Arkansas Trails Day May 31

[DeBo]

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ARKANSAS TRAILS DAY 2014 EVENTS IN THE LITTLE ROCK/NORTH LITTLE ROCK AREA SLATED FOR SATURDAY, MAY 31

Trail Events in Arkansas Join the Nationwide Celebration of America’s
Wide Diversity of Trails While Encouraging the Public to Enjoy a Trail

The 22nd anniversary of National Trails Day, America’s largest trail celebration, is slated for June 7. Events throughout the U.S. will join this nationwide observation of America’s wealth of trail types and experiences while encouraging the public to enjoy a trail. According to State Trails Coordinator Mike Sprague, “The kick off to Arkansas’s celebrations will begin a week earlier on Saturday, May 31, with trail events of all kinds in Little Rock and North Little Rock. A schedule of the events is posted below. 


Activities on the water will include two paddling trips in the morning—one on the Arkansas River and the other on White Oak Bayou.  The Arkansas River trip begins at 8 a.m., and the White Oak Bayou trip starts at 9 a.m. For the Arkansas River Trip, participants will meet at River Mountain Park in Little Rock and drop off their boats and gear there, and then drive over to Burns Park in North Little Rock and take a shuttle bus back to the boats. If weather and water cooperates, experienced paddlers can join us for this unique opportunity of putting in at River Mountain Park and paddling down the river to lock through at Murray Lock and Dam. We will then paddle across the river to Burns Park and join other trail enthusiasts to celebrate Arkansas trails.

Beginner to advanced paddlers can join us at White Oak Bayou in Burns Park to explore this waterway that runs through the park. Canoes will be provided.

 Both of these floats will be followed by an afternoon float on the Little Maumelle River. An afternoon paddle beginning at 2 p.m. is planned on the Little Maumelle River, one of the newest waterways to join the Arkansas Water Trail system. We will put in at the Pinnacle Mountain State Park picnic area and paddle about four miles downstream to a private launch off Pinnacle Valley Road. Participants will enjoy meandering through beautiful cypress trees watching and listening to the many types of wildlife that call the river home.

For paddling trip info Contact Debbie Doss 501-472-6873


Schedule of Activities Planned For the Little Rock-North Little Rock Metro Area
on Saturday, May 31:

Time​​Event​​​​​Meeting location

8 a.m.​​1st annual Run Between the Lines​Soccer Fields and Tournament Drive
​​5K Run/2K Family Walk and Run​at Burns Park in North Little Rock
​​​​​​​[Contact: Kelly Phillips, Junior League
of North Little Rock, 501-412-7512]

8 a.m.​​Little Rock/North Little Rock​​Two Rivers Bridge/River Mountain Road
​​Fondo Ride​​​​in Little Rock. Meet more riders at Cook’s
​​​​​​​Landing in North Little Rock at 8:15 a.m.
​​​​​​​and at the River Trail Station in Little Rock
​​​​​​​at 9 a.m. Some riders may wish to ride to
​​​​​​​Terry Dam and back, and then join those on
​​​​​​​the Fondo Ride.
[Contact: Jim Britt, Arkansas Bicycle Club,
​​​​​​​501-912-1449]

8 a.m. - noon​Eight-mile hike to end at the​​BMX Area at Burns Park in North Little
​​Convergence in the BMX Area​Rock
​​at Burns Park in North Little Rock

9 a.m.- noon Motorcycle and ATV Rides​​Fields west of soccer fields at Burn Park
​​​​​​​in North Little Rock

8 a.m.​​Arkansas River Paddle - paddle​Two Rivers Park in Little Rock
​​through the lock to Burns Park​[Contact: Debbie Doss, Arkansas Canoe
​​​​​​​Club, 501-472-6873]​

9 a.m. - noon ​Sharing Trails with Horses​​BMX Area at Burns Park in North Little
​​[Booth where information on​​Rock
​​trail etiquette can be obtained]

