Gravity has entered the chat

OZ Trails Bike Park gives riders a lift.

Story and Photography By Joe Jacobs

Bella Vista’s OZ Trails Bike Park is about to flip the script on Arkansas riding: lift-accessed downhill, a high-speed quad and a whole lot of wow.

If you’ve been riding the trails around Bentonville and Bella Vista long enough, you know the drill: pedal up, rip down, repeat until your legs beg for mercy. It’s a formula that turned this corner of Northwest Arkansas into one of the most celebrated mountain biking destinations on the planet. But what if someone took the “pedal up” part out of the equation? What if you could just … ride?

That’s exactly the promise of the OZ Trails Bike Park, Bella Vista’s lift-accessed downhill park. And if the buzz coming out of the project is any indication, this isn’t just a new trail system, it’s a whole new chapter for Arkansas mountain biking.

The Lift That Changes Everything

Let’s start with the headline attraction: a high-speed detachable quad chairlift, the kind you’d find at a proper ski resort. That alone is enough to make any gravity-hungry rider do a double take. But this isn’t just fast; it’s designed for everyone.

General Manager Gary Vernon, who clearly knows his audience, put it in the most relatable terms possible: He took his 86-year-old mother for a test ride, and she had zero problems getting on and off. If Grandma can handle it, the rest of us are going to be just fine.

The lift doesn’t just move bikes and riders, though; it’s also a ticket to a view. At the summit, OZ Trails is installing what Vernon describes only as a “big, big, big statue,” a major piece of art that will serve as a landmark photo opportunity and, frankly, a reason to ride the lift even if you’ve got no intention of bombing a trail.

More Than Just a Bike Park

OZ Trails Bike Park isn’t showing up to the party without snacks. The facility includes a retail bike shop and a full restaurant with food and beverage service, both open to the general public, no membership or trail ticket required. So, yes, you can absolutely roll up, grab a burger and a cold one, watch riders come screaming off the hill, and decide then and there that you need a new hobby.

For those who want to ride, the access model is refreshingly flexible. Day passes come in three tiers: a single lift ride for $10 (a perfect low-commitment way to experience the descent or ride to the summit for the view), a half-day pass at $34 and a full-day pass at $59. Prefer to pedal up rather than take the lift? You can do that, too, but all trail access requires a ticket or membership regardless. An electronic gate system controls entry to the trail network, keeping the flow organized for everyone. Day passes go into effect on opening day, June 12.

The membership model is where things get seriously interesting for regular riders, and right now, the Founding Member deal is hard to ignore. Founding individual memberships are priced at $99 per month, compared to $119 per month for a standard individual membership once the founding period closes. Families (two adults plus kids under 18) can lock in at $199 per month as founding members, versus the standard $239 per month. That founding rate is locked in for two years, which for anyone planning to lap this place regularly is a very easy number to justify.

The perks stack up nicely, too. Founding Members get 15% off merch, food, rentals and bookable spaces at the park, plus 15% off one guest pass per visit. They’ll have their name permanently on the Founding Members Wall, receive limited-edition merch and an exclusive Founder’s poster, and get access to members-only previews and event.

What Sets It Apart

The comparison to nearby parks like Spider Mountain in Texas or Howler in Missouri is inevitable, and Vernon doesn’t shy away from it. The investment in the high-speed detachable quad is the clearest differentiator, it’s not a slow fixed-grip lift, and it’s not a T-bar. It’s a genuine resort-style lift that makes the experience faster, more comfortable and more accessible for a wider range of riders and non-riding spectators alike.

Layer in the Bentonville context, the existing trail network, the cycling culture, the infrastructure that’s been building for over a decade, and OZ Trails is arriving into one of the most bike-receptive communities in the country. This isn’t a park trying to create a scene from scratch. It’s a park stepping into one that’s already buzzing.

Future phases in the works include a pro-shop-style locker and gear storage facility — think golf pro shop, but for your trail bike, and eventual lodging possibilities as the draw of the park grows. For now, the focus is simple: Get the lift spinning, open the gates, and let the trails do the talking.

Twenty Miles of Smiles (and Some Screams)

With roughly 20 miles of trail already cut, OZ Trails has been intentional about who they’re building for. Seventy-five percent of the trail network is green- and blue-rated terrain, making this a legitimate destination for newer riders and families who want real downhill fun without the intimidation factor.

The remaining 25%? That’s the black diamond show-off section visible directly beneath the lift, and it is, by design, meant to be seen.

“That 25% is the most visible trail,” Vernon says with obvious pride. “As you drive by it, it looks pretty amazing, but scary. It’s an adventure show. It’s a live action show when you’re riding the lift.”

The green and blue trails stretch across the southern and western portions of the property, away from the lift line. And the park isn’t done building. Vernon says additional green trails are already in the pipeline for construction shortly after opening, with the long-term vision being a continuous expansion of approachable terrain.

“We’ve got all the black (trails) we need,” he laughs.

Park Connections and Cross-Country Crossover

One question on every rider’s mind: How does this connect to the existing trail ecosystem? The answer is: more seamlessly than you might think. OZ Trails has installed two exit gates at the top of the lift, one in the southwest corner and one in the northwest. Riders can hop off the lift, pass through the gate and access the broader trail network, including popular routes like Tunnel Vision and Back 40, for cross-country riding. Off-park descent trails on both the north and south sides bring riders back to the base, where the whole loop can start again.

It’s a setup that gives multidiscipline riders genuine options: Lap the lift-served downhill trails venture out for some cross-country miles, come back down the off-park trails, and reset at the base. The park is essentially plugging itself into the existing trail universe rather than trying to exist separately from it, a smart move that will resonate with locals who’ve already spent years building those connections.

Hours, Closures and What to Expect

The lift runs daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with one catch. The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Those midweek days are reserved for trail work, maintenance and the kind of behind-the-scenes upkeep that keeps a lift-served bike park running safely. It’s a smart trade-off: a little less riding time in exchange for trails that stay in shape.

That schedule leaves five riding days a week, Thursday through Monday, which lines up nicely with weekend warriors and anyone flexible enough to sneak out for a Thursday or Friday session. And with the lift running until 7 p.m., there’s plenty of room for after-work laps once summer settles in.