NWA OUTDOOR BRIEFS
Access road closed
Buffalo National River officials have closed the road to Kyle’s Landing access, located between Ponca and Jasper, for maintenance on the gravel road. The road is expected to reopen by March 1, said Cassie Branstetter at Buffalo National River headquarters in Harrison.
Event tests outdoor skills
Registration is open for the Brewha Bushwhack outdoor skills team event to be hosted by Pack Rat Outdoor Center on April 10.
Teams of three or four people visit check points around the Mulberry River and earn points by building a fire, paddling a canoe, tying knots, rappelling, identifying plants and animal tracks and more.
Entry fee is $99 per person. Profits benefit the Mulberry River Society. Register at packratoc.com. Call the store at 479-5216340 for more information.
Racers tackle gravel roads
Registration for the Big Sugar NWA gravel bike race will be from April 1-10 for the event set for Oct. 23.
Cyclists can choose the 100-mile or 50-mile race over gravel roads in the region. Entry fee is $140 for the 100 mile and $80 for the 50 mile. Register at big sugargravel.com
Park opens bikepacking sites
Bikepacking campsites at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area east of Rogers may be reserved by bikepackers and hikers. Cost is $14 per night plus tax. Six campsites are located along the Karst Loop of the Monument trails near Beaver Lake.
An online reservation system will be in place soon. For now sites may be reserved by calling the visitor center at 479-789-5000.
Team Trail sets schedule
Northwest Arkansas Team Trail will hold four regular season bass tournaments and a two-day championship at Beaver Lake.
Regular season tournaments are set for March 20, April 24, May 11 and Sept. 11. The championship is set for Oct. 2-3. All tournaments are out of Prairie Creek park.
Registration forms are available at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers and Bella Vista, Bradford Marine and ATV in Springdale and Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville. Visit www. fishnwatt.com for details.
Science courses offered
Ozark Natural Science Center in Madison County offers eight weeks of free science and nature curriculum available as 40 individual lessons. Lessons can be viewed online or downloaded for classroom or home study.
Subjects include nature at night, forces of nature, nature writing and naturalist grab bag. Lessons are geared for intermediate and middle school students. Support from the Walton Family Foundation helps fund the lessons.
Information: onsc.us or email info@onsc.us.
Centers see reduced hours
Visitor centers at Arkansas State Parks are on a reduced operating schedule until further notice because of a statewide increase in virus cases.
Visitor centers at Devil’s Den, Hobbs, Withrow Springs, Lake Fort Smith and Prairie Grove Battlefield state parks in Northwest Arkansas are closed Mondays and Tuesdays until further notice.
Trails will remain open. Contactless check-in for cabins and campsites that has been in place for months will continue
Grants fund watershed work
Some landowners in the Beaver Lake watershed may be eligible for funding assistance to conduct voluntary agricultural conservation practices that protect water quality. Over $2 million dollars in federal funding has been allocated to assist landowners in the Brush Creek and Roberts Creek watersheds in Madison and Washington counties. These are part of the larger Beaver Lake watershed.
For details contact the Beaver Watershed Alliance, info@beaverwatershed alliance.org or call 479-7508007.