Coleman Creek Greenway UPDATE

A new stretch of the Coleman Creek Greenway will open soon on the UALR campus.  The new section, running between 28th and 20th St. will double the length of the existing trail and increase the trail's connection to the community.  This new section travels through a forested part of campus and should feel a bit more natural than the southern half which closely parallels roads and parking lots for much of its length.  One day, this trail may run from Markham, south through War Memorial Park, through UALR, and down to Fourche Creek, where it will hopefully connect to other trails following Rock Creek and Fourche Creek coming in from Hindman Park, Boyle Park, and Fourche Bottoms.

Hindman Park Trails

Today I visited Hindman Park to see how the trails there are coming along.  From the parking lot at the north end of the park, we hiked northeast along the unpaved trail that parallels Fourche Creek.  That trail is a bit over a mile long and ends at University Ave.  Coming back, we took a side trail to look at the rocky outcrop  that some people climb on.  A nice gravel trail with switchbacks has been completed leading up to the rock.

Hindman Park is part of a massive area of contiguous greenspace in the heart of Little Rock.  It is my hope that the Hindman Park trails will be improved and connected to the old Western Hills Country Club, BFI landfill (it is closed and should soon become a park), Fourche Bottoms, Coleman Creek Greenway, Interstate Park, and the Audubon Nature Center.  A map and description of what this would look like can be seen here.

A more detailed map and description of the trails in this area can be found in Trails of Central Arkansas.

View Hindman Park Trails in a larger map

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

Learn and Protect Little Rock's Creeks

Water quality is important to both wildlife and humans.  As I mentioned here and here, streams and their floodplains are a logical place to build trails due to their scenic value and the fact that development shouldn't take place in a floodplain.  Preserving or establishing wide buffers of mature vegetation along all creeks and rivers is a good method for protecting water quality, since that vegetation helps slow erosion, filter out pollutants, and regulate water temperature.  Since it is more attractive and provides more shade than mowed grass or concrete, this mature vegetation has the added benefit of being more fun to hike, bike, or float under.

Little Rock and many other communities in our state haven't done a great job of protecting local creeks from development, but you can help change that by becoming aware of your local streams and watersheds and advocating for their protection and pointing to the fact that protected waterways with trails along them have positive health, economic, and environmental impacts on a community.

Rock Creek Trail Erratum

The Rock Creek Trail in West Little Rock is a flat, shaded, scenic trail that makes for a good summertime stroll.  In both Trails of Little Rock and Trails of Central Arkansas I describe the trail as paved.  The western section of the trail is asphalt, but much of the eastern section is a packed crushed gravel trail.  I got some great feedback recently that made it sound like the gravel section was a little rougher for the wear than when I last visited a few years ago.

Hopefully one day this section of trail will expand much farther in both directions since there is no better use for a floodway/floodplain.  Other parts of Rock Creek's floodway are paved (Boyle Park) and much of the creek runs through city parks (Weedman, Kanis, Boyle).  This trail could one day connect to the Coleman Creek Greenway and to Fourche Bottoms trails allowing residents of West Little Rock to commute to Midtown and Downtown by bicycle through scenic wooded areas instead of along congested concrete highways.

If you find an update or error (no typos please) in Trails of Central Arkansas please let me know and I will post it!

The map below shows existing (blue) and potential (red) trails along Rock Creek.

Floodplains and Utility Right-of-ways - Perfect For Trails

Floodplains and utility right-of-ways (think sewer, power, and gas lines) are perfect places to put trails.  Many types of development are prohibited in floodways and floodplains, so why not use them as park land and greenspace and put in some trails?  Because streams run into other streams, trails along floodplains would naturally form a branching trail network.  This idea is already slowly being put into practice in both Little Rock and Fayetteville.  Many of these towns' longest trails run along creeks.  See the multiple trails along Rock Creek and Coleman Creek in Little Rock and along Scull Creek, Mud Creek, Clabber Creek, and Hamestring Creek in Fayetteville.

