OZ Trails bike park to open on June 12

OZ Trails plans to open the OZ Trails Bike Park on the Bentonville-Bella Vista border on June 12. It will be the state’s first chairlift-served mountain bike park comprising more than 20 miles of trails.

Runway Group is the developer of the park at 2726 Bella Vista Way in Bella Vista, west of the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and Mercy Way. An investment cost was not disclosed.

“For the first time in Arkansas history, riders can load a chairlift and drop into world-class gravity trails, right here in the Ozarks,” said Gary Vernon, general manager of OZ Trails Bike Park.

The park’s trails will be color-coded by difficulty, from beginner-friendly green to double-black diamond, and will be served by a Leitner-Poma high-speed quad chairlift, providing year-round lift access. About 75% of the trails are designed for beginners and everyday riders with features for advanced riders. According to city of Bella Vista records, the value of the chairlift is $8.25 million.

The park’s social hub, OZ Trails HQ, will have a full-service restaurant and bar, bike rentals and retail shop, bike school and pro-led instruction, pump track and dirt jump zone, large-scale art, and private event and gathering spaces. The restaurant and bar, Ozzy’s Ride and Dine, has a rooftop deck overlooking the bike lift and will be operated by Luke Wetzel and Mollie Mullis, the team behind dining destinations, including Oven and Tap, Superfine and Townie. The HQ and grounds will be free and open to the public.

According to city records, the property includes a two-story, 15,000-square-foot building and between 200 and 300 parking spaces. General contractors are Columbus, Kan.-based Crossland Construction Co. and Leitner-Poma of America Inc. in Grand Junction, Colo.

Hufft in Bentonville is the architect. Engineers include Crafton Tull in Rogers, HSA Engineering Consulting Services Inc. in Fort Smith and PMA Engineering in Overland Park, Kan.