This Saturday we’ll do a shorter hike closer to town to get ourselves into shape for the season.  Blowing Springs Park has some nice woodsy hikes within the Bella Vista city limits.  After the hike, you’ll be able to participate in some other activities in the nearby Bentonville area which I’ll mention below.  Meeting times are:  9:00 a.m. at Sam’s Club Fayetteville or 9:45 a.m. at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista.  Details are below.  ‘See you Saturday.

Day, Date:  Saturday, October 9, 2021

Name of Hike:  Blowing Springs Lower Loop Trail

Location:  Blowing Springs Park, Bella Vista AR

Type of Hike:  Day-hike, maintained trail

Hiking Distance:  2.5 miles.

Maximum Elevation Difference:  100 ft

Rating:  Easy to moderate, due to some uneven tread.

Features:  Blowing Springs Park is adjacent to the Back 40 mountain biking trails, and the Greenway extension passes through it, but it has some nice “in the woods” trails used mostly by hikers.  We’ll start at the trailhead and do the “lower loop” which consists of the Low Rider Trail, part of the Blowing Springs Loop Trail, and return on the Boom Diggity Trail for a total of about 2.5 miles.  We’ll stop for a short break at the Blowing Springs picnic area and spring.  If you want more mileage, the entire Blowing Springs Loop hike goes deeper into the ravines for a total of about 4.0 miles.

Hike Leader:  Luke Parsch (contact hike leader for more info).

Telephone & Email:  479-442-3817 (home landline) or lparsch@uark.edu or 479-935-0859  (mobile on day of hike).

Meeting Place and Time:

• Meet at the northeast corner of the parking lot of Sam’s Club in northwest Fayetteville on AR Hwy 112/I-49 for car caravanning for a 9:00 a.m. departure; or,
• Meet at 9:45 a.m. at Blowing Springs Park trailhead in Bella Vista AR.  Take I-49 north to the new Bus 71 interchange between Bentonville and Bella Vista, follow Bus 71 north towards Bella Vista about 1-mile to the stoplight at Mercy Way (CVS Pharmacy on the right), turn right onto Mercy Way and follow into Blowing Springs Park, park on the right.    Google map location for Blowing Springs is:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Blowing+Springs+MTB+Trail+Head/@36.4406627,-94.2322627,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c91b53b0339027:0x494b1c517a666e5e!8m2!3d36.4406627!4d-94.230074
• Car-caravan means we drive as a group in our own cars to the trailhead.  Car-pooling is OK if pre-arranged between driver and riders.

Driving Distance:  28 miles from the Fayetteville car caravan meeting area at Sam’s Club.

Comment:  Plan to social distance and wear a mask, especially if in close quarters.  Bring water, snack or lunch, rain gear, gloves, bug spray, and wear hiking boots/shoes.  No pets are allowed on any hikes, and children under 12 years must be accompanied by a guardian.   Participants are required to sign a “liability release” http://www.ozarksociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/OS-Sign-Up_Sheet_rev4.pdf  at the trailhead to take part in any Ozark Society outing.  Everyone is welcome to hike with the OSHC, whether an Ozark Society member or not.

Apres-Hike Possibilities in the booming Bentonville area:

1. A Day at Osage Park.  Stop in and get to know this new Bentonville park between 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  Sugar Creek Chapter of OS will have a booth there among many other exhibitors.  See:  https://www.peelcompton.org/events/a-day-at-osage-park/
2. Hike the Coler Preserve Paved Trail along Coler Creek to the Airship Coffee for a beer, coffee, or snack.  Round-trip hike is 1.5 miles.
3. Visit the 32d Annual Pea Ridge Mule Jump.  This is a must-see at least one-time.  See:  http://pearidgemulejump.com/
4. Drive the new I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector.  How long have we been waiting for this?  See:  Arkansas Missouri Connector – Bing News https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Arkansas+Missouri+Connector&qpvt=arkansas+missouri+connector&FORM=EWRE

Links to Pictures of recent OSHC hikes can be seen on the Ozark Society Website at www.ozarksociety.net  Go to Chapters & Activities/Highlands Chapter and look for Frank Millett’s and Luke Parsch’s Flickr websites links.