanying list of camping options. Camping along Cove Creek on night one and at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area on night two are ideal options.

• Is it easy to find places to camp?
  • Dispersed camping options on Ozark National Forest land are relatively numerous between miles 44 and 64 (see POIs in RWGPS).
  • Dispersed camping options between miles 86 and 93 (see POIs in RWGPS)
  • White Rock Mountain Recreation Area (mile 96) has a small campground, cabins, a little store, and water spigots. Reservations are required for the cabins and strongly recommended for the campground. The resident hosts will find space for bikepackers to camp if the campground is already full.
  • Miles 0-44 and 114-145 are entirely private with no camping opportunities, and there are very few dispersed camping options between miles 96 and 114.

• Where can I park? Overnight parking is available in the Fayetteville Town Center’s parking deck. The entrance is located on East Ave, at the intersection of East and Rock. If you intend to park overnight, please let us know in advance – [email protected].

• Can I ride the route in either direction? Yes, but the climbs are a bit less demanding when the loop is ridden in the counterclockwise direction; route resources are written in the counterclockwise direction.

• How do I follow the route? These routes are not marked on the ground in any way. The route is hosted on Ride With GPS – you can download the GPS data to a GPS unit or use the Ride With GPS mobile app to navigate (the free “basic plan” is all you need for this). Visit bikepackingroots.org/projects/fayetteville to find links to the route on Ride With GPS. If navigating on your mobile device, expect the battery to run down more quickly than usual.

• This route traverses the traditional lands of the Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), O-ga-xpa (Quapaw), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Caddo, and 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻 𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷 𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^ (Osage).

Please be sure to get in touch with any updates on route conditions that may be relevant to other riders.

Please submit your questions and comments on the route via the contact form below.

Thanks to Kurt Refsnider for the route development, Brannon Pack and Andrew Onermaa for route suggestions, and all the Route Test Team participants who test rode this loop and provided valuable feedback.

Photo Credits: Ian Graber-Stiehl