The Graveler Goes Delta
This year’s edition features the most approachable routes yet.
By Michael Spivey | Photography By Kai Caddy
This year’s Arkansas Graveler trades in the hills of the Ozarks and Ouachitas for the flat lands of the Delta.
The Origin Story
When we first conceptualized the Arkansas Graveler, our goal was simple but ambitious: to create the most unique and hospitable gravel ride in North America by fully capturing the spirit that defined gravel riding at its roots. We wanted to showcase the best of Arkansas — the quirky and the gritty — while taking participants to places in The Natural State few have ever experienced by bike.
Just as important, we wanted to take Gravelers back to a simpler time, when hard days’ work was rewarded with good food, hearty laughter and family celebration. With that in mind, we designed the Graveler as a blend of an old-fashioned Sunday social and summer camp, pairing unforgettable riding with off-bike experiences like archery, skeet shooting, fishing and nightly entertainment — all within an intimate, family-like setting. So, how do we keep this annual event fresh and unique? Year one explored the rugged Ozarks. Year two wound through the Ouachitas. By year three, there was only one place left to go. East.
There’s no ride more social than the Graveler.
Year Three: Delta Blues Edition
In October of this year, the Graveler heads to the storied Arkansas Delta — home to Johnny Cash, Levon Helm, Sonny Boy Williamson and generations of musicians who shaped American sound. It’s a land of the richest farmland in the world, legendary duck hunting, deep history and deeper soul.
Gravelers will trade long climbs of the Ozark and Ouachita mountains for the wide-open flatlands of the Delta. Here, every mile carries a song, every meal tells a story and every day draws riders deeper into the heart of the South. The Delta Blues Edition is more than a multiday gravel ride — it’s a cultural journey blending amazing gravel roads, music, food and community into a powerful tribute to the Delta’s enduring spirit.
A Gentle Riding Experience
The Delta’s geography offers the most approachable riding the Arkansas Graveler has ever featured. Gravel roads stretch endlessly through fertile farmland along the Mississippi River, creating welcoming terrain for riders of all abilities.
Over five days, the route delivers remarkable variety. Beginning in Jonesboro, the home of the Arkansas State Red Wolves, riders will traverse levee systems with publicly accessible gravel maintenance roads along the St. Francis and Mississippi Rivers. The course includes sections of the TransAmerica Trail, the Delta Heritage Trail — America’s newest rail-to-trail development — and the Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail.
Crowley’s Ridge is one of Arkansas’s six distinct geological regions — a narrow band of rolling hills rising 250 to 550 feet above the surrounding Delta. The trail follows the ridge from Missouri to Marianna before continuing south through the St. Francis National Forest to historic downtown Helena. Along the way, riders pass seven state parks, one national forest and 18 Delta towns.
Formed from wind-blown loess soil, Crowley’s Ridge bears the marks of centuries of wagons, farming and conflict. In places, 30-foot dirt walls are held together by the roots of native tulip trees — found in Arkansas only along this ridge.
Railroads once fueled the Delta’s growth, and their legacy now fuels new gravel opportunities. The Delta Heritage Trail State Park repurposes 85 miles of abandoned Union Pacific railway, connecting Lexa to historic Arkansas City while crossing both the White and Arkansas rivers on massive railroad bridges. Riding these elevated spans across wide, remote waterways will be a highlight of the week.
Where the Riding Ends,
the Fun Begins
While the Delta is rich in gravel roads, the Arkansas Graveler experience goes far beyond the ride. Each afternoon, daily competitions begin when the pedaling stops. From skeet shooting and fly-fishing to duck-call contests in Stuttgart, the undisputed Duck Hunting Capital of the World, Gravelers can expect uniquely Arkansas experiences that feel less like an event and more like childhood summer camp — only this time, everyone arrives on a gravel bike.
Delta Heritage Defines Each Day
The Arkansas Delta occupies a unique place in American history and landscape. It played a key role in the nation’s westward expansion during the early 19th century, a legacy still visible along the route, including Louisiana Purchase State Park, the National Historic Landmark marking the original survey point of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Delta’s remoteness also defines its character. Gravelers will move through quiet backroads, bottomland forests and hardwood river corridors teaming with wildlife — from migratory waterfowl, alligators and white-tailed deer to cypress, oak and tupelo stands. Within these habitats, the legendary ivory-billed woodpecker has long been rumored to survive, and while sightings remain rare and debated, the possibility adds to the region’s enduring sense of mystery. Birders, bring your binoculars!
Agriculture has anchored the Delta’s economy for more than two centuries, shaping both culture and cuisine. Daily meals will reflect that heritage, featuring Delta-raised fried catfish, slow-smoked barbecue, duck gumbo and other staples born from the region’s fertile soil. And music is never far away. Influenced by riverboat workers, railroad laborers and country churches, Delta blues emerged as a powerful voice of everyday life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That legacy will be heard throughout the week — on the route, in overnight towns and during an unforgettable evening at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, one of the nation’s premier celebrations of blues music.
A Fitting Finale
The final leg leads Gravelers deep into the Delta on the Delta Heritage Trail to historic Arkansas City. After crossing the finish line for the final time, Gravelers will celebrate as the town transforms into a lively block party filled with live music, street dancing and good cheer — a fitting finale to the Arkansas Graveler — Delta Blues Edition.
Registration opens March 3. This isn’t just a gravel ride — it’s a slow roll through living history. From levee roads to blues stages, from fried catfish to forgotten railways, the Arkansas Graveler — Delta Blues Edition is where gravel meets gospel, pedals meet poetry,and the gritty soul of the South still rides on dirt.
Additional details are available at arkansasgraveler.com. The Arkansas Graveler is a production of Ozark Foundation.
