NEWTON COUNTY MENTALITY
November 1-3, 2024
Imagine descending into one of the most beautiful canyons in Arkansas on a fall afternoon in early November, the leaves at peak foliage - passing windy ribbons of singletrack, imposing sandstone walls, vistas, and log cabins as you enter the iconic Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. This idyllic gem of the Ozarks will be your home for the next three days. You’ll camp, hang with your friends, ride your bike really really hard, dance your face off, eat great food, drink a few beers, and meander around the canyon chasing down wacky checkpoints in an effort to finish off what you started - a gravel stage farce* we like to call the Newton County Mentality.
*fake stage race
The Format
Three Days of Bikes and Community
Friday:
We’ll start things off on Friday with a 3-4 mile time trial that stays within the canyon walls, ripping around on the gravel and world-class singletrack at HCR. You’ll choose your bike, but choose wisely cause you have to use that bike on Saturday and Sunday too. Finish the day with a meal in the Lodge Restaurant, a campfire with friends, and a good night’s rest in the cool fall temperatures.
Saturday:
The big day — you’ll set out to tackle the best, and hardest gravel riding in the state of Arkansas. This is backcountry gravel at its finest: big climbs, fast and technical descents, remote roads, and the best views that the Ozark Mountains have to offer (remember, it’s peak fall foliage). You’ll choose between 65- and 40-mile categories, each expecting around 9,000 and 5,000 feet of climbing, respectively.
Return to the ranch tired and empty, then fill your bellies with a huge helping at the Lodge Restaurant (they call it “adventure nutrition meets local tradition”). Live music will ensue in the field below the lodge, and although you’ll likely be cracked from the day of pedaling you’ll want to dance the night away with drinks in hand. And it’ll be ok cause the next day’s challenge plays on the word “fun,” not “difficult.”
Sunday:
Grab your friends (or enemies), take your clue card, and adventure around the ranch on your bike, completing challenges in a scavenger hunt-style format. CHILL PACE - WE AIN’T TIMING YOU! Bring your proof of completion back to the Trading Post, and you’ve conquered the most famous stage farce on the planet. Awards will be given, laughs will be had, and then tents will be packed up. And although you will be free to go home, we can pretty much guarantee you won’t want to.
Note: we will offer an e-bike category for the 45 mile event, and you can also rent an e-mountain bike from Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.
Bring Your Friends.
Bring Your Family.
There are endless things to do at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.
- the longest zip-line in the state of Arkansas.
- two amazing via ferratas for adventure.
- world-class mountain biking trails, also great for hiking.
- some of the best rock climbing in the USA.
- a pool and hot tub.
- the Buffalo National River just a few miles away.
- rent an e-mountain bike from HCR to explore the trails.
- full time Lodge Restaurant.
