Arkansas February 12 – 18, 2017 – 112 miles
We headed for Arkansas on February 8th after our ride on the Pedego electric bikes. It is a 1280 mile trek to Fort Smith, Arkansas where we plan to be on Sunday February 12th to watch a double header at University of Arkansas Fort Smith.
Doing the friendly WalMart overnight stops on our way east. We took a side trip to the Grand Canyon. It was a beautiful day, only needed a light jacket. They had snow a week or so ago and there were drifts still melting in the sun. We were able to use their dump station. Many changes here since our visit 35 or more years ago. It is an incredible sight, but there is nothing like seeing for the first time.
This is our third trip to Arkansas with our bikes and have not yet finished our 100 miles. We love being in Arkansas as it is home to the Pittmans!
We made our first ride in Arkansas in April 2016 on the Razorback Regional Greenway from Bentonville to Rogers. Traveling past Crystal Bridges and the beautiful gardens there was a highlight of this part of the trail. It was prom time and there were many couples having photos taken along the trail and in the gardens.
We returned to Arkansas in October 2016 and camped in the Pittman’s driveway. The best camp hosts ever!! We rode the Lake Fayetteville Trail and the southern portion of the Razorback Greenway. It was a very cool day, wore jackets and gloves the entire time. Rainy weather prevented us from riding the Little Rock area until our return trip at this time.
We left the Pittman “camping area” on Valentine’s Day. April gave us brownies and bacon for our Valentine breakfast. Yum!! We headed for Little Rock where we had appointment for an oil change. It rained all day!
We camped at Maumelle Park which is a Corp of Engineers campground. It was only a short pedal down the road to the Arkansas River Trail. We spent 3 nights here. It was very quiet, low key place, right on the river. The weather cleared so we were able to ride 2 days on the trail.
We were able to ride on the road a short distance to Two Rivers Park and the start of the Arkansas River Trail. The trail signs said Arkansas River Trail, “Rollin and Strollin”. There were four bridges on the trail. Two Rivers Park Bridge is beautiful and one we could see from the highway on our way to campground. The Big Dam Bridge was really awesome and a highlight of this trail.
This bridge is 90 feet above the Arkansas River, spanning 4,226 feet. It is the longest pedestrian bridge in North America that has not been previously used by trains or motor vehicles. It is a good climb getting up and over from both sides. Beautiful views of river. On way back to camp we stopped at local café for a late lunch of cat fish. Gotta try the local favorites.
We have Alabama in our sights but need to stop for a ride along the Mississippi River. We stopped in Memphis, TN and rode the Big River Crossing. This is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge from Memphis, TN to West Memphis in Arkansas. Views from bridge were beautiful but really very busy with walkers, joggers, strollers and tourists. That completes our Arkansas and Tennessee rides along the Mississippi River.
- Razorback Regional Greenway
- Lake Fayetteville Trail
- Arkansas River Trail
- Big River Crossing