🚵 Beginner-Friendly MTB Expeditions

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend a speaker event with explorer and adventure writer Adam Shoalts and is best known for his solo canoe expeditions across Canada’s vast and often unforgiving northern regions.

During the talk, he described one particular journey: a four-month solo canoe expedition from Lake Erie to the Arctic, travelling through northern Labrador. Listening to him recount the scale, solitude, and quiet determination of that trip sparked something for me.

It got me thinking about our own community. With subscribers spread across Canada and the United States, many of us crave that same feeling of adventure—even if we’re fitting it into a weekend, not four months in the wilderness.

So for the next four issues, I’m launching a small experiment.

This will be a four-part GTMTB Assistant series, exploring mountain biking–friendly weekend trips that feel like expeditions without requiring expedition-level skills.

Each issue will focus on one direction—North, South, East, and West—and feature three distinct adventures rooted in beginner-friendly terrain, but rich in atmosphere, remoteness, and discovery.

This week’s question:

Can the GTMTB Assistant uncover three weekend mountain bike trips across the southern United States that feel like true expeditions—without requiring advanced skills or big mileage days?

Let’s see what it comes up with.

P.S. If you haven’t tried the GTMTB Assistant yet, you can open the custom ChatGPT and run your own outdoor challenges. It’s free for subscribers.

👉 Click here to open GTMTB the Assistant. 

— Adam

1. Northwest Arkansas — Bentonville & Bella Vista

“Trail City” Weekend Expedition 🚵

Why it feels like an expedition (without being gnarly):
Ride straight from town onto miles of flowing green and blue singletrack, link different trail zones each day, and still roll back into a walkable downtown for dinner. With 500+ miles of OZ Trails, Bentonville delivers big terrain energy with beginner-friendly riding.

Home base:
Stay near downtown Bentonville so you can pedal directly to Slaughter Pen and Coler MTB Preserve.

🔗 Trail hub: OZ Trails — https://www.oztrails.com
(Search “downtown Bentonville hotels” or “Bentonville Airbnb” for ride-out lodging.)

Sample Weekend Flow

Day 1 — Slaughter Pen Sampler
~10–15 mi (16–24 km) of smooth, machine-built green and blue trails right from downtown. Add or subtract loops as you go, then coast back into town for food and a stroll around the square.

Day 2 — Bella Vista Exploration
~15–25 min north to Back 40 or Little Sugar. Anchor your ride with a mellow loop like Tweety Bird, then tack on blue connectors if you’re feeling good.

Day 3 — Coler Easy Laps
~6–12 mi (10–19 km) at Coler MTB Preserve. Gentle climbs, playful descents, and a central hub with coffee. Keep it short before the drive home.

2. Alabama Double — Oak Mountain + Coldwater Mountain

Why it feels like an expedition:
Two very different trail systems in one weekend: forested, state-park riding at Oak Mountain paired with purpose-built flow at Coldwater Mountain. Both offer big networks with plenty of beginner–intermediate options, so you can ride “all day” in manageable chunks without getting in over your head.

Home base:

• Night 1–2: Stay near Oak Mountain State Park or in Birmingham, AL (20–30 min away)

• Optional Night 2: Shift to Anniston, AL to be closer to Coldwater

🔗 Trail hubs:

• Oak Mountain State Park — https://www.alapark.com

• Coldwater Mountain —https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8011828/coldwater-mountain

(Search “Oak Mountain State Park lodging” or “Anniston AL hotels” for nearby options.)

Sample Weekend Flow

Day 1 — Oak Mountain Scenic Loops
~8–14 mi (13–22 km) around Double Oak Lake using green and blue trails like the Lake Trail. If you’re feeling good, extend onto portions of the main park loop and skip the clearly marked advanced features.

Day 2 — Coldwater Flow Day
~1 hr drive to Coldwater Mountain. Link mellow classics like Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear into a ~10–16 mi (16–26 km) loop. Rolling terrain, pine forest, and a surprisingly remote feel.

3. North Carolina — DuPont State Recreational Forest

A Waterfalls & Forest Basecamp 🚵

Why it feels like an expedition:
DuPont delivers true backcountry atmosphere—waterfalls, granite slabs, and long forest roads—while staying welcoming for beginner and intermediate riders. Well-marked intersections and flexible route options let you build multi-hour rides without committing to punishing terrain.

Trail character:
A mix of wide forest roads, mellow flow trails, and approachable singletrack. Famous descents like Ridgeline are commonly rated beginner–intermediate and offer big fun without expert-level exposure.

Home base:
Stay in Brevard, NC or Cedar Mountain, both just outside the forest with cabins, campgrounds, and small-town lodging. (Search “Brevard NC lodging” or “Cedar Mountain NC cabins.”)

Sample Weekend Flow

Day 1 — Lake Imaging Warm-Up
~9 mi (15 km) starting from Lake Imaging. Ride wide, beginner-friendly forest roads and short side loops to get oriented, with optional out-and-backs to viewpoints or waterfalls.

Day 2 — Ridgeline Mini-Adventure
~5-6 mi (8-9 km) using logging roads for mellow climbing and Ridgeline for the payoff. A long, rolling descent through the trees—fast and flowy, but not intimidating.