Handcut Hollow
Located in Bentonville, Handcut Hollow offers a completely different riding experience compared to the flow-heavy trails found throughout the rest of the area. This purpose-built system features over 16 miles of hand-cut singletrack, delivering a more raw, natural feel that rewards effort, endurance, and technical skill.
At the center of the system is the Hub that has trails leaving in every direction. Riders can choose from a variety of downhill lines ranging from approachable blue runs to steep, technical black diamond descents. Each line offers a different flavor—some flow, some speed, and others packed with rocks, drops, and advanced features that demand precision and control.
The system is designed to be sessionable. After descending, riders can climb back up via Mother Necessity and do it all again—making Handcut Hollow a true “earn your turns” destination.
For those looking to push their limits, sections like Zone 4 introduce highly technical riding with chunky rock gardens, elevated wooden features, and complex obstacles that challenge even experienced riders.
Featured Downhill Trails
School House Rock (Black)
No More Kings (Black)
Access Trails to the Hub
Elbow Room
Checks in The Mail
Northern Traverse
Where Do You Park at Handcut Hollow?
The J Street parking lot is the first option riders encounter when approaching Handcut Hollow from the Slaughter Pen direction — and it's one of the easiest trailheads in Bentonville to find. The lot sits directly off J Street, and if you're riding over from Slaughter Pen, you'll know it by its marker on the trail map as the Handcut Connector.
Before you clip in and head toward the hub, take a minute to look around. The J Street lot is home to one of the more memorable trailhead features in the area — a giant ax buried into the ground alongside the Handcut Hollow trail sign. It's a fitting introduction to a system built by hand, and worth a photo before you drop in.
Three Ways to the Hub
From the J Street lot, riders have three options for reaching the Handcut Hollow trail hub, each with its own character.
The first is the Northern Traverse loop — a longer route that circles around to the hub and gives riders a broader feel for the terrain before committing to a downhill run.
The second and third options share the same start, following a natural trail alongside the gravel road before forking into two distinct lines. Stay right and you're on Elbow Room, a green-rated trail that keeps things approachable and moves at an easy pace toward the hub. Take the left fork and you're on Checks in the Mail, a blue-rated trail that adds a bit more challenge and technical character to the approach. Both are fun, both deliver you to the hub, and both offer a more direct route than the Northern Traverse.
If it's your first time at Handcut Hollow, the fork is a good early indicator of what the system is all about — you're making choices from the moment you leave the parking lot.
J Street Parking Lot — Handcut Hollow Access Point
Price Coffee Road Parking Lot - Handcut Hollow Access Point
If you're looking for the most direct route to the Handcut Hollow trail hub, Price Coffee Road is your parking lot. This access point puts you closer to the action than any other option — but it comes with a tradeoff that's worth knowing before you pull in.
The upside is easy to appreciate the moment you arrive. Just past the parking area sits a beautifully restored old schoolhouse — one of those quiet details that reminds you Handcut Hollow was hand-built inside a landscape with real history. Picnic tables in the area make it one of the better spots in the system to take a proper break, eat lunch, or let non-riding members of your group hang out while you put in laps. It's worth slowing down to take it all in before you clip in.
The tradeoff is this: Price Coffee Road sits at the base of the hill. There's no coasting to the hub from here. Every rider who parks at this lot starts their day with a climb.
From the schoolhouse, take a short left onto the Traverse Loop — the point where The Body Machine and Inter-Planet Janet both merge after their descents, putting you alongside riders finishing their runs as you make your way up. Follow the Traverse Loop to Mother Necessity, the designated return trail for the system. Mother Necessity is green-rated, but don't let that fool you — it's a sustained climb with enough pitch to get your legs burning before your first descent. Think of it as the price of admission for the most scenic parking option at Handcut Hollow.
Once you crest the hill and reach the hub, the full menu opens up — blue runs, black lines, and everything in between. The climb is real, but so is the reward.
