Bella Vista opens ‘Back 40’ mountain bike trail
by August 11, 2016 12:10 pm 356 views
Bella Vista has opened the first section of its new Back 40 mountain bike trail, according to a press release from TravelArkansas.
The section is 15 miles and will be part of a planned 40-mile trail system. The Back 40 Loop is the main trail within that system that circles the east side of the city. A portion of that main trail, along with several secondary trails, make up the 15 miles that are currently open. The remaining 25 miles are still under construction.
Rather than a starting point for the loop, there are four trailheads for access — Buckingham Trailhead, Lake Ann Trailhead, Bear Hollow Trailhead, and Blowing Springs Park.
The Back 40 is expected to open in its entirety this fall in time for the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s World Summit held in Northwest Arkansas in Nov. 10-12.
Additionally, the Back 40 is the first of a multi-phase project that plans for a total of 150 miles of natural-surface trail through the City of Bella Vista’s 45 square miles. The construction of the trail system is by NWA Trailblazers and has been fully funded by a $3 million grant to that organization from the Walton Family Foundation.