Pea Ridge Plus: It’s Just Enough
‍By TJ Stallbaumer

The day began as many do in January: cold and windy. But by noon, the sun had made an appearance, and riding felt, well, worth it. And so, armed with a route that takes its inspiration from the 50-mile Little Sugar loop, we set out on something smaller, dubbed Pea Ridge Plus. 

We left from the ice rink in Downtown Bentonville, and hurried away from it after the realization that no one really understands exactly how it stays frozen. The temperature was hovering around 45 degrees. 

Much of Bentonville’s great gravel starts by bombing down J Street, and this route was no exception. At the bottom we turned left, and headed towards Gooseberry. It’s a good climb, made more gratifying by the myriad potholes pointing the way up it. Vigilance is key. 

Anyway, the right turn onto Plentywood reintroduces the rider to pavement and to amber waves of grain. Not a great photo stop, but primarily because there are cars. Take caution as you spend about a mile on Highway 72, which has bad shoulders and more cars. 

The pavement ends again at Dove Road, which was made beautiful by even more amber waves of grain. I’m not even that patriotic, I just really like farmland. Keep following the roads named after birds by hopping on Blue Jay and then Mariano – which isn’t actually a bird, but could certainly become one. Get ready for the ride's biggest climb just before you turn right onto Hazelton, and take it all the way into Pea Ridge. At this point, we strongly suggest you follow the route as made, and not rely as heavily on this writeup. This author admits there’s a whole host of turns to get you safely through Pea Ridge on side roads, and you’ll be better served following a GPS. This is also a great opportunity to stop off for a snack at any of the gas stations in the area. 

Coming out of Pea Ridge you’ve got a long, straight section on Guthrie Road. This is the ride’s optimal photo opp., because it’s lined with trees, you can see for miles, and it’s honestly just a great spot to feel small in the midst of nature. At its end, take a right onto Harris Road, and follow it down to Bentonville’s crown jewel gravel segment: Sugar Creek. At the end of Sugar Creek, you spend a little time back on Highway 72, where we again urge great caution as you stay on the shoulder. 

Overall, I give this ride a solid 8/10. It’s got ample beauty, points for refill, great gravel but not too much of it, and only one really big climb. I’d call it beginner friendly, but not easy either.