|
NW Arkansas Buffalo River Trail System
Bella Vista AR Back 40
The White River Valley Trail,
almost 12 miles of natural surface trail outside of Branson, is the
first designated mountain biking trail system in the area. They
officially opened in 2011 and already are receiving national
attention with an award from the Coalition for Recreational Trails.
The main trail head is located just across the street from Showboat
Branson Belle parking lot on Hwy 165.
Check out Volunteers for Outdoor Missouri (vfom.org). A great way to
help out and students can receive community service credits
Learn About Trail Building
When it comes to family riding Branson is still in the "infancy" stage of development. There has been a grass roots effort to encourage the City of Branson to move forward on their "Trail System Plan" but we have had little effect. They have a plan to incorporate roads and trails alike in an 89 mile system that would give access to all of Branson on bike or on foot. The project was to begin in July of 2003. They have yet to begin. We encourage you to contact Trail guru Matt Filice,
Jerry Adams at the City of Branson
and the
Chamber of Commerce
to express your support for the project.
In Branson there is but one trail, and although it is a little on the short side, it's a good one. It starts at Table Rock State Park near the Marina and runs along the lake through the Branson Belle and on to the Dewey Short Visitors Center next to Table Rock Dam. It is around 8 feet wide, paved and about 2.4 miles long and offers a constant view of beautiful Table Rock Lake. It is a great ride for any age or ability level. Great for a family ride!
The only other opportunities for riding on a Rail to Trail or bike paths are in the Springfield area. there are Four different rides that we suggest;
Frisco Highline Trail
is
a rail to trail type trail that starts in northwest Springfield and runs north
through Willard. Try it! You'll like it!!
Ozark Greenway Trails
To view the South Creek Greenway, James
River Greenway, Galloway Creek Greenway and the Ward Branch Greenway.
The
Katy Trail
is a rail to trail system that runs from Clinton Mo. all the way to St. Charles Mo.(north of St. Louis). It is almost 200 miles long and runs along the river through towns and old rail road tunnels. The hard pack gravel surface works well with almost all kinds of bikes except maybe bikes with thin road tires.
www.mapmyride.com
Two Rivers Trail System
Slaughterpen
Hobbs
Rogers, AR
Enjoy
All of the rides listed from here on are for the more experienced rider. Remember to always yield to hikers and horses! Please keep in mind that when you ride you become an ambassador for all riders. Others are judged by your behavior. Be respectful to everyone you encounter. Stay on the trails. Keep the area clean.
And remember, some of these rides are long and take you into the boonies. Make sure you have had your bike checked out and that everything is in good working order. Always wear a helmet. Bring plenty of water, patches, a tube or two and an air pump or CO2 cartridge. Gloves, jersey and padding is a good idea too.
 Busiek State Forest is a mix of double track and single-track horse trails meandering through deep valleys north of Branson Mo. In the spring and fall expect to get your feet wet and your bike muddy. Summer is bone dry. High ground is very rocky but the low lands are spongy, trails may be very muddy, even days after a rain. Valley trails are less technical and are better for the less experienced riders. More advanced riders will be rewarded with climbs and great single track if they keep a sharp eye. The single-track is not well marked, but don’t be afraid to follow a ribbon of trail as it will always re-connect with the main color-coded trails. The majority of the east side trails are more difficult than the west side or gun range side (Busiek is split in two by hwy 65). The west side is less demanding in general but has some descents that rack the nerves on anything but a freeride bike. Keep in mind that horses are also allowed at Busiek. Please be courteous and stop and pull off the trail if you meet up with one. Enjoy!!
To get to
Busiek
State Forest from Branson take Hwy 65 north approximately 14 miles. Take notice of the intersection of A/BB at the top of one of the many big hills. After passing the intersection you will continue on 65 north and down a long hill. The next right hand turn just after the bridge is Busiek road. It is pretty well marked with a Busiek State Forest sign just before the turn. Busiek road will take you back south to a "T" in the road. Go to the right and you will go under the bridge to the west side of Busiek. You will have to go through the gravel pit.Stay to the left and you will end up at a parking area where you can unload. Go to the left at the "T" for the east side. There are a couple of lots to choose from on the east side. The east side offers more riding diversity and more creek crossings as well. Either side is worth the effort!
Drury/Mincy
is a wildlife management area
southeast of Branson, which represents the best of the
Ozarks. Wind your way down a one lane gravel road,
crossing low-water bridges every quarter mile or so
(bridges can be slick). Wildlife abound so plan on
taking it easy and enjoying sites. The ride
consists of a one-lane gravel road, which ends at a
long, technical uphill. If you want you can
stop at the hill or climb to the end. The top the
road turns into a hiking trail that eventually leads to
lake Bull Shoals (please don’t ride on the hiking
trails). There are also a few historic sites along
the way such as the Bee Creek School House and Cemetery.
