Conditions NW Arkansas

[serhan]

Does anyone have any information on the current trail conditions NW corner of Arkansas, I am on a SuperTenere and wife riding G650GS, both on TKC 80s. Wondering if it s wet/muddy. Also water crossing levels.

We are thinking about staying at Fayetville, and riding that area mostly a combination of tracks found here and SLAP.

S.

[troy]

In my experience, it is never too wet or muddy to ride NWA. You might get really wet and muddy, but the riding is always possible because it's 1 inch of dirt on top of solid rock.

Water crossings can of course be a real concern! However, those deep valleys drain fast so the water crossings usually return to "normal" quickly after rain.

I'll ping Kendall to give a "local" update. He lives close to NW AR and rides there regular enough or has personal contacts on the ground he can ask.

[Hank Moody]

On the water crossing be careful on ones with moss/algae on top of the rocks or pavement that stuff is super slick. Combine that with fast moving water and it can end up being a bad day.

Enjoy your adventure!

[troy]

On the water crossing be careful on ones with moss/algae on top of the rocks or pavement that stuff is super slick. Combine that with fast moving water and it can end up being a bad day.

Enjoy your adventure!

Yeah, but it's that fall, broken parts, and injured body parts that make it an "adventure" and stick it in your memory!

[kendall_smith]

Hey Serhan- I live in Holiday Island, AR and can help you out with your question. Troy is correct about the rain not "ruining" your ability to ride in this part of Arkansas. Actually, unless we get TOO much rain (flooding) the rain usually makes the riding conditions better for the most part. If you're planning on coming down pretty soon, the conditions should be pretty good although it can dry out really fast on the open gravel that sees sunshine. The creek crossings and low water bridges can be very slick if the conditions are right, so definitely heed Hank's warning on that.

There's tons of good riding in the area. I spend quite a bit of time in the White Rock area around the Mill Creek OHV riding area since I am a member of the Razorback Riders and our club's property is located there. A lot of the trails and roads in the area have been deteriorating at a pretty rapid pace lately between the rain we've gotten and increased traffic due to tourism. The UTVs have really invaded the area and I think it's a big reason that the trails keep getting more and more difficult. I'll give you my standard warning about riding big bikes (or any bikes, for that matter) in Arkansas- if you're not familiar with the terrain. It is VERY easy to get in way over your head on some of this terrain if you decide to just go exploring and "see where that trail goes". That is the way I like to ride and to be honest is the main reason that I sold my 990 Adventure when I moved here. A big heavy bike can be a dangerous thing in this area!

The best advice I can give is to ease into it and try to stay on more main gravel roads and see how that goes. If you get bored and want to get a little more "gnarly", Fly Gap Road is a good "feeler" road for more gnarly terrain. It is between Mill Creek Road and highway 23 and although it is officially a road, it has become more like a trail in the recent years. Many people, especially on big bikes, have gotten into trouble on it and if that happens, you definitely don't want to try anything harder that is a trail or even more difficult road.

Hopefully that answers your questions. Let me know if you have anything else you need to know and I'll try to answer it as best I can.

[serhan]

Thanks very much. Its great to hear that wet conditions do not become blocking in AR. We will take your advice and stick to main roads, and maybe try Fly Gap to test our abilities.

Thanks again,
S.

[kendall_smith]

Thanks very much. Its great to hear that wet conditions do not become blocking in AR. We will take your advice and stick to main roads, and maybe try Fly Gap to test our abilities.

Thanks again,
S.

Sounds like a plan! If you all are in the area this weekend, pop into our club campground on Mill Creek Road (just south of Combs, AR) and say hello. We'll be down there all weekend for a benefit event for a local restaurant- http://rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2545

Have a good ride and enjoy the area!