Arkansas Backways Adventure Trail  (ARBAT)

October 19 – 24, 2025

  5 Day Adventure ride making a loop around the backroads of Arkansas

The Arkansas Backways Adventure Trail  (ARBAT)  is a 5 day Adventure Loop around the back corners of the state. The routes include Ozark National Forest, Ouachita National Forest and riders will visit: Hot Springs, Dover, Flippin, Berryville, and Winslow.

This ride is best on smaller adventure bikes or dual sport bikes.  Good riders on larger adventure bikes can choose options to also have a great ride.

About: This route is designed for experienced riders and can be tough depending on the time of year and the conditions and the ride options you choose.  Rain, snow and mud are possible, so come prepared.  The weather can turn quickly. This is the  best time of year to catch the fall colors.  It is common to find good weather at this time.  We have designed route options for just these conditions.  Our main adventure routes are colored Blue and we include easier Green route options for riders needing a break or bad conditions and, for overachievers, we include Red options that will take your breath away.  The ride can be enjoyed by a wide range of riders, but for sure you need to be experienced in these conditions.

Route Choices:  Don't put yourself in a bad spot.  gpsKevin route maps always include route options.  We recognize that weather and conditions can change.  We design these adventures with multiple routes in different colors.  The main adventure route is colored Blue, then there are easier and harder options, Green and Red, respectively.  This allows riders to choose their own level of adventure appropriate for their own skill and desires.  We don't want to put you into a challenging spot without options; we let you make the choice.

Signup info:

The cost to join this 5 day ride is $995  This covers your lodging for the 5 nights during the ride. It also includes your ride packets which consist of a custom Garmin GPS map on a micro SD card and printed ride maps and descriptions.

Now taking signups: You can now reserve your spot on this ride by leaving a $200 Deposit  (Ride limit is 20 riders). 

After your signup riders will receive an email from me with further ride information and instructions.

Note: Riders must make full payment by August 23, 2025.

Riders will receive ride packets in the mail two week before the ride.

Refund Policy

Do not sign up for this ride unless you are serious about coming.  I take your signup very seriously and start planning for you the minute you sign up.  If you need to cancel up to three months prior to the ride start date I will give you a full refund but I will keep $100 to cover the planning work. Sorry but I make non refundable commitments myself so it gets hard for me. "I hate this world of non refundable deals myself."  If you need to cancel within three months of the ride, I cannot give a refund unless I can find a replacement rider.  In the case of finding a replacement rider, I will gladly give you the full refund minus the $100 to cover the planning work.  In the event of ride cancellation, you will be given a full refund.

Ride Details

 I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy! 

Ride Yodas   

What are these Adventure Rides like? These rides are designed along the theme of exploring the world.  They include a mix of remote dirt routes, back paved roads, sometimes some very seldom ridden paths and pavement.  Rides are a mix of all these things and sometimes some surprises due to weather conditions.  These rides are for experienced, well seasoned riders that are capable of turning a washed out road experience into just part of the day's fun.  Riders should be comfortable with turning around when necessary and finding an alternative route around unexpected obstacles. These rides are not for new riders. As an experienced rider, the tough part of having a great motorcycle adventure is the routing and logistics.  What routes do I take? Where do I stay? How do I find the best routes and places?

We have done the homework for you: We have studied and developed and ridden to find the best possible routes and then we have put them into great daily rides.  As riding skills and desires for riders can be different, we have developed and include route options.  We find that many riders like to ride with their best friends, however their friends may not always have the same riding skills and desires.  As the day's ride progresses, riders have choices of easier and harder routes.  This allows you to tailor the ride more towards your own riding desires and allows you to make choices that might better suit your friends when necessary.  Sometimes riders may just want a break too.

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own.  You are responsible for your own riding.  You are given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit.  People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together.  You are not encouraged to ride alone.  You are responsible for your own riding and yourself. 

 (see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help?  You should be in the more likely to offer help camp.  This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help.  Additionally there is all the normal stuff: come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden.  I take the best from all my rides and make new ones. 

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple:  great riding.  You can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the World.

Thanks,

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?

A:  No, this ride is for intermediate and experienced riders only. The riding has easy route choices and tough route options. 

Q: What bikes are right for this ride?

A: Adventure bikes, Overland 4x4 and Dual Sport bikes can all do well; it depends on your ride choices

Q: Can I use my cell phone?  

A: Sorry, at this point we do not support cell phone GPS use for our rides.  The IMG files will not run on a cell phone. 

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it.  Get a Garmin, it is still the most reliable 

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but we recommend you bring a friend

Q: How good are these routes?  

A: They are 99% perfect.  Or sometimes, 99.9% perfect.  Or sometimes, 95% perfect.  So be prepared for a little imperfection.

Q: What are Custom GPS Ride Maps?

A: Custom GPS ride maps are electronic maps designed specifically to show the paths and path choices for a particular ride.  The maps show the paths as clear bold lines so the riders can easily see them even on small screens.  The lines are often comprised of groups of arrows or chevrons so that riders can easily tell the recommended direction of travel.  The lines come in multiple colors so that riders can easily choose between Hard and Easy options. Custom ride maps make ride navigation much easier than ever before.