Take a hike: Scouting out new trails around Maumelle
www.arkansasnewsroom.com
Golf is a good walk spoiled, or so the saying goes, but, in addition to some fine golf courses, there're plenty of good places to go for a walk in and around Maumelle.
Most notably, just about anywhere around Lake Willastein will get you from point A to point B on a mostly flat, paved path that takes in some nice scenic views. Those paths tend to be mostly uncrowded, but, like rush hour, they can fill up fast, at peak walking times in the evenings and on the weekends.
The same can be said for Lake Valencia, as it winds around City Hall and the public library.
The walking path around Lake Valencia checks in at .57 miles, according to Maumelle Parks and Recreation, while Lake Willastein has five trails that start at .4 miles and go up to 2.1 miles, depending on how far you want to walk, or ride your bike.
Those trails are seen below.
Maumelle also has a significant number of bike paths around the city, and that map is below.
Of course, North Little Rock and Burns Park, one of the country’s largest municipal parks is easy enough to get to and has a number of walking trails, bike trails, BMX course, horse trails and you can also get to the Big Dam Bridge and walk or bike across the river and, essentially, walk, or hike, for as long as you want. There’s an unbroken trail that connects central Arkansas to Mena, if you’ve got a few days to kill and some really good, and broken-in, hiking boots.
It isn’t the Appalachian Trail, but Arkansas does alright that way, at least for activities outdoors.
There’s also some other trails and that led to checking out onXBackcountry, a new, app-based mapping system that will use your location and give you options for hikes, or, at least, in theory give you options for something.
The app has a one-week free trial period before going to a modest monthly subscription.
A test of oNX gave some interesting options with two notable “hikes” along the edge of Maumelle and North Little Rock.
The first, seen below, is off Paul Eells Drive, and, at first glance, you find a rough patch of land with no visible trail markings, but then you realize you aren’t quite there and driving further takes you to one of the many apartment complexes in that part of the town. This one, though, is the one with the golf course, and the “hiking trail” is actually the golf cart path around the course.
That’s not exactly a hike, but it is a fine place to walk.
The second “hike” is near the new campus of Maumelle Charter High School in North Little Rock, at least for now, but if you go up a bit further, you see the Maumelle Field of Diamonds, the six-field complex for youth baseball and softball.
Again, oNX had taken a walking path, the paved sidewalks that connect the fields to the parking lot and had labeled them as “hiking trails.”
So, not really a hike, but also, not really a good place to walk either, unless you happen to be toting a camp chair and heading to a game at one of the fields.
The app, oNX does have some really good uses, especially for those who hunt or are more inclined for unpaved trails, that didn’t get a spin though, as the free trial ran out before an opportunity presented itself.
Take a hike: Scouting out new trails around Maumelle
Take a hike: Scouting out new trails around Maumelle
Take a hike: Scouting out new trails around Maumelle
Golf is a good walk spoiled, or so the saying goes, but, in addition to some fine golf courses, there're plenty of good places to go for a walk in and around Maumelle.
Most notably, just about anywhere around Lake Willastein will get you from point A to point B on a mostly flat, paved path that takes in some nice scenic views. Those paths tend to be mostly uncrowded, but, like rush hour, they can fill up fast, at peak walking times in the evenings and on the weekends.
Paid subscriptions make this reporting possible
Subscribe if you like, pay if you can
The same can be said for Lake Valencia, as it winds around City Hall and the public library.
The walking path around Lake Valencia checks in at .57 miles, according to Maumelle Parks and Recreation, while Lake Willastein has five trails that start at .4 miles and go up to 2.1 miles, depending on how far you want to walk, or ride your bike.
Those trails are seen below.
Maumelle also has a significant number of bike paths around the city, and that map is below.
Of course, North Little Rock and Burns Park, one of the country’s largest municipal parks is easy enough to get to and has a number of walking trails, bike trails, BMX course, horse trails and you can also get to the Big Dam Bridge and walk or bike across the river and, essentially, walk, or hike, for as long as you want. There’s an unbroken trail that connects central Arkansas to Mena, if you’ve got a few days to kill and some really good, and broken-in, hiking boots.
It isn’t the Appalachian Trail, but Arkansas does alright that way, at least for activities outdoors.
There’s also some other trails and that led to checking out onXBackcountry, a new, app-based mapping system that will use your location and give you options for hikes, or, at least, in theory give you options for something.
The app has a one-week free trial period before going to a modest monthly subscription.
A test of oNX gave some interesting options with two notable “hikes” along the edge of Maumelle and North Little Rock.
The first, seen below, is off Paul Eells Drive, and, at first glance, you find a rough patch of land with no visible trail markings, but then you realize you aren’t quite there and driving further takes you to one of the many apartment complexes in that part of the town. This one, though, is the one with the golf course, and the “hiking trail” is actually the golf cart path around the course.
That’s not exactly a hike, but it is a fine place to walk.
The second “hike” is near the new campus of Maumelle Charter High School in North Little Rock, at least for now, but if you go up a bit further, you see the Maumelle Field of Diamonds, the six-field complex for youth baseball and softball.
Again, oNX had taken a walking path, the paved sidewalks that connect the fields to the parking lot and had labeled them as “hiking trails.”
So, not really a hike, but also, not really a good place to walk either, unless you happen to be toting a camp chair and heading to a game at one of the fields.
The app, oNX does have some really good uses, especially for those who hunt or are more inclined for unpaved trails, that didn’t get a spin though, as the free trial ran out before an opportunity presented itself.