Review Date
August 16, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: drsam ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Rode this trail two days in a row earlier this week when I was in Tunica for a business meeting. It was pretty decent single track. Not too technical or dificult. Appropriate for beginners and clydesdales like me. I was there in August, so after about 8 or 9 am it starts getting miserably hot and humid. I doused myself with Deep Woods Off and was pleased to say that the bugs mostly left me alone (though there was one horsefly that was trying to do a recreation of the movie King Kong and continually circled me head for the entire ride). Overall, the trail is pretty well maintaned. There were several areas with sort of deep loose gravel where it is easy for your tires to wash out if you aren't careful. Unfortunately, these patches seem to be right at the bottom of sharp dips and in sharp high speed turns (which I suppose is because that's where the trail maintainers needed to put it the most due to trail erosion). Also, as some other posters mentioned, there are several areas where wooden steps have been installed for hikers and these will crash you if you aren't careful. These tend to be most concentrated towards the end of the trail if you are traveling clockwise. Basically, anytime you are picking up some good speed and then suddendly see the trail making a real sharp upward rise at about a 45 degree or greater angle (usually into a 90 degree turn), be on guard, because at the top of the incline, it will immediately make a similarly sharp dip back down, only the down side will have these wooden timbers (steps for hikers) in the ground that will launch you off the bike if you are careful. No real problem as long as you keep an eye for them.
Overall, for Mississippi, this was a pretty decent trail and I had a good time both days.

Recommended Route:
As the others mentioned, head south on 301 (from 304 in Eudora, MS....west of Hernando).

When you come to a t-shape intersection at Pratt Road, turn left. You will shortly enter the park. You will cross some water and wind down trought the woods a bit. You will come to another t-shape intersection and the Dam will be in front of you. Turn Right. You will be following the dam. You will pass several small parking areas and eventually come to a larger area for parking etc where the spillway is. Turn right before the spillway and stay to the right. You will pass some restrooms on your right. Go all the way to the back where it is shady. The picnic area is number 761 (not 167 as some other dyslexic poster said), but the number is pretty small and near the roof of the picnic pavilion. Anyway, there is a large sign with a trail map by the entrence to the trail. For the first time ever I actually saw a sign that says "All Terain Bicycles Welcome". Hooray.

Enter the trail and take a right. Follow the trail for a mile or so and you will come to a fork with a sign that was unreadable (when I was there). Go left here. Otherwise, the signs were all good. Have fun.

Review Date
June 22, 2004

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: no1volzfan ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Commonly referred to by Memphians as "The But Trail", the Arkabutla trail offers a nice woodsy and scenic trail compared to the trails in and around the city.

The trail starts off as a fire road and then comes to a creek crossing. Go across the creek to do the 3-mile trail or go to the left on the single track for the 5-mile loop. The 5-mile trail has some sandy spots and a little more technical spots. The 3-mile loop continues as a fire road and then has a nice downhill which begins the single track portion. The trail finishes up by winding beside a beautiful beaver pond.

Make sure to bring some deet, watch out for stepping logs installed for hikers, and keep an eye out for big snakes beside the beaver pond.

Recommended Route:
Some of the previous reviews that have you going out of the park to Bayou park are actually describing the horse trail and not the mtb trail that most of us ride. Take I-55 south from Memphis to exit 280 Hernando Ms. This is HWY 304. Go thru downtown Hernando, and follow hwy approx.15 miles until flashing yellow light by the big convenience store on the left. Turn left, this road is HWY 301, and follow til it dead ends. Turn left and go until it dead ends inside the park. Take a right on this road (the dam will be on your left) and take a right before the spillway into picnic area 167. Park at the rear of this picnic area by the big sign for the trail.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
The horse trail is only a mile away but can be ridden by mtbikers. It is not maintained near as well and very difficult for beginners.

Review Date
December 18, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Review Date
May 21, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Review Date
July 15, 2000

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year