North Twin - Lake Wedington National Recreation Area

Updated 4/10/15. Info here based on two trips.

Today I made an all too familiar mistake by biting off more than I could chew on a hike. I thought I'd be doing 7-10 miles on a cool, cloudy, spring day and ended up doing 11 miles on a super sunny 80 degree day. Hopefully this sunburned neck, battered feet, and sore hips will make me wiser next time. 

The Lake Wedington Recreation Area is located 13 miles west of Fayetteville on Hwy 16. The lake offers swimming and fishing and the fee area has cabins, picnic sites, restrooms, and campsites. There are two short sections of trail along the lakeshore that are mostly flat. The much more strenuous North Twin Trail is 8.5 miles one-way and located outside the fee area.

I'll have a much more detailed description in my next book, but this is a great trail. It has great views, interesting rock features, and a spring. You can break it into more manageable pieces since it crosses forest roads several times. The northernmost 3 miles can be turned into a loop using the road, saving you some miles and time, and prevents having to backtrack.

Refueling on the Razorback Greenway

As longer and longer trips on the Razorback Greenway become possible, more and more people will be looking for places to take a pit stop or refuel.  Starting in Fayetteville and ending in Bella Vista, this is a list of places within a couple blocks of the trail where you can get cold drinks, snacks, or use the facilities.  The numbers provided are rough distances from where the trail hits 15th St. at the southern end of Walker Park.  The map at the very end comes from NWATrails.org and shows parking, water fountains, and more.


Fayetteville - 15th and Walker Park

0.0 Bathroom in the SE corner of the park near the basketball goals.
0.5  Korean Market less than a block north of the trail on School. Cold drinks near the front door and lots of interesting snacks, produce, and food options.
0.6 Just past School, the Tsa La Gi Trail splits off from the Greenway and provides access to a gas station and many fast food places and restaurants.

Fayetteville - MLK to Dickson
0.9 Wood Stone Pizza and Greenhouse Grille are great local places for good food and drinks. There is a Walgreens across School.
1.1 The Fayetteville Public Library is just to the east up a steep, short spur trail. It has a cafe and restrooms.
1.2 Once you hit Center, Geraldi's is a block to the west on University.
1.3 Wine Cellar, Rolando's, and a chicken place are right on the trail. Grubs is across the street.
1.4 Dickson Street! There are dozens of restaurants and bars here. Arsaga's and Deluxe Burger are right on the trail.

To Be Continued...
Contact me if I'm missing a place or if you want your business featured.

Lake Sequoyah - Fayetteville

I covered Lake Sequoyah awhile ago, but after visiting several more times and learning about even more trails, I wanted to write a new piece focusing on the lake.  I'm working on a new book project [Update from the distant future: This didn't get done], so I'm going to start keeping trail descriptions to a minimum here.  The trails here are great, underused, and include lots of interesting features.  On the map below, the blue trail is the only one I've actually hiked (and I've done it four times now!). The orange trails represent approximate locations of other trails at the park and I've been told there is a dense network of trails around the dam at the north end of the lake.  If you are into exploring off-trail, remember that everything shown in green on the map is a city park and you can explore all of it.

Photos of the lake and trails at:
http://trailsofarkansas.blogspot.com/2011/11/lake-sequoyah-bike-and-hike.html

View Lake Sequoyah Trails in a larger map

Mt. Kessler / Regional Park News

Update 7/19/2014:  The new parking area and trailhead is now open.  Shown on the map below, the parking lot is located at the Regional Park on WC-200, which is a gravel road just off of Cato Springs, west of I-49.  From the trailhead, a new ~10' mowed path runs 1.3 miles up to the existing Mt. Kessler trail system.  The new section of trail varies from flat to moderately steep and from open/shrubby grassland to densely forested.  There are large blackberry patches along the trail; hopefully the city will mow some paths to larger ones located a bit off the trail.

Update 2/18/14: The City voted to approve the purchase of 300+ acres around Mt. Kessler!

