BV's trail system could rival best in U.S.

At first glance, Bella Vista may not seem like a bicyclist's paradise -- U.S. Highway 71, the dominant main ribbon of road that cuts through the city, is chock full of speeding cars and trucks -- with nary a bike to be seen.

But take a detour into the real Bella Vista, the sprawling wooded mystery that branches off in every direction and you will discover a natural-surface trail system hidden in plain sight, and already being talked about nationwide.

And now it's time -- the first section of trails will open this Saturday, Aug. 4. It's not the finished product but a soft opening, enough to satiate the curiosity of some and the excitement of others. An approximately 15-mile section of the Back 40 Loop -- as the main trail circling the east side of the city is called -- will be open to the public.

The remainder of the 40-mile system is still under construction, with plans to open it in its entirety later this fall. Trail users should be aware of posted rules and directional signs. An official trail map will be completed once construction is finished, so there will only be one version of a map available at this time -- an electronic version found at https://trails.cast.uark.edu.

The Back 40 is the first of a multi-phase project, calling for a total of 150 miles of natural-surface trail through all of the Bella Vista's 45 square miles.

The public trail system and increased focus on bicycling has been an initiative of Mayor Peter Christie from the beginning of his term. In January 2016, the first phase of the project came to fruition when ground was broken on the Back 40.

The construction of the trail system is being completed by NWA Trailblazers and has been fully funded by a $3 million grant to that organization from the Walton Family Foundation.

"We are extremely excited to be soft opening the first section of the Back 40 trails in Bella Vista this Saturday, some of the best single track trails in the region," said Erin Rushing, NWA Trailblazers Executive Director. "We have used five professional trail contractors for the construction process, all of which bring a little different design flair to their respective sections of trail. Overall it has gone very well for us during construction."

"This is (an) example of how the city, POA and (Bella Vista developer) Cooper Communities continue to work together," Christie said. "We all share the same vision: To become the premiere destination for visitors and for those who wish to live in Northwest Arkansas."

The influx of tourists will bring with them new economic opportunity for Bella Vista. The trails themselves will bring increased property values. Christie hopes that by attracting people to Bella Vista with trails, those visitors add to the tax base and allow the city to continue to invest back into the community.

"It has been proven in study after study that property values go up, sometimes as high as 30 percent, if there is access to a trail system from a home," Christie said.

And that increase in cyclists should be significant, if the current regional trail usage is any indicator. A study conducted in the spring of 2015 by the Walton Family Foundation concluded that Northwest Arkansas has almost as many cyclists per capita using its trail system as San Francisco.

"The project is opening access to the hidden beauty of Bella Vista," said Ryan Hale of the Walton Family Foundation. "Bluffs, creeks and waterfalls ... are some of the natural treasures that can only be truly appreciated on a bike or during a hike."

Rushing said he is most proud of the community that has been incredibly supportive of their efforts.

"It's been very rewarding for us to work on such an incredible project. We are on the home stretch, with a little more than 10 miles left to build within the Back 40, and should be entirely complete by this fall," he said.

The city is aiming to complete construction of the entire Back 40 in time for the International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit, set to be held in Northwest Arkansas in November. The group is the only national nonprofit advocating solely for mountain bike interests. Their world summit, held every two years, will bring a large chunk of their more than 40,000 members from all over the United States.

Steve Schneider, the South Central Region Director for IMBA, lives in Bella Vista. He said he was excited about how the trails will turn out.

"The collaboration effort here is incredible -- with the city, the POA, the Trailblazers, the builders," he said. "You've got Progressive Trail Designs, Crossland Trails, IMBA Trail Solutions -- the best builders on the planet are building these trails and, quite frankly, it could be the best trail in America right here in Bella Vista."

Bella Vista already offers more than 10 miles of paved and natural surface trails for walking and bicycling. This includes Blowing Springs, a multi-use trail system consisting of more than six miles of natural-surface trails for running and mountain biking. The system is comprised of four trails and numerous spurs that snake past bluffs, caves, springs, woods and Lake Bella Vista.

Bella Vista has always been known for its hilly, difficult topography. Christie hopes to use that as a feature rather than a hindrance.

"I've heard people say, 'Look, Bella Vista is never going to be anything but a sleepy bedroom community because we have no flat land for development,'" Christie said. "And my response is 'Look at the topography! Embrace it and find out what you can do with it!' And that's basically how the whole trail thing started."