Trails along utility right-of-ways, or "Utilitrails", make great sense as well.  Utility companies have to pay to regularly clear vegetation along their right-of-ways, putting in a paved or crushed gravel trail would decrease the amount of maintenance required along these routes and open up potential opportunities to split maintenance costs and work with city governments or trail-related volunteer organizations.  Some of the trails at Hindman Park in Little Rock are great examples of Utilitrails as they were built and maintained in a partnership between the local wastewater utility and MBNA neighborhood association.  The trails at Conner Park in Little Rock are connected to the trail in River Mountain Park by a power line.

Rose Creek Trail

Update 5/11/2014: Paving work has begun. A short stretch between Thayer and Dennison near Capitol Ave. is now paved.

Residents of Capitol View/Stift Station are working with city officials on a trail that would connect the neighborhood to the River Trail.  The proposed Rose Creek Trail would roughly follow Rose Creek and a railroad right-of-way up from Cantrell Rd. to 7th St.  Some supporters envision it continuing along the railroad all the way to Roosevelt Rd., the State Fairgrounds, and even connecting up to a proposed Fourche Bottoms Trail.   In addition to the fairgrounds, this trail would pass by Whitewater Tavern, Little Rock Central High School, and some scenic cemeteries.

Some people have discussed using part or all of this trail as a scenic, yet lengthy work-around to the Dillards/Episcopal RiverTrail problem.

View Rose Creek Trail in a larger map

Crystal Bridges Trail

Bentonville has a nice network of road and mountain biking trails.  Yesterday, Angela and I made our first pilgrimage to the city that Walmart built.  We parked in the square, walked by the original Walmart, sampled popsicles, ate at the delicious and fancy Tusk and Trotter, and then got on our bikes.
We quickly reached Compton Gardens after heading north on A St.  Where the paved trail forks, we took the Art Trail to the right.  This trail is short, but has some interesting sights and another plus for the botanically oriented like myself, the trees and shrubs are labeled.  This trail currently dead-ends at the southern entrance to the museum, so we turned around and backtracked to the Crystal Bridges Trail.  After turning right on the trail, we followed it through the woods for a while, stopping at the construction viewing platform and some of the sculptures along the path.  One slightly shocking thing I noticed, is that there is a dirt path paralleling the paved trail that is not just used by, but is actually intended for mountain bikers.  Pretty cool for a trail named after a museum!
After the museum area, the paved trail passes a wastewater treatment plant and runs along a road.  Where the trail borders the road, it is separated by a concrete barrier.  Way to go Bentonville.  As I made clear in another blog entry, this is the only way to make a bike lane on a road truly safe.
For the next mile or two, the paved trail is surround by tons of mountain biking trails and courses.  We stopped for a break near the northern most marker on the map below to watch lots of mountain bikers whiz around a fun looking course.
From there we followed the trail west then south past a new-looking dog park with a restroom and parking area.  We then followed the Blue Route, which simply followed some roads back to the square.  Had we known that, we might have just taken the trail back.

An Unsolicited Plan for a Mullins Creek Greenway

I wrote an earlier piece on how UA needed to take a page out of UALR's book and create a Mullins Creek Greenway, similar to UALR's Coleman Creek Greenway, but I didn't include many specifics.  So here is my plan for Mullins Creek in greater detail:

Overall Objectives:
1.  Provide the campus community a scenic and safe trail that connects housing areas, athletic facilities, classrooms, and shopping areas.
2.  Improve the habitat and water quality of Mullins Creek.
3.  Provide a viable alternative to driving around campus that is healthier, more scenic, and just as fast.

Stage 1: The Cheap Stuff
1.  Establish a "no-mow" zone around the creek.  This would actually be more of a mow twice a year zone that would immediately help decrease erosion along the creek, improve water quality and provide habitat for wildlife.

2.  To avoid looking like an overgrown drainage ditch, attractive native grasses, shrubs and trees could be planted along the banks for little extra cost.  Inland sea oats, soft rush, blackgum, red bud, sycamore, and dogwoods are just a few examples of attractive plants that would improve aesthetics, water quality, and habitat.  Streambank and wetland plants can typically be purchases for ~$1 a plug.  Tree prices vary depending on size, but can be as cheap as $30 for a 6' tall tree.  Smaller sapplings go for 10 cents when bought in bulk.  If done as part of an official mitigation plan, this project might even pay for itself.