The roads in Drury and Mincy can be ridden on a hybrid
or comfort bike as well as a mountain bike. Use of
the paved roads along with the dirt roads would make for
quite a day!!!!
To get to
Drury-Mincy
Conservation Area
from Branson take Bus. 65/Hwy. 76 out of downtown Branson across the
Taneycomo bridge to the light. Go left on Bus. 65 for about
1/2 mile to the BB Hwy. intersection (just before the Turkey Creek
bridge). Turn left on BB Hwy. Take BB Hwy. out past the
Hollister High School all the way to JJ (the stop sign). Take
a left and go to the next intersection and turn right on J Hwy.
Once you are on J Hwy. south it's just a few miles. The
parking lot is on the left. If you cross the creek at the
bottom of the valley you've gone just a little too far. |
 |
Devreaux Ridge
is a maze of old logging roads in the Mark Twain National Forest. If you have a sense of adventure and a good sense of direction you will find this little slice of the Ozarks very rewarding. The old roads there are technical in spots but could be done by most riders. The gravel road “Devreaux Ridge Road”, which cuts through the heart of this area, would make a great loop for the biker who likes to ride in the woods but doesn't’t posses above average bike handling skills. Side trails are more challenging and require more skill.
To get to
Devreaux Ridge from Branson take Hwy. 65 north to F Hwy. At the end of the off ramp from Hwy. 65 turn left at the stop sign. Continue on F Hwy. to the next stop sign at the Hwy. 160 intersection and turn right. Stay on Hwy. 160 until you see the H Hwy. intersection on the left. Turn left on H Hwy. Stay on H Hwy. for about 12 miles until you see Garrison Ridge Road, a gravel road leading to the east. Follow Garrison Ridge Road southeast for about 1.5 miles until you get to Devreaux Ridge Road. Where these road intersect is where the trail head is. Keep your eyes peeled. It's kind of hard to find. Have a great ride!!
Sac River, north of Springfield, is a spider web like network of intersecting single-track trails. It was built specifically for mountain biking and is heavily used by Springfield riders. Sac River is a complex of trails that are tight, twisty, and technical at times and more fun than a barrel of monkeys. It can also be very muddy, even a couple of days after a rain. A call to any of the Springfield bike shops will get you a trail condition report straight from the guys that use them the most.
(for a map click here)
To get to
Sac
River Trail
from Branson take Hwy. 65 north to I 44 west. Take I 44 west to Hwy. 13 (Kansas Expressway) and take it north. After about 3.2 miles (about a half mile past the Fantastic Caverns turn off) on the left you will see the brown Sac River trail sign. Follow this road west about a half mile to the trail head parking area on the right side of the road. Enjoy!
|
Lake Leatherwood, set in a deep Ozark valley, is a beautiful small lake. The Arkansas state IMBA representative heavily influenced the process of building these superior trails. What that means for bikers is smooth single-track that flows with the contours of the land. There are several loops that can be done. If you really feel strong there are over 30 miles of trails that can be ridden in one day. Some “must do’s” are the Miners Rock Loop, Beecham Trail, and a climb up to the Dam View. Finish a perfect day of riding by following the lake back to the parking area. Beginners will find Beecham trail challenging technically but with very few extended climbs. Eureka Springs is a unique town with neat attractions, shopping, and food. It is well worth the 1.5-hour drive south.
To get to
Lake Leatherwood from Branson take Hwy. 65 south into Arkansas to Hwy. 62 (a couple miles north of Harrison. Turn to the west (right) and continue on toward Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Continuing on Hwy. 62, go through Eureka Springs. Just west of town on the right hand side of the road you will see the entrance to Lake Leatherwood. There is enough riding for a full day so bring your camping gear and plenty of water and food.
|
 |
|
|
Glade Top Trail
is a National Scenic Bi-way. The map is obviously
hand drawn so it only covers a small area. This
represents the most popular area that I am aware of.
There are over 40 miles of gravel roads and countless
miles of trail traversing some of the most unique,
untouched, wilderness terrain in the Ozarks. Bald
Hills and Glades represent the way the Ozarks looked
before the coming of the Europeans. The gravel
roads in the Glade Top area would alone make for an epic
ride, but add to that the countless miles of jeep and
double track trails and you have one of the most
incredible riding spots-bar none. Sounds like the
place to go, right? This wonderland comes
with a price, very few of the trails off of the gravel
roads are mapped and the area is still very much a
wilderness. Hiring a guide will insure a safe and
enjoyable experience. |
 |
|
|
Chadwick Motorcycle Use Area
is a vast area of motorcycle and ATV trails about 35 min. northeast of Branson. Challenging would be the best word to describe this area. The trails are heavily used by motorized equipment. A characteristic of trails built for motorcycles is that they prefer to climb steeper grades than bicycles so keep in mind that a few hike-a-bikes will more than likely be part of any Chadwick ride. If you like it rough and physically demanding this is your place. Over 100 miles of trails!!!! Chadwick is a fee area, $3.00 a day or you can buy an annual permit. Permits can be obtained at Kay’s Country Store in the town of Chadwick.