Original Post:
In the near future the City of Fayetteville will likely vote to approve the purchase of 300+ acres of land around Mt. Kessler and the planned Regional Park. This purchase will be made possible by $1.5 million in matching funds from the Walton Family Foundation. This is great news as it helps guarantee that Mt. Kessler will be preserved as greenspace. The property being purchased will connect Mt. Kessler Greenways to the Regional Park, creating a much larger park with lots of potential for mountain biking and hiking trails. The map below shows the existing Mt. Kessler Trails in blue. The property being purchased along with the existing Regional Park is roughly outlined in green. As you can see much of Mt. Kessler remains in private hands.  It would be great if the University or City of Fayetteville could purchase the rest of the open space on and around the mountain since it has such great educational and recreational potential.

New Trails Coming to Walker Park

Update 1/20/15: The disc golf course is still not installed, but the course has been cleared. Walker Park is now connected to the Frisco Trail/Razorback Greenway and it will soon be extended under 15th and head west near Cato Springs Rd. out to Mt. Kessler.

Update 1/22/14: Ok the "trails" below are a disc golf course!  The Frisco Trail extension is still coming in to the west side of the park near the skate park and it will connect to the existing Walker Park trails.

I haven't verified this with anyone at the City, but I think there are some new trails coming to Walker Park.  On a recent trip to the park, I noticed some large cleared paths through the woods in the northern half of the park.  After following them around, it became clear that these weren't sewer or gas pipeline right-of-ways.  The map below shows the route we took, but I think there were some more trails in there.  Some sections were wide, which made me think they will eventually be paved, while others were thin, which may mean they are destined to be dirt paths.  The wooded areas of Walker Park are great places to add nature trails or beginner mountain biking trails.  With the coming connection to the Razorback Greenway/Frisco Trail, Walker Park will see more visitors from all around the area making adding some new recreational opportunities to the park seem like a great idea.

View New Walker Park Trails in a larger map

Frisco Trail / Razorback Greenway Extension Under MLK Almost Done

Update 3/19/14: Done!  You can now pass under MLK on the trail.  The trail extensions described below are underway, but currently you can't really go much of anywhere after using the tunnel.

I've been trying to find a good time to photograph the tunnel progress, and a recent trip to the Farmer's Co-op for a snow shovel and local eggs provided a perfect opportunity.  The tunnel under MLK will help connect much of south Fayetteville to the Frisco Trail and greater Razorback Greenway.  City plans for the trail show it forking south of the tunnel with one branch connecting to the Walker Park trails and the other paralleling MLK to pull in traffic from all the new large apartment complexes.  This will allow residents of those complexes a safe way to get to campus and Dickson St. by bike or by foot instead of having to battle traffic and fight for parking.  

Bryant Trail - Fayetteville

I wasn't expecting much from this trail after spotting it on Fayetteville's GIS map since the map showed a loop trail winding through a complex of county buildings and a jail in an industrial part of town.  At a bit over a mile, this trail was full of surprises, most pleasant.  Not every trail can claim to pass a jail AND a shooting range.  In fact, a section of the trail is closed when the range is active.  Besides those landmarks, the trail runs through open grassy areas with some shade trees.  As you can see on the map below, the trail overlaps a road for a short distance.  This isn't well labeled, so just follow the road until you find the trail again.

Parking for the trail is located off Clydesdale Dr. off of School Ave. in southern Fayetteville.

Lake Fayetteville Paved Loop Complete

The roughly 5.5 mi. paved loop around Lake Fayetteville is complete!  I biked it recently and it was great.  On the south side, the new section of paved trail feels more separated from the lake and woods than the dirt path and it has covered/impacted the dirt trail in places.  I assume the hiking/mountain biking trail will be rerouted to fix the spots where it is buried under 10 feet of fill and mulch, but I'm not sure.  Does anyone have any info on this?

Another update, this one a little sad: the title of State Champion Black Oak has been ceded to another massive tree after the giant at Lake Fayetteville succumbed to natural causes (or maybe death by chainsaw).

RIP Big Guy

Gregory Park - Fayetteville

Gregory Park is a mostly undeveloped park located in the center of Fayetteville, off of Sycamore St. between College and Woolsey Ave.  While mostly wooded, it does have a gazebo and some picnic tables.  The roughly 1 mile of trails here are highly eroded in places and the woods are packed with invasive species like bush honeysuckle, privet, and assorted vines, but this is a great local neighborhood park and would be nice for students from nearby schools to use for short nature hikes. Parking is located off of Sycamore behind the McDonalds.

