First phase of Northwoods opens to public
Grand opening activities today
The highly anticipated grand opening of Phase One of the Northwoods Trails takes place today from noon to 5 p.m. at Cedar Glades Park.
A shuttle service provided by Ouachita Rides and Guides will take riders to the Waterworks Trailhead at Pineland Drive for riding tours of the trail system throughout the afternoon following a public ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Cedar Glades trailhead.
Beginning and novice riders will have opportunities to test ride Orbea and Rocky Mountain Bikes on a skills track set up at Cedar Glades, while more experienced riders may take the bikes for a test ride on the trails. Red Bull, which sponsors various mountain biking competitions across the country, will have a mobile DJ booth at the event.
The executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, David
Wiens, will be on hand for toTimed day’s opening. and measured contests will take place throughout the afternoon to test people’s skills. Garland County will also open the rock climbing wall at Cedar Glades from 1-3 p.m., weather permitting.
The total cost of the first phase of the project is $1,299,975, with half the cost — $648,421 — funded through a matching grant from the Walton Family Foundation. Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said in October that discussions on the second phase of the 44.6-mile trail system are underway.
Arrison, in a news release earlier this year, said that the opening of the trail system is the culmination of several years of cooperation between Hot Springs, Steuart and Tom Walton, and the Walton Family Foundation, adding “without whose contributions the Northwoods Trail System never would have gotten off the ground.”
“We realized that Hot Springs had the opportunity to join Bentonville in providing the state of Arkansas with two trail systems that are the equal of any in America,” Arrison said in the release. “Invaluable help and advice also was provided by Kalene Griffith, CEO of Visit Bentonville, who brought to us her experience in the creation of Bentonville’s incredible trail system.”
The opening is in conjunction with today’s Spa Running Festival in downtown Hot Springs and Sunday’s Attila the Hun Mountain at Cedar Glades Park.