Rider rediscovers old trail friend after several years
With all the fresh, new trails winding through the region’s hills and hollows, it’s easy to forget some paths that have been outdoor joys for decades.
I’ve been a big fan of the new Monument Trails at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area since they opened last year. We’ve hiked and mountain biked every inch of the 17-mile trail system and written reviews of each loop here in NWA Outdoors.
They’re all fabulous trails that get lots of use, judging from the number of vehicles seen at the trailheads.
It was somewhat of a revelation at dark-30 one morning when it hit me that it’d been a couple years since I’d biked my old friend, the Bashore Loop of the park’s Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail.
There I was in my rocker at 5 a.m., easing into the day with my 45 minutes of staring time and mug of Folgers. So many people use the Monument Trails nowadays, I wondered if the Bashore Loop might be grown up in weeds.
By sunup I was on my way to find out, bumping toward the 4.5-mile trail in the trusty Dodge pickup with my bike in the bed.
Early is the operative word for any outdoor adventure during the summer. That magic time between first light and sunrise is the coolest and nicest of day, if your biological clock likes the early hours. When I parked at the Piney Road trailhead, mine was the only vehicle in the lot.
Pedaling along the dirt trail through the woods, it was obvious this family friendly, beginner level trail still gets plenty of use. Nary a stray weed had sprouted roots in the trail’s dusty tread. Happily I rolled along, the day’s first rider breaking through all the spider webs spun during the night.
All of the Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail is open for hiking, biking and horseback riding. To start a tour of the Bashore Loop, head to the right from the Piney Road trail head. Follow this path for about one-half mile to a rest bench and trail intersection. The Bashore Loop is on the left. The more difficult Dutton Hollow Loop is at right. Both start at this junction.
The Bashore Loop forks shortly after the start. Take the right fork for the easiest route. From here it’s mostly level or easy downhill through the woods for about 1.5 miles, perhaps a tad more. It’s a nice, pleasant hike or bike ride.
There’s a spur trail here that leads down to the Blackburn Creek arm of Beaver Lake. It’s a good spot for a lunch break or swim.
Now the exercise starts as the route heads gradually uphill for another 1.5 miles, but without any lung-buster climbs to endure. We’d give it a 6 on the wheezer scale. Level sections offer relief from uphill pedaling.
The whole 4.5 miles is just an easy to moderate ride or hike through the woods, with no big features like waterfalls or bluffs. With all the trees leafed out, the trail is mostly shaded during summer. It’s a fine path for a hotweather ride.
I like to pedal at a slow, scenic pace, so it takes me about an hour to cover the 4.5 miles. One of my bike racing buddies claims he’s circled the loop in 20 minutes.
If Bashore Loop sounds a little too tame, tackle the Dutton Hollow Loop. It’s the same distance and forest scenery, but the climbs are steeper.
The ride was a joy and a fine rediscovery of my old trail friend, the Bashore Loop. I had the trail to myself, thanks to the early start. By the time I finished, others were pulling into the gravel parking lot and unloading bikes.