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Photos of Arkansas'
Lake Fayetteville Trail
Located in Fayetteville and a facility of
their Parks and Recreation departement, Lake Fayetteville offers boating, fishing, hiking, sport fields. pavillions,
and more. The 5.5 mile Lake Fayetteville Trail begins at either parking
area. You can get info from the Parks and Recreation at (479) 444-3471,
or these websites:
Though the beginning is a paved trail, the
old singletrack dirt trail is off to the side close to the bordering road.
The new pavement ends after a half-mile or so, at which point only the singletrack
continues. The pavement was new as of summer 2007 as was the botanical garden
which abuts this trail and I suggest you stop and check it out. It was still
under construction when we were there, but it had taken enough shape to
show it will be a wonderful facility for adults and children and a nice
break as you complete the strenuous loop.
The entire singletrack is dirt and offers
rocks, roots, and ruts -- and after rains, also some mud holes which you
can go through or circumvent (for the most part.) Though the trail circumnavigates
the lake, you rarely catch a glimpse of it. The uphills often come after
a downhill with a sharp turn at the bottom and getting speed again to top
the next rise is problematic, so don't get caught in the wrong gear!
The trail is not always well marked, but
if you stay close to where you know the lake is, you'll be fine, and if
not, you'll just get a little more mileage and a chance for exploration.
If you look at the map on the above website, you'll see there are alternative
loops, but the area isn't large enough to get lost, and all side loops return
to the main trail. Being from the Chicago area, I envy the local residents
for having such a wonderful mountain bike experience in their backyard.
During our hour or so on the trail, only one other biker was encountered,
so I wonder if locals know about this gem of a trail.
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E-mail Chuck at CMorHiker@aol.com