The Razorback Greenway has evolved from a single, meandering route between Lake Bella Vista and Fayetteville to a sort of centipede of trails.
Nowadays, leg after leg spurs off the Greenway, letting walkers, runners, bikers, roller-bladers and skateboarders explore east or west off the main drag.
These spurs carry muscle-powered travelers to downtown destinations, such as in Rogers and Bentonville. They visit woodlands, streams and neighborhoods all over Northwest Arkansas.
We've biked or walked most legs of the trail centipede and thought we'd explore some these spur trails periodically in NWA Outdoors. We'll hop on the bike and offer a pedal-by-pedal description of the sights to see off the main Razorback Greenway.
We'll start today with one of the newest spurs, the Trail of Two Cities that meanders three miles through parts of Bentonville and Rogers. Officials christened the Trail of Two Cities not long ago with a festive ribbon cutting that many traveled to on their bicycles.
We'll start our ride at the Horsebarn Trailhead, along Horsebarn Road south of Walton Boulevard.
There's a restroom here and water will be available once fountains are turned back on this spring. Exercise stations are at the trailhead for warm-up stretching before a ride, walk or run. There's a playground for the kiddos.
Hop on the main Razorback Greenway and go south for about 100 yards. Here you'll see the Trail of Two Cities heading off toward the west, across a bridge with metal rails.
The creek here looks nice, and there's an oval pond off to the right.
Trail of Two Cities goes through woods and pastures for a half-mile or so. There are some sweeping curves that are fun to ride as the trail makes an easy climb into suburbia. It's no lung-buster, only a three on the wheezer scale.
The trail levels out beside some new apartments. Pedestrian traffic signals help trail travelers cross Dodson Road, then Rainbow Road. From here, the route continues west past a hub of businesses near Rainbow Curve in Bentonville.
This is the place to do a little shopping or grab a bite to eat along the trail. Shops range from clothing outlets and small eateries to a store that sells guns and coffee, all in one stop.
Riders might see meadowlarks, scissor-tailed fly catchers or other birds that frequent the grassy fields farther down the trail. This is prime real estate so it may not be fields for long. In a whip stitch, the trail turns south and passes another apartment complex.
When the trail turns west again, it's almost the end of the line. The Trail of Two Cities ends at Southwest I Street near the Bentonville Community Center.
From here, travelers can head north for about 200 yards and join the Heritage Trail that leads north into the western neighborhoods of Bentonville.
A trek from the Horsebarn Trailhead to Southwest I Street and back is about six miles. That's perfect for an family ride or to tack on some extra miles when enjoying the Razorback Greenway.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @NWAFlip
Sports on 02/20/2018