9 a.m. - noon​Interpretive Nature Hikes​​BMX Area at Burns Park in North Little
​​​​​​​Rock

9 a.m.​​White Oak Bayou Paddle - paddle​Burns Park Boat Ramp
​​up White Oak Bayou​​​[Contact: Debbie Doss, Arkansas Canoe
​​​​​​​Club, 501-472-6873]

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Trail Station​​​​Arkansas River Trail – Victory Lake in
​​[Booth providing information​​Burns Park in North Little Rock
​​next to the trail]

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Trail Station​​​​Arkansas River Trail – by the Big Dam
​​[Booth providing information​​Bridge ​in North Little Rock​
​​next to the trail]​​

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Bicycle Repair Workshop​​Arkansas River Trail by the Big Dam Bridge
​​​​​​​in North Little Rock
​​​​​​​[Contact: Willa Williams, City of North
​​​​​​​Little Rock, 501-350-7682]

9:30 a.m.​Equestrian Trail Ride​​​Equestrian Trailhead at Burns Park in
​​​​​​​North Little Rock
​​​​​​​[Contact: Vivian Ashcroft, 870-942-7286]

10 a.m.​ Mountain Bike Ride ​​​BMX Area at Burns Parks in North Little ​​​​​​​​Rock [Contact: Matt Goddard, CATA,
731-571-4954]

10:30 a.m.​Dedication of two pavilions built​Pavilions’ site on Catfish Road near the
​​in Burns Park by the Boy Scouts.​Arkansas River Trail in Burns Park at
​​One pavilion will be dedicated to​North Little Rock.
Arkansas Wounded Warriors ​[Contact: Jeff Caplinger, North Little
and the other to Arkansas Native​Rock Parks and Recreation, 501-791-8540]
Arkansas and the Trail of Tears.

11 a.m.​​Women’s Beginner Road Ride​Arkansas River Trail by the Big Dam Bridge
​​​​​​​in North Little Rock
[Contact: Willa Williams, City of North
​​​​​​​Little Rock, 501-350-7682]

11 a.m.​​Women’s Intermediate Road Ride​Victory Lake Bathrooms at Burns Park in
​​​​​​​North Little Rock
[Contact: Willa Williams, City of North
​​​​​​​Little Rock, 501-350-7682]

11 a.m.​​Kids Mountain Bike Skills Course​Grassy field by Pfeifer Loop, North Little
​​​​​​​Rock side of the Big Dam Bridge

11 a.m. ​Women’s Intermediate Mountain​BMX Track at Burns Park in North Little
​​Bike Ride​​​​Rock

11 a.m.​​BMX Track Rides​​​BMX Track at Burns Park in North Little
​​​​​​​Rock

noon​​Convergence​​​​Victory Lake Parking Lot at Burns Park
​​​​​​​in North Little Rock
​​​​​​​[Contact: Bert Turner, 501-551-9072]
2 p.m.​​Little Maumelle Float​​​Burns Park in North Little Rock
​​​​​​​[Contact: Debbie Doss, Arkansas Canoe
​​​​​​​Club, 501-472-6873]

2 p.m.-5 p.m.​Motorcycle and ATV Rides​​Fields west of the soccer fields at Burns
​​​​​​​Park in North Little Rock

For further information about Arkansas Trails Day, contact: Michael Sprague, state trails coordinator, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, 1 Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201; phone: 501-682-6946; email: michael.sprague@arkansas.gov.

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[lalyle]

Hey, Debo, isn't that you in the cammo Subaru? You're everywhere, I guess that means I am, too, since I keep seeing you, i.e. Mayflower when I was volunteering in the Dam Road disaster zone and then in Hot Springs a week later. If you think the cammo is keeping me from seeing you stalking me, well . . . .

[lalyle]

I'll probably join ya on the AR Riv.

[DeBo]

That's funny! Glad you are going.

[DeBo]

The trip through the Lock is still on. We will have a Coast Guard escort thanks to Mike Stroeble. Come celebrate Arkansas Trails with us.