The Making of Northwoods
Over the last decade, Hot Springs, Arkansas has gone from a “spa city” in the shadow of Northwest Arkansas’ premier mountain biking destination, to a robust trail town and mountain biking destination. The only city in the U.S. that is within an hour’s driving distance of three IMBA EPICs, Hot Springs has maintained a reputation as an enviable spot for mountain bikers. With the addition of the 31.5-mile Northwoods trail system in November 2018, all levels of ridership have access within minutes from downtown.
With the addition of the 31.5-mile Northwoods trail system in November 2018, all levels of ridership have access within minutes from downtown.
Spa City to Trail Town
Hot Springs is an example of a community where IMBA has been on the ground through all phases of visioning, advocacy, planning and design, and construction, and we’re really proud of the trails here. Hot Springs had the bones and IMBA’s support helped make dream riding possible by providing resources, knowledge, motivation and tools that accelerate progress toward creating something amazing for locals and out-of-town visitors seeking destination rides alike.
Not Every Ride Needs to Be Epic
Beloved today by Arkansans and regional cyclists, the entire 31.5 mile Northwoods Trail System is situated on a combination of city and county property. It has collected numerous places on “Top 10” lists and held the top spot on Arkansas Outside’s crowd-sourced vote for two years in a row. But long before the Spa City hosted this world-class system, much of this property was simply rolling parcels of all but forgotten land.
Loops Designed For the Time and Skills You Have
Northwoods’ trail planners outlined a progressive, stacked-loop system that allows bikers to “bite off” as much trail as they have the time or ability to ride. This means new riders can circuit easier trails closer to the trailhead, while more experienced riders can set out further afield, where they’ll encounter more difficult terrain.
Bringing Backcountry-Style Experiences Close To Home
With a system designed for skills progression in place, trail builders began planning a series of paths that would connect bikers, hikers, and runners to some of the most scenic areas of the Northwoods property. These new routes would connect trail users to high vistas and scenic lakeside views that feel far from town, but are in fact only a few minutes’ drive away.
In fall 2025, IMBA’s Liz Chrisman caught up with Tracy Berry from Visit Hot Springs and IMBA Trail Solutions’ Jess Didion about Hot Springs’ history, partnership success, strategic decision making around maintenance, and future developments in the Northwoods Trail System.
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| Liz Chrisman, IMBA Most people, when they think about Arkansas, they think about Northwest Arkansas and the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.” What is unique about Hot Springs that brings people to ride there? |
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| Traci Berry, Visit Hot Springs: Northwoods is special. To have a trail system that's less than five minutes from downtown that you still feel like you're in this backcountry setting and completely away from everything that has something for your most green of riders to your most advanced riders. It’s very unique to our region. |
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| Jess Didion, IMBA What stood out to me was the diversity of trails that we were building: progressive jump lines, classic singletrack, enduro style trails, and in Cedar Glades, we enhanced [existing trails.] It was like a whole other type of construction. I knew immediately that this is going to be so cool because you're providing trails for all types of riders. |
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| Liz And this was your first job with Trail Solutions, right, Diddy? What did you glean from your time there that you’ve carried to other communities? |
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| Jess I see trails like they're an entity. You can't just build trails and then walk away and expect them to be successful on their own. They need energy, they need a commitment, and they need to be nurtured, and then they need a community to support them. You can't just build trails and then peace out. You need to keep them nourished. |
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| Traci I think that's what sets us apart is that we do have a full-time maintenance crew. |
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| Jess I think having that trail coordinator/supervisor role in a paid trail crew, even if it's small, such as Jake's role, who kills it; that's such a good move. I think it makes all the difference. It ensures the trail system is safe and it's being maintained. |
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| Jess Not to mention that Northwoods has been voted best mountain bike trails in Arkansas 5 out of the last 6 years! |
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| Traci Our downtown is literally in the middle of the National Park, and so people can experience a National Park, go ride five minutes from downtown and have all the amenities of a downtown area, which is pretty unique. Probably just 15 years ago, a lot of those doors and windows were still boarded up. But now our downtown, all of our storefronts are full – it's been a huge thing for our community. |
Hear the full interview:
