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Following years of investment in trails and bicycle infrastructure, Northwest Arkansas has become known around the world as a top mountain bike destination. The initial vision for that development focused on improving the quality of life for residents, and as word about the trails spread over time, tourism naturally followed. Now that the model has proven to be wildly successful, it’s being replicated throughout Arkansas, with the Delta region in the eastern part of the state now poised to become the next great gravel biking destination.
With seemingly endless gravel roads that traverse vast cotton fields and rice paddies to rolling, forested hills, eastern Arkansas has a lot to offer riders. Two epic routes have been established to help riders navigate a sea of excellent gravel biking options, while a handful of races and events bring riders from across the US to experience the unique culture found in the Arkansas Delta region.
Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail
The Arkansas Delta region is characterized by flat and fertile farmland bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Highlands region to the west. Bisecting the Delta is a geographic anomaly known as Crowley’s Ridge, which holds perhaps the best-kept secret to gravel riding in the Central US.
“You’re on this 250-foot-tall weaving ribbon of trail with these peekaboo views of this ocean of farmland,” Ammen Jordan, the Director for studioDRIFT, told me. “It’s a totally unique experience most people in the mid continent have never had.”
The Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail begins in the town of Helena-West Helena, which is located along the banks of the Mississippi River. The town is home to the Delta Heritage Museum, which highlights the region’s culture and history. Beginning in the 1940s, a local radio station hosted a program called King Biscuit Time, featuring blues music from regional musicians that went on to popularize the genre worldwide. Museum exhibits also explore the region’s agricultural history and the town’s occupation by Union soldiers during the Civil War…