World Class Trails Coming to Campus

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The traverse loop will connect the campus to numerous parks and trails throughout Fayetteville and is expected to open in August.

The Fayetteville Traverse trail loop is expected to be a one-of-a-kind amenity for U of A students, faculty and staff. 

The natural-surface trail, when completed, will connect the U of A campus with Markham Hill, Centennial Park on Millsap Mountain, Kessler Mountain Regional Park, the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, the Tsa La Gi Bike Park and surrounding neighborhoods, offering a unique outdoor experience. 

The shared-use trail is designed to be enjoyed by diverse user groups, including bike riders, walkers, runners and adaptive cycles.

The roughly 18-mile natural-surface loop will provide a world-class standard trail, traversing through the oak ridge hillside on the U of A campus and providing yet another outlet for those seeking an escape to the outdoors.

The entire trail loop is designed as a beginner-level mountain bike trail, with the easiest and most premium sections of trail residing within the campus core. All ages and abilities of trail users are encouraged to use the trail respectfully.

The Fayetteville Traverse loop is part of a gift to the U of A and City of Fayetteville from Tom Walton and Steuart Walton. The first years of maintenance are also being provided through their generous support. 

The Fayetteville Traverse is a city resource and will serve to better connect the community to the Northwest Arkansas OZ Trails.

VALUE TO CAMPUS

The Fayetteville Traverse gateway trail will provide an outstanding outdoor recreation and transportation opportunity for students, faculty and staff.  Additionally, providing these trails on campus not only enhances our campus landscape, but also creates recreational opportunities for students without leaving the campus footprint. These are outdoor recreational opportunities that are best-in-class and unmatched nationwide. 

CURRENT PROGRESS

The Trailblazers have partnered with Progressive Trail Design to build out some key sections of trail throughout this summer. They’re on track to be ready for students to return and football season to commence. There will be additional trail work in less sensitive areas of campus that will continue into the fall.

The trail is currently closed for construction, but U of A trail sections will open to the public when classes start in August.

MORE INFORMATION

In addition to a new website dedicated to the natural trail systems on campus, announcements will be made as sections of the trails become open for public use. 

About the Office for Sustainability: The mission of the University of Arkansas Office for Sustainability (OFS) is to motivate, facilitate, and coordinate responsible practices through partnerships with students, faculty and staff across all campus departments. The OFS uses the campus as a living laboratory by overseeing the implementation of the University of Arkansas environmental goals. These programs are part of the UA Resiliency Center, hosted by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and are supported by Facilities Management.

About Facilities Management Planning and Design: Facilities Management Planning and Design directs a broad range of planning issues, including land use and master planning, campus development standards, landscape design, transportation planning, resource allocation oversight, and facilities assessments. This group is the source for physical planning at the University of Arkansas, and ensures that all projects support the academic goals of the University and promote the highest physical potential of the Fayetteville campus.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.