Hot Springs pairs a national-park town with the Ouachita Mountains' long east-west ridges. The Northwoods trails climb straight out of downtown, Cedar Glades sits just north, and the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail runs the lake's south shore toward the Womble's famous benchcut singletrack near Mount Ida. Pine-and-rock ridgelines shed rain fast while the clay in the draws holds it, so drying time decides the day here.
Right now about 52 of 61 featured Hot Springs & the Ouachitas trails are riding well. Conditions change daily with rain and snowmelt, so the list below shows the live read for each trail, and the chart shows which day ahead is your best bet.
Typical riding conditions by month, blending heat and trail conditions from 10 years of local climate data — so you can plan a trip for the right window.
The best time to ride Hot Springs & the Ouachitas is January through February and September through October, when daytime highs sit in the 50–83°F range and the dirt is typically dry. August runs hot, with typical highs around 90°F, and January through July and September through December tends to be the wettest, muddiest stretch. Planning a trip? Those are your safest bets — and for this week, the live forecast below shows exactly which days are riding well (right now 52 of 61 featured trails are good to go).
Bar height = our ride-friendliness score for a typical year; colour = the main limiting factor; the number under each month is the average daytime high. Based on 1991–2020 climate normals (NOAA). This year's live conditions are below.
Every featured singletrack trail, sorted by today's real conditions, best first. Refreshed every morning.
Today the trails riding best near Hot Springs & the Ouachitas are Bearcat, Dewdropper and Pullman Trail. The full list below is sorted by today's real conditions, best first, and refreshes every morning, so the top of the list is always your best bet right now. See live conditions →
It depends on recent rain and each trail's soil. The 10-day outlook on this page shows how many Hot Springs & the Ouachitas trails are expected to be riding well each day, with rain markers, so you can pick the right day instead of guessing. See the 10-day outlook →
Right now 9 of 61 featured Hot Springs & the Ouachitas trails are reading soft or too muddy to ride. Hot Springs & the Ouachitas is mostly loam soil, which drains at a moderate pace, so after a storm some trails firm up within a day while others stay greasy. Riding wet, soft dirt damages trails and leaves ruts, so check the live mud reading on each trail before you head out. Check the live mud reading →
Hot Springs & the Ouachitas has 61 featured mountain bike trails tracked here for conditions, with more searchable on the live map.
Hot Springs & the Ouachitas trails run from about 472–2,589 ft. Higher trails hold snow later into spring and dry out later than the lower ones, so conditions can vary a lot across the same area on the same day.
The best time to ride Hot Springs & the Ouachitas is January through February and September through October, when daytime highs are in the 50–83°F range and the trails are typically dry. August runs hot, with typical highs around 90°F, and January through July and September through December tends to be the wettest, muddiest stretch. This is based on 10 years of local climate data; check the live conditions on this page for how the trails are actually riding today.
See all Arkansas trail conditions →
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