Northwest Arkansas has spent the better part of a decade building one of the most respected cycling destinations in the country. On June 12, 2026, that reputation gets a significant addition: the OZ Trails Bike Park opens to the public—described by OZ Trails as Arkansas’s first chairlift-served mountain bike park.
For owners of Bella Vista vacation rentals and Bentonville-area investment properties, it’s worth understanding what this park actually is, who it will draw, and how that affects demand for short-term rentals throughout Northwest Arkansas cycling tourism.
What the Park Is
Located at Highway 71 and Mercy Way on the Bentonville-Bella Vista border, with easy access from Interstate 49, the OZ Trails Bike Park features more than 20 miles of purpose-built gravity trails designed for a range of skill levels.
The centerpiece is a Leitner-Poma high-speed detachable quad chairlift—the same lift technology used at ski resorts—that carries riders to the summit in a matter of minutes. Tray-style racks accommodate bikes, and the lift is e-bike compatible.
Trail design was handled by Gravity Logic, the firm also responsible for Whistler Bike Park in British Columbia. According to OZ Trails, the majority of trails are beginner to intermediate, with a portion designed for advanced and expert riders—reflecting the same accessible philosophy that shaped Bentonville’s broader trail network.
At the base, a lodge includes a full-service restaurant, beer garden, event space, and a patio overlooking the lift. The park connects directly to the Little Sugar Trail System and the Razorback Greenway, giving riders access to the broader OZ Trails network from the same location.
OZ Trails Bike Park General Manager Gary Vernon described the pace of the final months of development: “We have been working on this park for many years and planning—but really the last year, it has been just a really wonderful project. Things have all fallen together so quickly, that we actually got to open to members earlier than expected.”
The June 12 public opening coincides with Bentonville Bike Fest, an established annual cycling event that draws riders from across the region.
Founding Memberships: A Quick Overview
Ahead of the public opening, the park launched a Founding Membership program offering early riding access, discounted monthly rates, and a package of member benefits including discounts on food, merchandise, and rentals—with the founding rate locked in for two years.
At launch, individual founding memberships were priced at $99/month (compared to a standard rate of $119/month), with family memberships covering two adults and children under 18 at $199/month. Pricing and availability may have changed as the opening approached. Current membership details and day pass information are at oztrailsbikepark.com.
Tom Walton, who has been involved in the park’s development, described the intent behind the membership structure: “Membership is more than access. It helps set the tone for what this park becomes. The first members should be people who care about the culture, who welcome others in, and who believe this place can keep growing into something truly special.”
What This Means for Vacation Rental Demand
Northwest Arkansas has built its cycling reputation largely on cross-country and trail riding. Lift-served, gravity-focused mountain biking—downhill, enduro, freeride—has been the one gap in an otherwise comprehensive cycling ecosystem.
That gap matters because gravity-focused riders are a distinct market segment. They travel in groups, plan trips around specific destinations, and tend to book multiple nights. They’ve historically come to Bentonville for the cross-country trails and then traveled elsewhere—Colorado, Utah, British Columbia—for the gravity riding. A lift-served park in NWA gives that group a reason to stay longer or make the region their primary destination rather than a stop on a broader trip.
A few specific implications for Bentonville property management and Bella Vista vacation rental owners:
Longer stays become more plausible. Riders who previously built short weekend trips around Bentonville’s cross-country trails now have reason to extend—splitting time between Slaughter Pen, Coler, and lift laps at the bike park. Whether that translates to meaningfully longer bookings will become clearer as the park establishes its visitor patterns, but the conditions for it are there.
Family cycling trips get more viable. With the majority of trails designed for beginner and intermediate riders, the park is accessible to families with mixed ability levels. A parent comfortable on cross-country trails and a newer rider in the group can both find appropriate terrain at the same location—something that’s been harder to achieve in NWA’s trail network, which skews more technical at the Coler end.
Fall demand has another draw. Fall has always been peak season in NWA due to ideal trail conditions. The bike park’s first full fall season in 2026 adds one more reason for riders to prioritize the region during an already competitive booking window.
Proximity to the park is now a listing detail worth including. Properties in Bella Vista and northern Bentonville near the Highway 71 / Mercy Way location have a specific, searchable differentiator. Distance to the bike park belongs in listing descriptions the same way trail proximity has always mattered for Northwest Arkansas cycling tourism.
Practical Considerations for Property Setup
Guests coming specifically for lift-served riding have somewhat different needs than typical cross-country tourists, and a few property details matter more:
Storage for larger bikes. Downhill and enduro bikes are heavier and longer than cross-country bikes. Standard wall hooks may not be sized or spaced appropriately. If you’re in a high-proximity location for the park, it’s worth evaluating whether your current storage setup actually works for these bikes.
