New bikepacking route network opens in Arkansas

The five routes range from 60-190 miles and can be linked together for tours of more than 260 miles.

A man and woman ride gravel bikes down a tan gravel road in Arkansas, towards the camera.
(Image credit: Bikepacking Roots)

For those outside of the cycling world, Fayetteville, Arkansas, may be a mere blip on the map of the U.S. Midwest region. The host of the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships is home to some 100,000 residents and a burgeoning cycling community. It's also the neighbouring town of Bentonville, the self-proclaimed mountain bike capital of the world and host locale for the popular gravel race Big Sugar.

Now, Fayetteville seeks to expand its cycling notoriety by opening five new bikepacking routes in partnership with Bikepacking Roots that wind through the region’s rural communities and landscapes, including the Springfield Plateau, the Ozark’s Boston Mountains and the Buffalo River Valley.

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