To get to
Chadwick Motorcycle
Use Area from Branson take Hwy. 65 north to F Hwy. Turn right at the stop sign on the exit ramp onto F Hwy. Follow F Hwy. until it intersects with Hwy. 160. Turn right and continue on until you reach the H Hwy. intersection. Take H Hwy to the left (it's the only way you can go on H). Stay on H Hwy north for around 15 miles. Signs will be posted for both of the Chadwick trail heads, Cobb Ridge and Camp Ridge. To get your permit stay on H Hwy north to the Hwy 125 intersection. Turn left on Hwy. 125 and go about 2 miles until you see Kay's Store in the town of Chadwick. You can get information, food and riding permits there. Support the local
|
 |
|
|
Swan Creek Trails
are a mix of single and double track horse trails. Like so many Ozark riding spots, Swan Creek is a vast area and not well mapped. If you like riding in a wilderness setting and aren’t afraid to get a little off course now and then you will be rewarded with some exceptional riding. Spring and Fall are the best times to ride this spot. The trails are over grown in the summer and full of ticks and chiggers. There are two different entrances to this area. Bar K wrangler camp off of 125 hwy is best when Swan Creek is low, and Tin Top Ridge off of hwy UU. Tin Top is the best option when it’s too cold to wade across Swan Creek. Bring a compass and have a blast. |
 |
|
|
Moccasin Gap
is a mixed-use area that will appeal to any riding approach. The
trails here vary from wide logging roads to narrower, steeper tracks
. Horse and ATV use is common, so there is not much true single
track. Watch for horses! Give them plenty of room. Skill
requirements are in the intermediate range. Some of the trails are
very steep and long. so the climbs are often grueling but always
worth it. Fast, long downhill's through the trees, sometimes
it gets pretty rough. This is great full suspension terrain,
although hard and soft tails work well too. The trail system has
many loops and turns, but is clearly marked and easy to follow.
There are trail maps at the trailhead. Definitely pick one
up. |
 |
|
|
Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail
is a must for the serious rider. You’ve got to be serious to endure the two and a half hour minimum drive from Branson. But enduring the winding, twisting roads to get there is well worth the trouble. The 22 mile, mostly single-track trail is divided into three loops all of which contain “knock your socks off” downhill’s and “stuff that lung back in your mouth” climbs. The White River Bluff loop is the shortest ride at around 4 miles. This trail takes you up a rocky, fairly technical single-track to a fabulous view of the White River and the valley beyond. The Bald Scrappy Loop comes in second at around 7.5 miles. This trail takes you along the edges of rocky bluffs with spectacular views, wicked downhill’s and switchbacks to the hard pack bottom lands. Trail edges are often loose and gravely so stay alert. The Scrappy Mountain Loop is the longest of the three rides at about 12 miles. This little chunk of Ozark Mountain terrain is chocked full of steep, rocky slopes and switchbacks. In the bottoms you will encounter single track, double track and creek crossings that are beginner friendly. There is an elevation change of about 600 feet from high to low point on this trail. To avoid the more challenging climbs, shuttles can be organized to facilitate rides that are all downhill so, there’s no excuse not to try these epic rides!
|
|
Ray's Road Rides
This page will be updated as time allows... we'll try to put any important events and planned rides down here for you to join up with. You are welcome to call the shop any time to find out more information!
I don't believe there is a road in Branson or Forsyth that Ray Harris hasn't ridden. We've sent so many riders to him for routes that he finally had to put something on paper. So, here they are..
Thanks Ray!!
** Side note; In 2006 all side roads off of hwy. 65 from V hwy. to hwy. 86 south of Hollister were
eliminated. To stay within the parameters of the following Branson area maps you need to ride the shoulder of Hwy. 65 all the way to hwy. 86. At that point you have access to Ridgedale road all the way to hwy. 14 at the Arkansas state line.
Also, the shop location is not correct on all maps except the High Road Loop rides. We are at
116 Flynn Road,, Branson, Mo.65616. For a map go to the "store info" page on this site.
ENJOY!!
|
|
Highlandville
|
|
Two Rivers Trails |
|