Mt. Kessler Revisited

I've now been back to Mt. Kessler four times.  Rather than blog about each trip or awkwardly edit my original post about a particular visit, I decided to create this entry which will serve as my all-encompassing piece on Mt. Kessler.  The map below shows all the trails I've covered in the area, but I don't think it is complete yet.  Here is a list of things I think are interesting about Mt. Kessler Greenways followed by some photos:

1.  Rock City - This area of interesting rock formations is not far from the trailhead and is probably the highlight of the hike for most visitors.  The trail follows a thin crevice between sheer, intricately textured, rock outcroppings.

2.  Great views - From different parts of the trail, you can see way off to the west and east.  In a couple places the trail follows a ridge, offering views simultaneously in both directions.

3.  Dwarf Oaks - The somewhat open area where trails split off in all directions is quite rocky and has very little soil.  These conditions have fostered dwarf oaks similar to those found on Black Fork Mountain near Queen Wilhelmena State Park.  To be clear, these aren't naturally shorter Blackjack Oaks, they are oak varieties that are typically much taller and less stocky.  Hey, it's interesting to me.

4.  Fossils -  I hesitated to add this one and may remove it if I see or hear of problems.  Let me first say I've been informed by a professional paleontologist that none of the fossils I've seen so far are rare or valuable.  In other words, look at them and leave them for everyone else to look at.  They will still be there next time you go!

5.  Solitude - Obviously it'd be great if more people found out about Mt. Kessler, registered, and starting visiting this incredible place located so close to the heart of Fayetteville; but I've never seen many people on my visits.

Rock City

Mt. Kessler Greenways

For recent news on Mt. Kessler and the Regional Park click here.

With spectacular views, over eight miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and located just a few miles from the heart of Fayetteville (and campus), Mt. Kessler Greenways is a great place to get out in the woods.  The trails are largely on private land, so be sure to register to use the trails first and stay on the trails when you go.

I went with my friend John and Buddy today to explore some of the trails.  John and I had been before but only did about half a mile due to bad weather.  The map below shows the route we took, which covered 6 miles.  The trail had lots of great views and in one place, marked on the map, the trail runs along a ridge with views off to both sides.

One of the big highlights of the trail is not far from the parking area.  "Rock City", has lots of interesting rock formations reminiscent of parts of Devil's Den State Park (but way closer to Fayetteville).

Efforts are underway to boost awareness of the value of Mt. Kessler and to encourage local governments and the university to help preserve this area as a great recreational and educational resource for the community.  The Mt. Kessler properties border Fayetteville's new regional park, creating the potential for an expanded network of trails and educational facilities.

To find out more visit: http://mtkesslergreenways.com/  or my more detailed post with more photos and mapped trails: http://trailsofarkansas.blogspot.com/2012/12/mt-kessler-revisited.html

(If you got here looking for information on the Nov. 1st Kessler Run, visit here or here.)

Lake Wedington Loop #2

Yesterday I got suckered into my first bike ride of the summer despite my aversion to exercising in non-aquatic environs in August in Arkansas.  My friend and I drove out to Lake Wedington and did the 19-mile loop used in the Ozark Valley Triathlon.  Though it requires driving, this route is much nicer and has less traffic than the ride to the lake from Fayetteville.  As you can see on the terrain map below, the route is fairly flat, but does have a couple significant hills.  While I enjoyed the ride, it left me wishing I'd invested in bike shorts and some cold Gatorade.  After finishing, we cooled off with a swim in the lake.

Town Branch Creek Trail

Today, Buddy and I walked the Town Branch Creek Trail.  This short, 0.3 mi. asphalt trail runs along Town Branch near the Crowne Apartments at Razorback Rd.  The Fayetteville Master Trails Plan shows that this trail will one day stretch much further (zoom out on the map below) as part of the Town Branch Corridor and may eventually connect to the Frisco Trail via the Walker Park Connection.

If you drive to get to the trail, be sure to park in visitor parking.

UA Farm Link To Scull Creek Trail

The UA Farm Link, as it is called on the Fayetteville Master Trails Plan, is nearing completion. It connects the Frisco trail to more apartment complexes, the UA Farm, the AMP, and the county fairgrounds. This roughly two-mile section of trail has some nice open views as it travels through different parts of the UA Agricultural Research Farm. Hopefully the route navigating the interstate will be completed soon and this trail will connect to the Hamestring Creek Trail, which will in turn, one day connect to Bryce Davis Park and the dog park there. A valuable aspect of these trails is that they will connect the large residential areas west of I-540 to the main trail network, providing more residents with the option of commuting to work (or shopping or Dickson St.) by foot or bike.

