Officials plan to make City Lake a destination for outdoor enthusiasts

City Lake is in store for some big changes.

The 165 acres of City Lake and the surrounding land is a quiet and scenic place located about two miles north of Siloam Springs. Fishermen frequent the earthen fingers, but other than them, the land is typically just passed by motorists.

City officials are looking to change that by implementing the recently adopted City Lake master plan.

Over the next couple of years, five miles of mountain bike trails will weave throughout the property, a bike park will offer riders a place to work on their skills, a mile-long soft-surface trail will guide walkers and runners around the lake’s southeast side, a wooden truss bridge will offer a scenic stopping point for taking photos or watching wildlife and a disc golf course will offer another recreational activity.

The city is partnering with Ozark Off Road Cyclists to implement the plan. The cyclists group is a nonprofit group that advocates for, builds and maintains soft-surface trails in the Ozarks. It has local chapters including Borderline Ozark Off Road Cyclists,

based in Siloam Springs, and is a member of the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

The local chapter is called Borderline because it focuses on western Benton County and eastern Oklahoma, members said. It has about 15 members, half of which live in Jay, Okla.

There is a need for more trails in western Benton County, said Brannon Pack, Ozark Off Road Cyclists executive director.

“For over a decade we’ve had advocates advocating for a trail at City Lake,” he said.

The city developed a couple of trail plans over the years, but various obstacles prevented them from becoming a reality, said Don Clark, Siloam Springs community development director. For instance, one project went out to bid, but the bids came back way too high, he said.

City Lake will become a destination once the plan is complete, Clark said.

“It’s going to put Siloam on the map from the regional standpoint of mountain biking,” he said, adding different trails in different cities can “play off each other.”

Ozark Off Road Cyclists will help raise money from private donors and foundations as well as act as a project manager to oversee the master plan implementation, Clark said.

Officials plan to complete the project in two phases. The first phase will include four trails, a bridge and a parking area and is expected to be completed in 2017, according to a news release. The bike park, walking trail, bird blind and trail signs will be in the second phase.

The city expects phase one to cost $575,000, according to Board of Directors meeting documents. The board approved the master plan at its Dec. 6 meeting.

The city has about $80,000 in its 2016 budget and $132,000 in its 2017 budget for the project. It also received a $67,000 Transportation Alternative Program grant from the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department.

Officials are working to obtain the remaining money with grants and donations.

“By the first of 2018, we should have the last bit of funding to finish it up,” said David VanSandt, Borderline Ozark Off Road Cyclists chairman.

VanSandt’s son, Glendon, 17, started mountain bike riding more than 10 years ago and just finished his fifth year competing in the Arkansas Mountain Bike Series. He said he’s excited to see Siloam Springs get a variety of trails.

Glendon VanSandt said he’s been riding the trails at John Brown University, which opened in September, but before that, he had to drive to Fayetteville or Bentonville to jump on trails.

“It’s going to be so much different than JBU,” he said of the plans for City Lake. “JBU has technical spots, but it’s more of the flowing, beginner to intermediate trails. This is going to have the skills course, which anyone can use. It’s going to be beneficial for even the advanced riders.”

The trails will include courses of varying difficulty. The bike park will include beginner, intermediate and advanced skill features and pump track.

While the master plan does include several bike trails, the larger picture is for the area to be multi-use and enjoyed by various groups within the community — bike riders, hikers, trail runners, dog walkers and bird watchers, Pack said.

“When we build trails, we build it with everybody in mind,” he said. “That’s what you’re going to see at City Lake.”