What is Wolf Pen Gap?
The Wolf Pen Gap Trail Complex is one of the most celebrated off-highway vehicle (OHV) destinations in the American South — about 48 miles (77 km) of trails for ATVs, side-by-sides, and off-road motorcycles, carved through the ridges and hollows of the Ouachita National Forest near Mena, Arkansas. Open to the public since 1991, the system is built as interconnected loops, so riders can vary trip length from a quick morning run to a full day in the saddle. The trails are also open to hiking and mountain biking.
The riding earns the reputation: high mountain vistas, crossings of Gap Creek and Board Camp Creek, big pines and hardwoods, and trailside curiosities like a unique two-footed oak tree and an abandoned mine shaft. The complex is national forest land managed by the U.S. Forest Service's Mena-Oden Ranger District.
Riding Wolf Pen Gap from Arborium Cabins
Here's the part our guests love most: you can ride to the trail system directly from our property gate. No morning trailer loading, no staging-area shuffle — fire up the machines at the cabin, ride out, and come home muddy for dinner by the fire pit. Every cabin has ample parking for trucks, trailers, and rigs of all sizes.
No rig? No problem. We rent a 6-seat 2024 Yamaha Viking VI side-by-side exclusively to cabin guests — the whole crew rides together. See the rental →
The rules (Forest Order OA-MENA-02-2024)
Wolf Pen Gap operates under a Forest Service order (36 CFR 261.54, 261.55, and 261.58). The rules that matter most on the ground:
- No night riding. Operating an OHV after sundown or before sunrise is prohibited. Plan your loops to be back before dusk.
- Respect closures. Operating any motorized vehicle on trails that are seasonally closed, closed for maintenance, or closed for short-term resource protection during wet conditions is prohibited — the trail system can close when heavy rain occurs to prevent resource damage, under the Forest Service's wet weather management plan.
- No careless or reckless operation.
- No tracked vehicles.
- Camp only in designated campsites inside the complex.
- Helmets are recommended by the Forest Service.
The four trailheads (directions from Mena)
- West Trailhead — Hwy 8 east 1 mile to AR 375, then south 8 miles; near County Road 277.
- South Trailhead — continue farther south on AR 375; the trailhead is on the left.
- East Trailhead — Hwy 8 east about 20 miles (about 1 mile east of Big Fork), right on Polk County Rd 83 / Forest Road 38, then 5 miles.
- North Trailhead — Hwy 8 east 10 miles to Polk County Rd 61, 3.5 miles, right at the sign, then half a mile.
Trailhead GPS: 34.452467, -94.027031. The official Wolf Pen Gap trail map is available on the Avenza app, linked from the Forest Service's Wolf Pen Gap page — treat it as the authoritative map.
Know before you ride
- Bring your own water. Potable water is not available at Wolf Pen Gap — facilities are vault toilets only. Pack everything you'll drink for the day.
- Fuel up in Mena. There are no services in the forest. Top off tanks and grab supplies in town on the way in.
- No cell service. Coverage disappears in the forest — ride with a buddy, tell someone your route, and carry what you need. (Our cabins have fast Starlink Wi-Fi, so you're connected the moment you're back.)
- No horses or pack animals on the complex.
- Creek crossings are real. Gap Creek and Board Camp Creek levels change with the weather. Walk a crossing if you're unsure.
- Fees, permits, and vehicle width limits are not published on the official page — for those, contact the Mena-Oden Ranger District: 1603 Hwy 71 N, Mena, AR 71953 · (479) 394-2382 · visitor center Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, closed federal holidays.
Best seasons to ride
Spring brings running creeks, green canopy, and mild temps — prime riding. Fall may be even better: October color in the Ouachitas is spectacular from a ridgeline, and the air is cool enough to ride all day. Summer works if you start early and treat the creek crossings as a feature, not an obstacle. Winter is the quiet season — crisp, empty trails for riders who come prepared for cold. In every season, remember the wet-weather rule: heavy rain can close the system, so call the district before you haul.
When the machines are parked
The same corner of the Ouachita that makes the riding great makes everything else great too. Off the trails, our guests fish for bass on the private pond, kayak and swim at Shady Lake, hunt quartz crystals at Board Camp Crystal Mine ten minutes from Mena, chase waterfalls at Little Missouri Falls, and end the day with a sunset at the vista or a truly dark sky full of stars.
Where to stay: the closest beds to the trails
Arborium Cabins is a family-run property minutes from the Wolf Pen Gap trail system — three handcrafted, pet-friendly cabins that together sleep up to 18:
- Sunset Cabin — Airbnb Guest Favorite, sleeps 6, stone fireplace, soaking tub, private bass pond.
- Stargazing Cabin — sleeps 8, positioned for dark-sky stargazing, direct ATV access.
- Nightfall Guest Cabin — sleeps 4, game room with video games and a frozen-drink machine.
Ride out from the gate in the morning, come home to a hot shower, a full kitchen, and a fire pit under the stars. And with night riding prohibited on the complex, staying minutes away means you ride until dusk instead of quitting early for a long drive. That's the whole idea.