Fayetteville Traverse Trail Holds Ribbon Cutting Ahead of UCI World Cup

Gary Vernon, program officer, Walton Personal Philanthropy Group

The Fayetteville Traverse held its ribbon cutting on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Charlie Alison tries out the new trail.

Scott King, chief experience officer, Runway Group

Jon Johnson, Walton College professor of sustainability

Mike Malone, vice chancellor for economic development

Photo by Whit Pruitt

The freshly built natural-surface trail runs through campus and is intended for walkers, runners, bicycle riders and adaptive cyclists of all skill levels.

The Fayetteville Traverse trail at the U of A hosted its ribbon cutting on Thursday, Oct. 13, at The Fowler House Conservatory and Garden.

The freshly built natural-surface trail runs through campus and is intended for walkers, runners, bicycle riders and adaptive cyclists of all skill levels. 

The traverse is a one-of-a-kind amenity for campus and the larger community which connects ecosystems, neighborhoods, schools and city parks along a natural-surface trail loop. The trail provides extra options for daily commutes and enhances the campus landscape to provide a one-of-a-kind experience that is uncommon throughout the nation.

Along with the traverse, there are five trails that the campus community can utilize on or near campus. For more information about the various natural surface trails, including maps, check out the sustainability website.

UREC Outdoors also has a full-service bicycle shop and mountain bikes for rent for all students, faculty and staff. 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“Across the nation, leading universities are realizing that a critical component of recruitment and retention is an inviting and modern environment that is integrated into the surrounding community. The Fayetteville Traverse will further embed our campus into the broader community efforts to create a bicycle-friendly environment where everyone can share pathways together. The trails will highlight some of the best and most unique features of our university’s landscape to our campus community and the general public.”

—Charles Robinson, interim chancellor, University of Arkansas

“On campus, the Traverse blurs the line between transportation and recreation by allowing students to dabble in nature during daily commutes or study breaks.”

—Eric Boles, director of the U of A Office for Sustainability

“The Fayetteville Traverse is the first interconnected loop trail to this region linking neighborhoods and people to green spaces and multiple parks. This project is a shared vision between the Trailblazers, City of Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas and the Walton Family Foundation. Although purpose built for mountain biking, this trail is intended to be a multi-use trail system open to all human-powered users. Besides mountain bikers, trail users include runners, hikers, dog walkers and bird watchers.”

—Erin Rushing, CEO Trailblazers

“We are excited about the Fayetteville Traverse trail and the connections it will provide to Centennial Park, Kessler Mountain Regional Park and other destinations like the University of Arkansas. The completion of these sections of the trail highlight many of the unique features Fayetteville has to offer.”

—Alison Jumper, director of Fayetteville Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs

“The Fayetteville Traverse is nestled within the wooded hillside that threads its way through campus. The trail helps highlight the university’s unique setting and beautiful views, and encourages the public to experience more of the campus landscape.”

—Todd Furgason, campus planner with Facilities Management.

“The Fayetteville Traverse is the on-ramp for the next generation of students interested in recreating on a natural surface trail system.”

—Mike Hoover, associate director of University Recreation.

More About the Fayetteville Traverse

The U of A section of the Fayetteville Traverse loop is the first major piece of the trail to be opened on the east side of Interstate 49.

Users of the trails can expect various picturesque spots along the route:

• Bird’s eye views of the Reynolds Razorback Stadium
• Native stone plazas and cedar bridges
• The site of the 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championship
• Cafes, restaurants, art galleries
• Historic homesteads and farms
• A Trail of Tears memorial
• Restored woodland prairie ecosystem.

The trail 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 work is being completed by the Trailblazers, a non-profit organization that develops multi-use trials and was integral in helping make the Fayetteville Traverse a world-class trail that provides a great experience for the community.

OZCX & UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup

In conjunction with the grand opening of the Fayetteville Traverse, the UCI is returning to the Northwest Arkansas area for the second time this calendar year with the OZCX & UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.

The competition, which will actually have a full weekend of activities leading up to the big race on Oct. 16, will bring top professional cyclists to Centennial Park for a race that will act as a qualifier for the UCI World Championship in the Netherlands in February 2023.

Last year’s championship was held in Fayetteville in January 2022 and drew more than 17,000 spectators, including an estimated 6,000 from Europe.

Official UCI races will start on Friday, Oct. 14, and amateur races will run all day Saturday, Oct. 15. There will be more amateur races on Sunday, Oct. 16, before the professional races begin at 9:15 a.m.

For more information about the OZCX & UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup weekend, including tickets and parking, please visit the official website cyclocrossfayettevillear.com.

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.