LESLIE
Find your exploration on bike, foot, or horseback.
Tucked into the rugged folds of the Boston Mountains, the town of Leslie, Arkansas is a small community with an outsized sense of character and adventure. Known proudly as the Whittling and Chocolate Roll Capital of the World, Leslie blends Ozark tradition with an unmistakable creative spirit. Each year, the town comes alive during the beloved Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ Festival, celebrating handcrafted art, mountain music, and deep-rooted heritage. Visitors are drawn not only by the culture, but by the famously challenging gravel roads that climb, twist, and descend through the surrounding hills—making Leslie a cornerstone of the Ozark Grinder Trail and a favorite destination for gravel cyclists seeking both beauty and grit. Anchored by a charming historic Main Street, the town offers welcoming stops like Serenity Bread, an exceptional bakery known well beyond the region, and favorites such as Skylark Café, where good food and community come together. Leslie is a place where legacy, landscape, and adventure intersect.
Click on the link below for Google Map Trailhead. The Leslie Hub shares public parking with the city park.
Or, click on any tab at the bottom of the Ride with GPS map below to see the preview for that particular route.
Our Commitment
As these routes wind through the rugged hills, forested valleys, and scenic backroads surrounding the Little Red River, riders are exploring a watershed known for its clear streams, diverse wildlife, and outstanding outdoor recreation. The Little Red River Watershed supports communities throughout North Central Arkansas while providing important habitat for fish and wildlife, including unique species found nowhere else in the world. We’re proud to support efforts to protect and restore this important watershed through education, conservation, and responsible recreation. By encouraging good stewardship of our unpaved roads, streams, rivers, and surrounding forests, we can help reduce erosion and sediment, protect water quality, and ensure these special places remain healthy for generations to come.
Dig in and support The Nature Conservancy
Click Below
This program is presented by the Natural Resources Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Ozark Foundation, under the EPA’s Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program.
