Benefits 

Already a popular place to be, the completed sections of the Arkansas River Trail are a destination for some 1,500 residents on most weekend days.

Social Benefits

Benefits provided by the river trail are opportunities for families and friends to gather and enjoy spending time together while getting healthy. 

Whether you enjoy walking, jogging, cycling or skating, the river trail offers a safe, clean place to enjoy your favorite sport. 

The river trail is handicapped accessible which will provide people with physical disabilities an opportunity to safely exercise and enjoy the great outdoors in a comfortable setting.

Trails provide natural, scenic areas that cause people to actually want to be outside and physically active. Cyclists, walkers, joggers, roller bladers, wildlife enthusiasts, students, educators, business professionals, retirees, families (young and old) and many others will have a myriad of opportunities to enjoy their chosen physical activity on the Arkansas River Trail. . . for recreation, education, or health improvement.
 

Environmental Benefits

The river trail has the ability to protect important habitat and provide corridors for people and wildlife.

Trails help improve air and water quality. Communities with trails provide enjoyable and safe options for transportation, which reduces air pollution. By protecting land along rivers and streams, greenways prevent soil erosion and filter pollution caused by agricultural and road runoff.

Trails connect people with places, enabling them to walk or cycle to run errands, visit local attractions, or commute to work. With a 14-mile loop and extensions, which create a total of 24 miles, the Arkansas River Trail will provide residents with an ideal opportunity for commuting from east to west Little Rock, and to and from destinations in Little Rock and North Little Rock free from the congestion created by automobiles.

Health Benefits

The river trail will provide residents with a safe, clean place to walk, bicycle, jog and skate.  Many studies have shown that walking trails within a community greatly increases the number of people who exercise daily.  There is a clear-cut relationship between exercise and good health. The River Trail will offer all types of exercise to the community.

"Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity," states Dr. Fay Boozman, Director, Arkansas Department of Health. "Reducing heart disease death rates could be accomplished by improvements in environments such as increasing availability and access to recreational facilities in Arkansas communities. Successful prevention of these chronic diseases and illnesses include interventions to prevent and control modifiable risk factors at the community level.

Arkansas has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the country. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has looked scientifically to see what efforts actually succeed in getting people to lose weight and exercise. The answer was surprising. . . .it wasn’t public service announcements or billboards… what works is creating exercise trails and encouraging their use.

In recognition of the need for trails in our communities, the Arkansas Department of Health has earmarked $300,000 a year to help fund the construction of fitness trails in towns across the state. The Trails for Life Grant Program is one of the first of its kind in the United States.

The simple fact that everyone should know is that exercise reduces the incidence of a myriad of illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity. In addition to preventing these illnesses, exercise builds muscle, bone and joint health. It also helps raise self-esteem and increase our bodies’ energy levels.
 

Being healthy is as easy as 1-2-3!

Economic Development Benefits

Bicycle and pedestrian tourists make significant contributions to local economies.  Studies show that where bicycle and pedestrian tourism is fostered and promoted, and where investments are made in bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the economic impact may be even greater.  A thriving tourist industry, in turn, can attract and revitalize businesses, create jobs, and increase public revenue.

Trails are very popular among vacationing bicyclists and pedestrians. Visitors appreciate and often return to communities that provide places for bicycling and walking safely removed from busy roads and streets.  Trails offer scenic recreation opportunities suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities. Where popular trails exist, lodging providers can encourage extended stays among their guests, thereby increasing occupancy.  For residents, investments in trails and greenways can increase property values and improve the overall livability of a community.

Watchable wildlife along a trail will attract photographers, nature lovers and birders to use the trail to pursue their hobbies.  According to a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,  birdwatchers spend over $5.2 billion annually.  The economic impact of a trail spanning two cities is remarkable.

Many trails throughout the nation have served as major tourist attractions and economic enhancements for communities. The Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, is the foundation for a $2 billion annual tourist industry. Festivals and special events celebrating the city’s rich history and cultural are held throughout the year along the Riverwalk.