Words: Amanda Hamilton
When you think of some of America’s most iconic freeride lines, your mind goes to Banana Peel at Trestle, Southeast Style at Kanuga, or Fort Hill at Thunder Mountain. Be prepared to add The Wizard at Howler Bike Park to this prestigious list. Howler Bike Park is modestly tucked away in the Ozark Mountains just north of the small but bustling town of Branson, Missouri. Branson sees around 10 million visitors a year, but few have even considered this a mountain biking destination. Fueled by the astronomic growth of progressive trail building in northwest Arkansas, Howler supports a dedicated following of season-pass holders and day trippers from the surrounding areas driven by their large freeride features and steep technical terrain.
Built in 2023 by McGill Trail Fabrication in partnership with Seth Gebel, better known on Youtube as Backyard Trail Builds, Howler’s newest trail, The Wizard, takes no prisoners from top to bottom. I was surprised to find massive hand built features peeking out of the dense cedar forest that makes up most of the southern Midwest. While mountain biking in places like Missouri and Arkansas are very popular, few areas have mindfully chosen to push the limits of the local riding talent. I found myself getting a little nervous to drop in.
Ripping off the sandstone bluffs with Justice Berry in tow, it was hard to contain our excitement as we launched into some of the massive features bringing the trail to life. As we approached an absolute marvel of cedar framed by the sun bursting through the canopy, we cracked our biggest whips with even bigger smiles under our helmets.
As the trail progressed, we found ourselves racing and gapping each other on the trail any chance we could get. I found myself focusing less on my speed and more on the joy of riding hard with a good friend.
After our day on the trail, I learned that Howler built this trail for a few reasons; rider feedback and the desire to see their rider base progress as a whole. One of the beautiful things about these up and coming areas of mountain biking is the seemingly unlimited potential to be creative and get close to the builders and trail designers to guide your own progression. Simply put, there were no big jumps in the area! Howler took it upon themselves to build something that would push their top riders even further.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for the riders in this area. Since Howler’s inception in 2022, the park has transformed and grown almost twofold with no intention of slowing down. Freeride is alive and well in Missouri, are you ready to run some laps with us this summer on The Wizard?
Howler Bike Park