Two years ago, Max, his father Keith, & family friend Curt used Google to search for “the perfect mountain bike vacation destination.” To their surprise, a “Bentonville, AR” was one of the first results.

At home in Brookings, South Dakota, the weather was cold and snowy, and while they had a very small 2-mile trail in town, the nearest mountain bike trail system was about 6 hours away. They decided it was time to pack up and travel to Bentonville and judge for themselves just how great this “perfect mountain bike destination” really was.

Much to their surprise, they loved the city. In fact, they loved it so much that Keith began looking into moving his career to Bentonville! Max and his father decided to visit Bentonville one more time before their big move, and by then it was official: they were eager to make Bentonville, AR their new home. According to Max, “our (extended) family was sad to see us go, but happy to see us chasing our MTB dreams!”

Today, Keith and Max enjoy daily mountain biking and hiking outings. Max’s favorite places to ride include Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, Slaughter Pen, and the Rail Yard (of which he says he likes the steep dirt jumps).

Max is currently a film design student of the Ignite Professional Studies Program and the Social Media Intern at Peel Compton Foundation, focusing on content creation & research for Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. When asked what he’s passionate about, he said, “capturing anything in the outdoors in a unique perspective that people haven’t seen before!”

Stories like Max and Keith’s capture the importance of free access to spaces that are inclusive, sustainable, beautiful, and promote wellness within the community. They inspire us to continue to cultivate experiences that truly celebrate the uniqueness of Northwest Arkansas.