Wash station pressure. Gravity riding produces significantly more mud than cross-country riding. Your wash setup will get used after every ride, not just occasionally.
Recovery amenities. Multiple lift laps in a day is physically demanding in a different way than a cross-country ride. Hot tubs, comfortable outdoor seating, and good food storage for post-ride recovery all matter more for this guest profile.
The Broader Context
The OZ Trails Bike Park opening follows years of trail infrastructure investment in Northwest Arkansas—the 550+ mile OZ Trails network, Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, Slaughter Pen, and the broader connected system that’s made Bentonville a recognized cycling destination. A lift-served park adds a dimension the region hasn’t had before and is likely to attract visitors who haven’t previously considered NWA a destination.
The park opens June 12. Whether you’re considering a founding membership yourself, or simply thinking about what this means for your property, it’s a development worth tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the OZ Trails Bike Park located?
The OZ Trails Bike Park is located at Highway 71 and Mercy Way on the Bentonville-Bella Vista border, with easy access from Interstate 49 in Northwest Arkansas.
When does the OZ Trails Bike Park open to the public?
The OZ Trails Bike Park officially opens to the public on June 12, 2026, coinciding with Bentonville Bike Fest.
What kind of trails does the OZ Trails Bike Park have?
The park features more than 20 miles of purpose-built gravity trails for a range of skill levels. According to OZ Trails, the majority of trails are beginner to intermediate, with a portion designed for advanced and expert riders. Trails were designed by Gravity Logic, the firm behind Whistler Bike Park in British Columbia.
What is a founding membership at the OZ Trails Bike Park?
Founding memberships were launched ahead of the public opening and offer early riding access, discounted monthly rates, and member benefits including discounts on food, merchandise, and rentals, with the founding rate locked in for two years. At launch, individual founding memberships were priced at $99/month and family memberships at $199/month. Current pricing and availability can be found at oztrailsbikepark.com.
How does the OZ Trails Bike Park affect vacation rental demand in Bella Vista and Bentonville?
The bike park introduces lift-served, gravity-focused mountain biking to Northwest Arkansas for the first time, attracting a new segment of riders—downhill, enduro, and freeride cyclists—who previously had limited reason to make NWA a primary destination. This may support longer stays, broader visitor demographics including families, and stronger fall demand for short-term rental properties in the area, particularly those in Bella Vista and northern Bentonville near the park.
What property amenities should vacation rental owners prioritize for bike park guests?
Guests visiting specifically for gravity riding tend to have larger, heavier bikes than typical cross-country cyclists, so secure storage with adequate floor space and clearance is important. A wash station with good water pressure is also essential, as gravity riding generates significantly more mud. Recovery amenities such as hot tubs and comfortable outdoor seating are more relevant for this guest profile than for shorter cross-country trips.
Does the OZ Trails Bike Park connect to existing NWA trails?
Yes. The park connects directly to the Little Sugar Trail System and the Razorback Greenway, giving riders access to the broader OZ Trails network of 550+ miles of shared-use trails from the same location.
What Owners Should Be Thinking About Now
The bike park’s first full season will tell us a lot about visitor patterns—how far guests are traveling, how long they’re staying, which neighborhoods are seeing the most demand lift. What’s clear already is that properties in Bella Vista and northern Bentonville have a new, specific marketing asset that didn’t exist a year ago, and that the Northwest Arkansas cycling tourism market is expanding into a segment it hasn’t meaningfully served before.
If you own a short-term rental in the area and haven’t updated your listing description, amenity setup, or pricing strategy to account for this, now is a reasonable time to do that.
B Home Management works with vacation rental owners throughout Northwest Arkansas on exactly these kinds of positioning questions. If you’d like a straightforward assessment of how your property is set up relative to what the market is doing, we’re happy to have that conversation.
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Sources
- OZ Trails — Bike Park Opening Date Announced (March 20, 2026)
- OZ Trails — OZ Trails Bike Park Overview
- Arkansas Outside — OZ Trails Bike Park Reveals Pricing Structure Ahead of Opening (April 30, 2026)
- THV11 — OZ Trails Bike Park Opens to Members (May 19, 2026)
- 5 News Online — OZ Trails Bike Park Opens to Members (May 18, 2026)
- NWA Travel Guide — OZ Trails Bike Park
About B Home Management
B Home Management provides short-term and long-term property management throughout Northwest Arkansas, with a focus on the cycling tourism market that drives significant regional demand. We ride these trails ourselves and stay connected to the developments shaping NWA vacation rental demand.
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Cover Image Credit: Oz Trails
