Upper Buffalo Headwaters (Upper Buffalo Trail System Upper Buffalo Headwaters Trail System)
Mountain Biking Trail
Moderate
16.97 mi
2,785 ft
A wild, remote IMBA Epic trail system in the Ozark Mountains.
The Upper Buffalo Headwaters trail system redefines remoteness. Located miles from the nearest town, you’ll lose cell phone service almost an hour before you reach the turn off of the highway toward the trailhead. But once you turn off the pavement, another 15 minutes of dirt road driving faces you before you even reach the beginning of the singletrack.
The trails, similarly, are remote and challenging. As you pedal deep into the trail system, technical, narrow singletrack interspersed with the occasional machine-built section forces you to ride in control at all times.
In the most remote reaches of the trail system, steep, fall line trails drop down root and rock-infested hillsides, often ending in small cliff drops and rocky chutes. At the bottoms of the hills, inevitably you’ll have to splash through a stream crossing... or wade through in the case of the deepest streams/rivers.
"From an outsider’s perspective, the navigation here was anything but intuitive,” according to an article on "A web of ridges, valleys, streams, and cliffs meant that there was no simple up-down component or east-west/north-south compass rose to follow. Sometimes we’d have to go what felt like the wrong direction to reach the top of a technical trail filled with rock gardens, ledge drops, and root webs so that we could enjoy a ripping descent down it, instead of a painful hike-a-bike to the top.”
Local resident Bob Robinson highlights the remoteness and challenge found in this trail system. "Although the UBHT is well-signed, this 40-mile trail network is a truly remote wilderness experience,” he writes. "Be sure to carry plenty of food, water, spare bike parts, and be prepared to get wet on the numerous water crossings.”
For those who are willing to brave the remoteness of this area and the ruggedness of the trails, the sheer isolation and raw beauty of these southern mountains will keep you from ever wanting to find your way out.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
The Upper Buffalo Headwaters trail system redefines remoteness. Located miles from the nearest town, you’ll lose cell phone service almost an hour before you reach the turn off of the highway toward the trailhead. But once you turn off the pavement, another 15 minutes of dirt road driving faces you before you even reach the beginning of the singletrack.
The trails, similarly, are remote and challenging. As you pedal deep into the trail system, technical, narrow singletrack interspersed with the occasional machine-built section forces you to ride in control at all times.
In the most remote reaches of the trail system, steep, fall line trails drop down root and rock-infested hillsides, often ending in small cliff drops and rocky chutes. At the bottoms of the hills, inevitably you’ll have to splash through a stream crossing... or wade through in the case of the deepest streams/rivers.
"From an outsider’s perspective, the navigation here was anything but intuitive,” according to an article on "A web of ridges, valleys, streams, and cliffs meant that there was no simple up-down component or east-west/north-south compass rose to follow. Sometimes we’d have to go what felt like the wrong direction to reach the top of a technical trail filled with rock gardens, ledge drops, and root webs so that we could enjoy a ripping descent down it, instead of a painful hike-a-bike to the top.”
Local resident Bob Robinson highlights the remoteness and challenge found in this trail system. "Although the UBHT is well-signed, this 40-mile trail network is a truly remote wilderness experience,” he writes. "Be sure to carry plenty of food, water, spare bike parts, and be prepared to get wet on the numerous water crossings.”
For those who are willing to brave the remoteness of this area and the ruggedness of the trails, the sheer isolation and raw beauty of these southern mountains will keep you from ever wanting to find your way out.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| DH FireTower | 1.50 mi | -407 ft | -5.0% |
| Fire Tower | 1.90 mi | -390 ft | -3.7% |
| Fire and Knuckles | 3.46 mi | -689 ft | -3.7% |
| Fire Tower DH | 1.13 mi | -364 ft | -6.1% |
| Knucklehead DH | 0.55 mi | -203 ft | -7.0% |
| Knucklehead to Knuckle Connect | 1.42 mi | -312 ft | -4.1% |
| Knuckles Creek | 0.31 mi | -138 ft | -8.2% |
| Azalea Falls Trail | 2.69 mi | 531 ft | 3.6% |
| Climb to Azalea Falls | 0.39 mi | 220 ft | 10.6% |
| The Feral Cat | 1.10 mi | -489 ft | -8.4% |
| Wildcat downhill (fixed) | 0.31 mi | -259 ft | -15.3% |
| Mild Cat | 0.28 mi | -177 ft | -11.8% |
| Twisted Hickory South | 1.18 mi | 197 ft | 2.7% |
| Give me some of that old timey DH | 0.33 mi | -269 ft | -15.2% |
| Azalea Finish | 0.77 mi | -289 ft | -7.0% |
| Back to the car (the hard way) | 1.83 mi | 627 ft | 6.5% |