A few weeks ago we cited the virtues of summertime hiking, especially on the short, shaded routes here in our little corner of the Ozarks. We found another gem of a hike last week in Bella Vista at the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel.
This stately chapel is in a quiet patch of woods not far from the bustle of the Bella Vista Town Center, close to the busy U.S. 71 and Lancashire Boulevard intersection. Peaceful little Lake Norwood is down the hill from the chapel, designed by the late Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones and built in 1988.
The chapel is mostly glass with a framework of metal columns, which curve gently toward the center of the ceiling. Visitors can see the chapel and go inside from 9 a.m., to 5 p.m.
A stop to see the chapel is fine enough. The bonus is a lovely little walking trail that circles it. The trail meanders through the forest with views of Lake Norwood for about one-half mile.
A sunny Tuesday morning found us in Bella Vista with a free hour before an appointment. We were near the chapel and paid a visit. The entrance is at Lancashire Boulevard and Memorial Drive, just east of town center. Turn here and go past the post office to the chapel parking lot. There's another entrance at the back of the town center parking area.
A feeling of peace washed over this visitor almost immediately. You're in the forest and it's quiet. A wide concrete path sweeps downhill from the parking spaces. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition. You don't see the chapel right away. The scent and feel of the summertime woods comes first.
About the time the beautiful chapel comes into view, the walking trail heads off to the left and down a hill. Little peeks of Lake Norwood can be seen on this easy walk. There are benches to sit, rest and enjoy this place at an easy pace.
No worries about ticks or poison ivy. The concrete walkway is plenty wide so legs don't brush vegetation. The morning was sunny on our visit, but the the walk is shaded by hardwood and pine trees the whole way.
Pretty soon the path spurs off to the left toward the church office. The small attractive office has a nice deck that overlooks Lake Norwood. The church office is open 1 to 5 p.m., most days. If you're thinking about getting married, it might be worth popping in to make the arrangements.
From here, it's a short uphill walk back to the main path and parking lot.
If circling Cooper Chapel just got you warmed up, you're close to other hikes in Bella Vista. There's the 1.8-mile paved loop around Lake Bella Vista, off U.S. 71 at the south end of town. It'll be sunnier than the Cooper Chapel walk, but there is ample shade on the west side of the loop.
Want to hike a more natural dirt trail? Set out on the two-mile Tanyard Creek Nature Trail. It's about a mile west of U.S. 71 on Lancashire Boulevard at the Tanyard Creek recreation area. The route visits bluffs, a spring, a creek and there's plenty of shade. There are also the hiking and mountain biking trails at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista.
There are lots of options for shady hiking during summer. Even our longer routes are shaded most of the way as they guide you through the forest. Common sense says don't bite off too long a route, and hit the trail in the cool of the morning. There's no need to cut three or four months off of your hiking season with all the shady options we've got.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAFlip
Sports on 08/09/2016