The Walton Family Foundation is a long-time supporter of Northwest Arkansas trails. We’ve always known our trails were popular, but we were excited to discover, through a study conducted this spring, that our regional trail traffic is comparable to major bike- and pedestrian-friendly metropolitan areas.

Northwest Arkansas has almost as many cyclists daily per capita using trails as San Francisco on our most popular trail sections. We also have nearly as many pedestrians daily per capita using our trails as San Diego County and exceed those in Portland.

This active transportation network has helped our region preserve its sense of place by complementing downtown revitalization efforts, connecting cities and preserving green spaces.

I encourage you to review a summary of the results, including an interactive map, identifying the most popular spots along the trail system.

This study would not have been possible without the support of partners in municipalities across the region. Those partnerships will play an integral role as we continue to further develop this transportation system.