Stage 2:  The Not Cheap, but Not Really That Expensive Stuff
1.  Increase the width of existing trails/sidewalks to at least 12 feet.
2.  Move existing sidewalks that are within 10 feet of the creek (red on the map) farther away.  Placing a path too close to the creek can, and has, led to bank erosion, flooded trails, and expensive repairs.
3.  Pave new sections of trail to connect existing sections each other and dorms, apartments, athletic facilities, classrooms, and shopping areas.

Stage 3:  The Expensive Stuff.
1.  Remove the parking lot at MLK and Razorback Rd.  Replace it with a 3-4 story parking deck located away from the creek that has 1/3 the footprint (shown in red and green below).
2.  Convert the old parking area nearest the creek to a Trail of Tears Park with educational signage.
3.  Build  a pedestrian bridge over MLK.  This street is really busy and waiting to cross it can be a pain.
4.  Perform a coordinated, natural channel design, stream restoration of the creek where it is above ground on campus.  This will save money on maintenance in the long-run and improve water quality and habitat on campus and downstream.

Here is a map of the proposed trail. The majority of this is already in place. Existing sections would just need to be improved and short connections would need to be made.

UA needs to Copy UALR - Mullins Creek vs. Coleman Creek

Mullins Creek on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville has a lot in common with Coleman Creek which flows through UALR's campus in Little Rock. Both creeks:

1. Flow through campus and were historically treated more as obstacles than amenities.
2. Had buildings built OVER them.
3. Were crossed by the Trail of Tears. (and at what is now the southern end of each campus even!)
4. Face problems associated with rapid urban development of their watersheds. (trash, erosion)
5. Are impacted by Razorback football game tailgating. (War Memorial Park in Little Rock, Razorback Gardens in Fayetteville.)

With all they have in common, their recent history couldn't be more different.

UALR:
1. Formed the Coleman Creek Greenway Committee with experts in landscape architecture, environmental engineering, ecology, GIS, habitat restoration, trails, etc.
2. Came up with plans to improve the creek's habitat and water quality.
3. Developed plans for a wide, paved, bike and pedestrian trail that will eventually run along both sides of the creek and connect the campus to surrounding neighborhoods and city parks.
4. Tore down multiple buildings and ripped up acres of parking to build Trail of Tears Park, which has educational signage and native plant landscaping along the first section of the trail to be completed.
5. Is working to decrease vehicular traffic through campus and boost bike and pedestrian traffic.

UA:
1. Threw some boulders in the creek, which actually sped erosion, and called it a day.
(I don't know if this is completely fair, since I haven't been in Fayetteville for very long. I've read that plans for a restoration are being drawn up but haven't seen any evidence of plans or intent to implement them. UA did remove buildings where Razorback Gardens and the baseball field are, but I think this was done more for sports than the creek.)


Conclusion:
UA needs to form a Mullins Creek Greenway Committee with the full backing of the Chancellor. The goals of this committee need to be to:

1. Boost student access to, and appreciation of, Mullins Creek.
2. Improve water quality in Mullins Creek.
3. Improve habitat and the aesthetics of the creek.
4. Find ways to better link the creek and campus to the surrounding community.


Here are some basic ways some of these goals could be accomplished:

1. Conduct a natural stream channel restoration of the sections of the creek that are still above ground. As part of this, plant the banks with native grasses, shrubs, and trees and limit mowing of a 25' buffer along the creek to once or twice a year.
2. Expand and improve the sidewalks along and near the trail. Take the trail to the southern end of campus and connect it to the Tsa La Gi Trail and Hill Place Apartments.
3. Create a Trail of Tears Park at the southern edge of campus that educates people on the history of the Trail of Tears. Make sure this park is connected to the main trail along the creek.
4. In the long run, seek to remove impervious surfaces on campus. Install green roofs, rain gardens, and bioswales. Store rainwater in cisterns and use that for irrigation on campus.

