What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1468987
MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 9 the forested shoreline. Lincoln Lake has a nice wilderness feel to it. Kayakers paddle without traffic from power boats. Only paddlecraft and electric motors are allowed. There's no fee to launch kayaks or canoes at Lincoln Lake. Both lakes Sequoyah and Lincoln welcome paddlers, but swimming isn't allowed at either lake. Bike On The Quiet Side Bentonville bills itself as Mountain Biking Capital of the World, but all of Northwest Arkansas can make that claim to fame with so many trails to pick from. Riders will no doubt be rolling big time at Hobbs State Park this weekend to sample miles of trail in the 12,000- acre state park. Hobbs is Arkansas' largest state park. Busiest routes are the park's Monument Trails network which opened a few years ago. Riders can expect a conga line of cyclists circling the Monument Trails, particularly the Karst Loop, which takes in a lot of the Beaver Lake shoreline. These trails have taken much of the cycling traffic away from the Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail, which is the park's other off-road cycling route. Hidden Diversity is made up of three loops. Little Clifty Loop is 9 miles. Bashore Ridge Loop and Dutton Hollow Loop are around 4 miles each. Bashore Ridge Loop is suggested for beginning riders. Trailheads and parking are located along Townsend Ridge Road and Piney Road. Hop on the Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail for a sunrise mountain bike ride, and you may not see another soul. Stop by the Visitor Center for information or call 789-5000. Pedal The Pavement The Razorback Greenway is a favorite for road biking. The greenway has turned one of Northwest Arkansas' original safe road biking routes into quiet place to ride. Bikers still seek out the 7-mile tour road at Pea Ridge National Military Park east of Pea Ridge. It's a pleasant loop through the Civil War battlefield where the Battle of Pea Ridge raged on March 7-8, 1862. Cyclists share the road with cars that move slowly along the park road, making Pea Ridge a safe place to ride. It's ideal for families. There's one hill on the route that will get a rider's attention. The battlefield is a fitting destination for Memorial Day. Confederate and Union casualties combined totaled more than 3,000 men. Call the visitor center at 451-8122 for information. Gone Fishing Want to see an excited kid? Help that youngster catch her first fish. Lake Springdale, Murphy Park pond in Springdale, Lake Atalanta in Rogers and Lake Fayetteville are well suited for taking kids fishing. Most offer plenty of spots to fish from shore. Lake Fayetteville's public fishing dock is ideal for young anglers. These small lakes shouldn't be overly crowded this holiday weekend. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's pamphlet, Fishing 101, is a fine guide full of tips for taking kids fishing. It's available at the Game and Fish Springdale nature center and at fishing stores around the area. One great tip is to leave the worms at home and use bait such as pieces of hot dog, raw bacon or lunch meat. Kids may be squeamish about handling a wiggling live worm and threading it on a hook. All kinds of sunfish, and catfish, too, will gobble up these store-bought baits. And when a kid wants to stop fishing and go look for crawdads or play at the playground, that's the time to quit. After all, it's a holiday for the kids. Flip Putthoff is the NWA Democrat Gazette's outdoor guru and can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAFlip. Riders may find quiet mountain biking on the Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail at Hobbs State Park. The park's popular Monument Trails network has taken a lot of the pressure off Hidden Diversity. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff) The tour road at Pea Ridge National Military Park is easy to overlook as a cycling destination now that scores of riders pedal along the Razorback Greenway. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)