Fayetteville’s Uniqueness Is All Natural

— Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I distinctively remember those Sunday evening returns to my hometown of Fayetteville after a weekend of travel to visit grandparents and other relatives living in the southern portion of the state. Awakening from my usual Dramamine-induced slumber, I would rub my tired eyes, gaze out the window from the back seat of my family’s station wagon and immediately orient myself by the familiar and comforting scene — the sight of mountains all around me. I was finally back in the Ozark Mountains, and with each winding mile on old U.S. 71, I drew closer and closer to the place I called home.

Surely this is the same feeling many experience still today as they enter Fayetteville from the south on Interstate 540. The first glimpse of this gently glowing college town carved out of the rolling hills of Northwest Arkansas produces a flutter in the chest — as if one is about to enter a sacred place.

I can imagine the first settlers who came to this area in the 1820s were as equally amazed at the breathtaking scenery as they were challenged by its unforgiving terrain. But despite the hardships of developing a community on such a rocky landscape as the Ozarks, nearly 200 years later we are witnesses to the generations of diligent residents who have sustained this city and allowed it to grow while still preserving its natural beauty.

Most residents of Fayetteville simply get it — they understand the uniqueness and mystique of this growing community and how important it is to celebrate and preserve it. So many who consider themselves outdoor enthusiasts find their way here because Fayetteville is the kind of place that has something to offer to the fisherman, the hunter, the rock climber, the paddler, the runner, the cyclist, the backpacker and even the bird watcher. With 70 parks covering more than 3,000 acres of natural beauty, Fayetteville continues to provide easily accessible opportunities for those who are looking to slip away from the demands of the daily grind and once again be gently reminded as to what really makes this city so special.

Just a few weeks ago I had the privilege of joining longtime Ozark Mountain Smokehouse owner, Frank Sharp, on a hike of Mount Kessler. Sharp and several other concerned landowners recently formed the Mount Kessler Greenways, a group committed to preserving nearly 400 acres of mountainous terrain on the southwest side of town.

As I walked past pillars of sandstone rock, century-old hardwoods and enjoyed breathtaking views of Farmington to the west and Fayetteville to the east, I realized I was technically still in town. I didn’t have to drive for hours to find myself surrounded by such natural beauty. It was right here on the outskirts of town, beckoning me to experience it. The ease and convenience of finding such natural gems is one of the reasons so many who find their way to this beautiful town eventually find it incredibly difficult to leave.

Calling Fayetteville home just feels so … so natural.

John Muir, naturalist and father of our National Parks system, once said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” After living away from Fayetteville for 17 long years, my family and I recently returned to the community that offers the abundant healing and restoration the body and mind require.

If you find yourself in need of restoration, recreation, exploration or even meditation, I hope you, too, seek the natural healing Fayetteville uniquely has to offer. Take a long morning walk in your neighborhood or a local park; watch a sunset from Mount Sequoyah after walking its historic trail system; enjoy the breathtaking color change of the fall foliage; put a pole in the water at Lake Fayetteville; or simply take a Saturday walk around the University of Arkansas campus where aging trees, open lawns and rolling landscapes have all been meticulously preserved.

The opportunities await you. They’re calling you to once again remember, or discover for the very first time, why Fayetteville’s uniqueness is all natural.

ERIC YATES IS A FORMER MINISTER AND LOVER OF ALL THINGS OUTDOORS. HE AND HIS WIFE, HILARY, LIVE IN FAYETTEVILLE WITH THEIR BOYS, ELLIOT AND EVAN.

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