Arkansas Trail Funding News

There is lots going on this week with trail funding in our state:
1.  From the AP (via the DemGaz) the Highway Commission awarded a total of $1.8 million to 31 different trail projects around the state.  Big winners include Arkansas State Parks and Hendrix College.
2.  Also from the AP (via the DemGaz) as part of the aforementioned $1.8 million, the City of Hot Springs got $40,000 to build a bridge that will connect two existing recreational trails. (see map below, if you are from Hot Springs, let me know if I got this right)
3.  Voters in Little Rock will head to the polls Sept. 13 to vote on two separate sales tax increases.  If passed, at roughly $28 million will go to parks and trails in Little Rock.  Given that Little Rock has the lowest sales tax in the state, this is a tax we can handle.
UPDATE: The two sales taxes passed.
Map below:

Are Trails a Part of Your City's Master Plan?

If you are reading this blog, chances are you're a fan of trails.  If you want your city to build more trails, you better make sure they are a part of the parks, transportation, or planning departments' Master Plans.  Communities often spend a lot of time developing these plans and decisions on funding and spending are typically based on the priorities spelled out in them.

If your municipality has a master plan than focuses entirely on building more baseball fields, then you might want to attend planning meetings and public comment periods in order to get trail planning and creation included.  Since dirt paths are pretty cheap and easy to make and maintain, there shouldn't be much resistance to at least including some nature trails in the plan.  Well-lit, paved trails are much more expensive, but they are still cheaper than roads and can often be funded largely using grants from federal and other sources.

If your town doesn't have an official plan, they should make one!  You should look over the ones included below and encourage them to use the best ones as a model. Many cities around the country have passed Complete Streets ordinances. These call for streets (and transportation dollars) to be used for the benefit of all modes of transportation. This means giving pedestrians, bicyclists, and bus riders the same priority as cars and in practice it often means wider sidewalks, protected bikelanes, lower speed limits, safer intersections, and more trails. Ask your local elected officials if your town has a complete streets ordinance.

Below are links to Master Plans for municipalities around the state.  If you know of one I've missed, send me a link and I'll add it:

Fayetteville:  Parks, Planning
Little Rock: Parks,  Planning
North Little Rock: No Parks, Planning

Bentonville: Parks, Planning
Bryant: Parks, Planning (These links need to be updated.  Here is a Transportation Plan Map with trails.)
Conway:  No Parks, Planning
Ft. Smith:  Parks, Planning
Hot Springs: Parks, Planning
Springdale: Parks, Planning
Eureka Springs: Trails

Coleman Creek Greenway Updates

Having worked on the Coleman Creek Greenway Committee, driven trackhoes and bulldozers, and planted trees for the project, this trail is special to me.  The eventual goal here is to have a trail running from the north end of War Memorial Park down to Fourche Creek, just south of Asher Ave./Col. Glenn Rd.

So far two small parts at the far ends are done while much of the middle section could be done quickly if funds were made available.  In fact, large parts of the middle section are already paved!  In War Memorial, there is a paved trail along the entire length of the creek in the park.  The only problem is that despite being told by well-paid consultants to do so, the city hasn't yet closed the golf course, so non-golfers are discouraged from walking that trail.  (If you didn't already know, I think the golf course should be converted into a joint Little Rock Parks / UALR Botanical Garden.)

Down at UALR, the plan is to eventually close one or both sides of Campus Dr., the road that runs through campus along the creek.  This already paved surface would then become part of the Coleman Creek Greenway.

The first two maps below show the completed sections of the trail.  This top map shows the Trail of Tears Park that forms the southern tip of the trail on UALR campus.  As you might guess from the name, this park has informative signs about the Trail of Tears, which passed by this site.  The park also features a variety of native trees, wildflowers, and grasses.  The area just to the north of the park is also already paved, but is currently serving as a parking lot.

The Case for a Botanical Garden in War Memorial Park

Several years ago, the City of Little Rock paid consultants a good amount of money to make recommendations for War Memorial Park, an underused city park in a great, central location.  After lots of public meetings, the consultants came out with their recommendations.  One of the main recommendations was that the golf course should be closed and converted to non-designated use open space, the idea being that many more people would make use of that area for picnics, walks, bike rides, and tossing frisbees and footballs, than the small number of people who currently play golf there.

One recommendation I made at those public meetings and would like to expand on here is that Little Rock should build a Botanical Garden in War Memorial Park.  Here are some reasons why I think this would be a good idea:

1.  An open botanical garden would count as non-designated use open-space, which consultants said would get the most use by area residents.  Add to that that golf is in a long decline and War Memorial typically loses more money than the other public golf courses in Little Rock.

