Things To Do Outdoors | Trails | Northwest Arkansas

Outdoors

Come for the scenery, stay for the adventure! Fayetteville is overflowing with natural areas and parks, encompassing 4,000 acres of land, 48 parks with 110 miles of paved and natural trails, 3 lakes, 43 athletic fields/courts, splash pads, and disc golf courses. Just outside the city, soak up the beauty of more than a million acres of National Forest full of rivers, creeks, bluffs, and waterfalls.

Experience all the beauty The Natural State has to offer in Fayetteville by enjoying our beautiful lakes and rivers, breathtaking scenery, and innumerable walking, jogging and biking trails. This city nestled in the Ozark Mountains makes an ideal spot for discovering your next big adventure.

 

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As the United States’ first and only UCI Bike City, Fayetteville certainly puts the “friendly” in bike-friendly. Whether you bring your own bike or rent one for the day, the city is super easy to explore on two wheels, thanks to accessible bike lanes on major roads, our easy-to-use bike sharing program, and miles upon miles of bike-friendly trails.

Explore urban, gravel, road, and MTB routes

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Fayetteville and the surrounding area of Northwest Arkansas offer a multitude of hiking trails, ranging in length and level of difficulty. There is outdoor beauty to be had for all, whether you’re a hiking enthusiast or casual climber. Here are a few of our favorites to get you started!

Devil’s Den

Kessler Mountain Trails

Lake Wilson

Markham Hill Nature Trails

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Swimming and floating and fishing, oh my! Fayetteville and the surrounding area are full of opportunities to enjoy yourself in and on the water. We’ve got boat docks and marinas with rentals, prime fishing locations, guided group tours, swimming spots, and scenery that’ll keep you happy to be floating for days. 

Lake Fayetteville

Lake Sequoyah

Lake Wedington

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From cozy neighborhood parks to larger community parks, your closest green space, trail, ball field, basketball court, pavilion, or picnic area is never far away in Fayetteville. The city offers dozens of parks, from corner to regional, each with its own attractions and special features.

City of Fayetteville Parks List

Gulley Park

Walker Park

Wilson Park

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Fayetteville sits on the edge of a million acres of National Forest, with thousands of miles of gravel roads to explore.

Road and Dual-Sport Routes

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Thanks to its location in the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is surrounded by outdoor beauty and only minutes from iconic winding roads, breathtaking scenery, and other regional parks in the surrounding Northwest Arkansas area. This little corner of the state offers up all the outdoor nature fun you could ever need!

Buffalo National River

Devil’s Den State Park

Mulberry River

Fall Foliage in Fayetteville

With cooler weather upon us, the fall season is in full swing. For visitors to Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas, one of the most popular activities to do during this time of year is enjoying the fall foliage. From mid-October to early November in the Ozarks, the leaves change color in spectacular fashion, making for breathtaking views throughout wooded paths, scenic overlooks and even inside the city, considering how green Fayetteville is during the spring and summer months.

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Hiking Fayetteville: Astounding Autumn Edition

The air is growing crisper, the nights are growing longer, and the Ozark foliage is bursting with the burnt oranges, blazing reds, and vivid yellows that frame our beautiful Fayetteville each fall. When the world looks like this, it’s the best time of all to explore the trails that Fayetteville has to offer! We’ve compiled a few of our favorite hikes with scenic views to get you started.

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Scenic Drives Around Fayetteville

Thanks to its location in the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is surrounded by outdoor beauty, which makes for spectacular cycling, river floats, hiking trails and pretty much everything you like to do in nature. This also includes scenic car and motorcycle rides, as Northwest Arkansas is home to some of the most memorable backroads and highways in the country.

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Hiking Trails in and around Fayetteville

One of the most popular things to do in Fayetteville is to simply enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors. To anyone who’s ever visited Fayetteville, that’s no surprise, as we’re a city nestled in the Boston Mountains of the Ozarks, moments away from natural areas no matter where you are in town. The city overflows with nature preserves, parks, and natural wetlands which encompass 3,000 acres of land. Fayetteville alone has 70 parks with more than 40 miles of paved and natural trails, three lakes, and more - including the still-developing public outdoor space downtown, The Ramble.

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Horseback Riding in Fayetteville

Horseback riding feels like something you'd do on vacation in a movie. Add it to your bucket list for your next visit to Fayetteville and live out your dreams! Whether you're a seasoned equestrian or sitting in the saddle for the first time, you'll find a great spot to ride horseback in Fayetteville. Check out these popular spots to saddle up and explore the beautiful Ozark Mountain trails in a whole new way.

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Visitor’s Guide

Check out our Fayetteville Visitor’s Guide full of insider tips and guides to hotels, dining, entertainment, the arts, and more

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