When deciding what types of trails to include in my books and on this blog, I made a decision not to include wide sidewalks or trails that just parallel roads; partly because I prefer trails that take you places a car can't and partly to focus my work. Much of this trail does follow existing roads, but it also goes places cars can't. Importantly, the section along Knapp Dr. is a dedicated bike lane with a physical curb separating bikes from cars. As I've written elsewhere (here, here, and here), this is a much better idea than simply marking bike symbols on roads and hoping for the best.

There are not a lot of great places to park to access this trail. If you want to check it out but don't live nearby, the Agricultural Park at Knapp and Garland has some roadside parking.

Frisco Trail Repairs Underway

Repairs have begun on the Frisco Trail just south of Center St. in Fayetteville.  A part of the trail was washed away some time ago and had just been fenced off while the city waited for funds and suitable weather conditions.  Hopefully they will place the trail a bit further away from the stream this time!

Frisco Trail Extension

Three designs for the MLK crossing of the Frisco Trail in Fayetteville have been proposed.  The city is taking public comments until June 22nd.  The Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks' website has more details and a map showing the proposed crossings and how the extension will link up to other trails including Tsa La Gi and Walker Park.  Let your voice be heard by reviewing the trail options and sending in your comments to Matt Mihalevich at mmihalevich@ci.fayetteville.ar.us

I personally favor the "Above Grade" option since MLK is a large busy road and the tunnels on this trail system can get pretty damp and a little spooky at certain times of the day.  Cars stuck in traffic on MLK will be reminded of other forms of transportation if they can see bikes whizzing by overhead.

UPDATE: They went with the tunnel.

Bryce Davis Park

Located north of Wedington Dr., with parking off Yale St. and Dartmouth Ave., Bryce Davis Park has a short, 0.3 mile, paved trail that connects to a playground, two pond/wetland areas, a large pavilion, and a dog park.  The trail is pretty flat and surrounded mostly by mowed grass and open area.  There are some mowed grass paths around the northern lake for those looking for a more natural experience.

Buddy's favorite part was the dog park, while I really enjoyed the observation deck looking out on the wetland near the playground.

Hamestring Creek Trail

After being trapped inside for much of the past three days (nice Spring Break!) Buddy and I decided to shake the cabin fever by hitting some trails, rain or shine (it turned out to be rain).

After exploring Finger Park and only getting a little wet, we drove north to the Hamestring Creek Trail, located on Marigold Dr. in a small neighborhood off of Shiloh Dr. near Mt. Comfort Rd.

This wide paved trail runs along Hamestring Creek through a forested area and at times behind some homes.  The stream corridor is home to some sycamore, oaks, cedar and a good mix of other tree species, but the understory in entirely dominated by bush honeysuckle

In its current state, this trail only serves a small population, but I believe the plan is for it to eventually connect to the Clabber Creek Trail to the west and to the Scull Creek Trail to the east, which would give people living in western Fayetteville a safe, scenic way to bike into the more happening parts of town.

Finger Park Trail - Fayetteville

Finger Park feels surprisingly wild and natural given that it is located at the end of Farmers Rd. off MLK, just seconds from Walmart, strip malls, hotels, and the interstate.  I took my dog around the rocky dirt trail there today and he really enjoyed it.  Many parks and trails in Fayetteville have signs saying to leash your dog, but I didn't see one here.  The trail begins south of the parking lot and heads gradually uphill to an interesting moss, fern, and wildflower covered rock wall.  From there the trail loops back, crossing several small, pretty streams that are probably dry most of the year.

Clabber Creek Trail - Fayetteville

Clabber Creek Trail is located in NW Fayetteville and winds a short 0.6 miles through an area of greenspace paralleling Clabber Creek and surrounded by fairly cookie-cutter suburbia and some pasture.  If you don't live nearby, the best place to park is on Hosta Dr.  The 12 ft. concrete trail is pretty flat and in great condition.  This easy trail is perfect for taking the kids out for a short bike ride or taking the dog for an easy walk in the outdoors.
Also, we went in mid-March and our dog picked up a tick.  I guess that's what happens when you have no winter.