Oscar’s Loop - Coler MTB Preserve
Oscar's Loop is the backbone of Coler MTB Preserve. Running along the perimeter of the preserve and connecting every major trail, parking lot, and destination in the system, it's the trail that ties everything at Coler together — from the South parking lot and Airship Coffee at the homestead to The HUB at the top of the hill where nine trails branch out in every direction.
Most riders encounter Oscar's Loop as a connector without fully appreciating what it delivers on its own. This page breaks the loop into four distinct segments so you know exactly what to expect from each section before you ride it — whether you're planning a full lap of the entire loop, building a route through the preserve, or simply trying to get from one end of Coler to the other.
Oscar's Loop is bidirectional and blue-rated, with sections that range from mellow wooded singletrack to genuine rocky technical terrain. Oscar's Upper — the climb from Good Vibrations to The HUB — adds elevation and steeper terrain into the mix. The segment descriptions below cover what each section actually feels like, where the technical moments are, and what's waiting at each end.
Use this page alongside the Coler trail map to plan your route before you arrive.
Oscar's Loop — Coler MTB Preserve's Central Trail System
Shortcut to each section
Starting Point: South Parking Lot (Coler Grove)
Ending Point: Good Vibrations intersection
Direction: Bidirectional — character changes significantly depending on which direction you ride it
Distance: 0.45 Miles
This is the section of Oscar's Loop that most riders underestimate. Starting from the South parking lot at Coler Grove, the trail immediately delivers narrower singletrack with rocks jutting out of the hillside and technical sections that demand active line selection throughout. It's more demanding than the blue rating and connector trail reputation might suggest — particularly on the narrower hillside passages where the trail hugs the contour of the terrain and leaves little room for error.
What makes this segment genuinely interesting is how differently it rides depending on your direction. Riding it fresh from the South lot toward Good Vibrations is one experience. Saving it for the return trip at the end of a full Coler day — when your legs are spent and your focus has been taxed by everything else — is a completely different kind of challenge. Same rocks. Same narrow sections. A measurably harder conversation with your legs.
Keep an eye out for wildlife on this stretch — turtles are a regular presence on the trail, particularly after rain. They blend into the trail surface and move slowly. Give them room.
Oscar's Loop (Lower): South Parking Lot to Good Vibrations
Lower Oscar’s Trail Pics - South Parking to Good Vibrations
Oscar’s Loop Lower First Person POV Video - South Parking to Good Vibrations
Starting Point: Good Vibrations intersection
Ending Point: The HUB
Direction: Bidirectional — most riders climb this segment to reach The HUB
Rated: Blue (Intermediate) — steeper terrain and intermediate features
Distance: 2 Miles
Oscar's Upper is where the elevation lives. This 2-mile segment climbs from the Good Vibrations intersection up to The HUB — the three-story bridge structure at the heart of Coler from which nine trails radiate in every direction. It takes most riders around 14 minutes and delivers a noticeably different character than the lower loop sections, with steeper grades and more demanding terrain that earns an intermediate features rating.
For most riders, this segment is experienced as the climb that gets you to The HUB. It's the access trail to Drop the Hammer, Fireline, Cease and Desist, and every other major downhill line in the preserve. Arriving at The HUB on fresh legs — and knowing what's waiting there — makes the climb feel purposeful rather than punishing.
Trail Hack: Take The Grouch Trail to get to the HUB faster. Doing so cuts out a segment of Oscar’s offering a more direct route to the HUB
Oscar's Loop (Upper): Good Vibrations to The HUB
Oscar's Loop (Lower): Good Vibrations to North Parking Lot
Starting Point: Good Vibrations intersection
Ending Point: North Parking Lot
Direction: Bidirectional
Distance: 1.2 Miles
This segment covers the north side of the lower loop — from the Good Vibrations intersection toward Airship Coffee at the Coler homestead. It's the rockiest stretch of Oscar's Loop lower and one of the more technically engaging sections on the entire loop. Narrow singletrack, exposed rock faces alongside the trail, and a significant rock section that arrives with little warning and demands full attention.
The segment ends at Airship Coffee at the original Coler homestead — one of the most welcome trail destinations in all of Bentonville. The rocky tech that comes before it makes the coffee taste better.
Wildlife note: turtles have been spotted on this stretch too. At the 36-second mark of our video, one makes a brief but completely unannounced cameo.