The Womble Trail is a point-to-point trail in western Arkansas on the Ouachita National Forest that extends from the Ouachita Trail on the northeast end to North Fork Lake on the southwest end. Trail elevations range from around 600 to 1,200 feet. The total trail mileage managed for mountain biking and e-bike use will be approximately 38 miles.
The Womble is considered one of the jewels of the Ouachita Mountains along with the Ouachita National Recreational trail. This is a great biking trail with folks driving in from all over the country to try this epic ride. It is also the key element of the Ouachita Challenge and Womble Classic Mountain Bike Race held each year.
The Womble is listed as an IMBA Epic Ride. Section near Hwy 27 trailhead can be a little tricky. There are seasonal creek crossings. There are quite a few creek crossings but most are small and easy. The larger creeks have bridges, so they are not too much of an obstacle. Be aware, there is one creek on the northern part of the trail that is rather large and can be a bit tricky to cross, especially if there has been rain in the last few days.
There are a some technical areas out there. For instance, the Womble features a lot of ridge riding and some areas with steep drop offs to one side, so you may want to walk these sections. The trail really offers up a little bit of everything – from nice, mostly flat terrain, to rugged, mountain terrain.
The trail crosses a couple of major roads. There is Hwy. 270 just northwest of Mount Ida, Hwy. 27 north of Mount Ida, and just north of the Lake Ouachita bridge, the trail goes across Hwy. 88. There the trail actually uses the bridge over Lake Ouachita to get to the other side. There are not a lot of bailouts along the trail unless you know the back roads and even then, depending on how far you have ridden you might still have a long ride ahead of you.
Riders wanting to ride this whole trail in one day, may want to start at the Hwy. 27 trailhead of the Ouachita Trail which is about 18 miles north from the Hwy. 270 and Hwy. 27 junction in Mount Ida and ride the trail heading south to North Fork Lake. You will need a shuttle unless you plan on riding back. By doing it this way, you’ll get all the big climbs out of the way at the start.
For just a half day adventure, a popular ride is from North Fork lake to the Hwy. 27 trailhead of the Womble (not to be confused with the Hwy. 27 trail of the Ouachita Trail).
If you are looking for a quick easy ride go to the Hwy. 298 trailhead – Ride East until you come the the third dirt road crossing, and then turn around and head back. If you still want more, keep heading West across Hwy. 298 and go until you get to the bottom of Mauldin Mountain, then turn around and head back. This little section is perfect to take novice riders out on. It’s mostly flat, with a few technical sections involved.
When you come from North Fork Lake and have come over Mauldin Mountain you’ll start down a section of the trail that is flat and raised. This use to be the old rail road bed for the Womble Timber Company. There use to be an old town just south of this called Womble, Arkansas.
