Attracting riders and tourists from around the globe, Bentonville has long been recognized as a top draw for mountain bikers and outdoor adventure-seekers. Dubbed an “unlikely mountain bike mecca” by Outside magazine, many riders have called it “gold” and simply “perfect.” The city itself even announced in 2020 it was staking its claim as “Mountain Biking Capital of the World,” and with nearly 70 miles of bike trails running through the city — connected to 400 miles of trail systems traversing the bluffs of northwest Arkansas — it would be easy to take it all for granted.
Nathan “Woody” Woodruff grew up and still lives in Fayetteville, and he remembers a different region from not that long ago.
“I think 2006 might have been the first time I’d actually been to Bentonville. There was never a reason to go,” he said. “It was a very small rural town with not much to do — plus a dry county. It’s hard to believe if you look at it now.”…