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PRE-CONVENTION FIELD TRIP

The OZ Trails Geology (Mountain Bike Tour) of Benton County, Arkansas

Shane Matson

AAPG Midcontinent 2021

Friday - Sunday, October 1st - 3rd

Course Description: This field trip will take advantage of the magnificent Ozark Outcrop Belt of the Springfield Plateau. In recent years, the region has seen massive investment in mountain biking infrastructure in Northwest Arkansas. New access to outcrops have been developed throughout the region allowing for a fresh look into Paleozoic depositional systems, from the Pennsylvanian into the Ordovician.

Logistics: 

• FRIDAY, October 1st - Participants meet in Bentonville, Arkansas on Friday October 1 for a happy hour sponsored by Bentonville-based Lawco Energy, at the historic Fred’s Hickory Inn. Following happy hour we will adjourn to the Town Square for dinner-on-your-own and to take in an evening of festivities and local bluegrass music.
• SATURDAY, October 2nd - Saturday morning riders will meet at 7:00 a.m. for a light breakfast and depart from the Hotel 21C on bikes for a guided morning ride on the All American Trail System. We will make our way towards a picnic lunch provided by Airship Coffee at the incredible Coler Mountain Mountain Bike Preserve. The day will finish on two-wheels at 21C for a happy hour. We will once again adjourn for a dinner-on-your-own and more town festivities.
• SUNDAY, October 3rd - Sunday morning we will depart in shuttle vans to Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area on Beaver Lake to ride the eight mile Karst Loop, part of the Epic Trail System of Arkansas. We will return to the hotel by 1 p.m. so participants can travel to Tulsa in time for the Opening Session for the 2021 AAPG Mid-Continent Meeting.

As the trip coincides with both the Downtown Bentonville First Friday block party as well as the nationally recognized Fresh Grass Festival (separate tickets online) the experience is sure to be as epic off the bike as it will be on two wheels and at the outcrop. This trip provides a unique opportunity to witness the emerging cultural center of the midcontinent alongside the geologic beauty of the natural state.

Field Trip Leaders: Joel Donahue, Ryan Dupree, & Shane Matson

Cost: $350/person; Bike Rental $80/day or BYOB (Limited to 30)

Participants are welcome to bring their own equipment. For those needing mountain bikes or wanting to try the latest and greatest, we have partnered with The Gear Head Experience Center and reserved full-suspension Specialized Mountain bikes. A selection of electric mountain bikes is available.

*Pricing is for Double Occupancy. Single occupancy is available.

Please contact Joel Donohue ([email protected]) or Shane Matson ([email protected]) for more information.

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