2.  At 50+ acres, the western part of War Memorial Park is comparable in size to botanical gardens around the country. 

3.  Fayetteville has a botanical garden and Little Rock doesn't.

4.  A botanical garden in War Memorial would have a natural connection to the nearby zoo.  People interested in animals are often also interested in plants.

5.  An open botanical garden would be relatively affordable to build.  Very little trailwork would be needed, as there are already paved asphalt trails there thanks to the golf course.

6.  UALR should have a botanical garden and greenhouses for educational and research purposes.  War Memorial Park is close to the University and will eventually be connected to it by the Coleman Creek Greenway.  Having a partner in funding the botanical garden would make it even more affordable for the city.
7.  A botanical garden in that location would give people visiting nearby hospitals a scenic, peaceful place to relax.
8.  With a creek, pond and drier, rockier areas uphill from those water features, the park could easily host a wide range of plant species.  There are already lots of native plant species present, and this diversity should increase with the trail improvements currently underway along Coleman Creek.
9.  It would be awesome to see 200' Dawn Redwoods, Incense Cedars, and other exotic (but non-invasive) tree species towering over the park.  These would make interesting landmarks visible from the Interstate.

View Little Rock Botanical Gardens in a larger map

Fourche Bottoms Park - Time to Make it Happen

Fourche Bottoms Park is an enormous city park that no one in the city knows about.  A major reason no one knows about it, is that no work has been done there.  No roads, trails, boardwalks, or bathrooms have been built.  Nothing has been done, even though way back in the early 1980's the Corps of Engineers authorized a project to preserve 1,750 acres of the bottoms and build nature appreciation features there.  Much of the Fourche Bottoms and nearby Fourche Creek floodplain are publicly owned.  The BFI landfill is now closed and will be transferred to the city once capping is complete.
In fact, we have a massive 4,000 acre area of contiguous public land that includes Brodie Creek Park, Boyle Park, the Coleman Creek Greenway, Hindman Park, Fourche Bottoms, the State Fairgrounds, Interstate Park, and the Audubon Center that could all be connected with trails if we could just get the Fourche Bottoms trails done.
This trail system could also connect to the planned Rose Creek Trail and the Swaggerty Creek Trail at Crump and Interstate Parks.

If the thought of this massive area of public land being connected with paved trails and boardwalks excites you, you are in luck!  There are already several groups planning and working to make this a reality.
Visit http://fourchecreek.org/, http://www.villagecommonslr.com, US ACE Summary, or http://www.facebook.com/southendlr for more information.  Or ask me on here.

Fourche Bottoms Park and Proposed Trails.
Grey Lines - Proposed Trails
Red Lines - Existing Unpaved Trails
Black Lines - Existing Paved Trails.

Here is a Google Map of the same area since I realize I didn't really label any roads on the map above:

View Larger Map

Trails in Little Rock - Going Beyond Recreation

Little Rock has spent a lot of money on trails and will hopefully and likely continue to do so for years to come. So far, most of these trails are short and disconnected, making the suitable only for recreation and not for commuting. One major exception to this is the River Trail. Lots of people use it for recreation, but a sizable number of people also use it to get to work without hopping in a car. Given the health benefits of walking and biking, and the negative impacts of driving (traffic, air pollution, road rage, greenhouse gas emissions...) wouldn't it be great if our community expanded other trails and connected them to the River Trail in order to make it easier for more people from more locations in the city to get places safely by bike or foot?

Some neighborhoods are already working to make this happen. The Stift Station/Capitol View neighborhood has plans for a paved trail along Rose Creek that would connect the neighborhood to the River Trail, giving residents a scenic and safe way to get downtown while avoiding automobiles.

UALR and Little Rock Parks are working on a trail along Coleman Creek that would connect residential, commercial, and park areas to the University in Midtown.

Rock Creek, which flows from Chenal Valley essentially to UALR, already has multiple sections of paved trail along its banks. If these sections were connected, people in West Little Rock would be able to bike between their homes and nearby shopping areas or even all the way to Midtown without having to share busy streets with speeding cars.

The map below shows what these connections might look like. If you like any of these ideas be sure to share them with your friends and elected officials.