The Southwest and Southeast trails are moving forward, but a new county judge will be the one who finishes the job.
Pulaski County is in the middle of one of the most ambitious active transportation buildouts in Arkansas history, with two major greenway trails pushing into new territory. Now, following a surprise primary upset in March, a new leader will be at the wheel for the final miles.
Outgoing County Judge Barry Hyde confirmed that two phases of the Southwest Trail and one phase of the Southeast Trail are actively moving forward, even as his successor prepares to take office. Democratic nominee Wendell Griffen, who defeated Hyde by a wide margin in the March 3 primary, says he supports seeing both projects through to completion.
The Southwest Trail: Little Rock to Hot Springs, One Mile at a Time
The vision behind the Southwest Trail is audacious by any measure: a continuous multi-use path stretching from Little Rock all the way to Hot Springs, threading through Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties along abandoned railroad corridors and available right-of-way. When finished, it will rank among Arkansas’s most significant linear parks and active transportation corridors.
Serious planning dates to the early 2010s, when local leaders and trail advocates recognized the potential of unused rail lines. County Judge Buddy Villines was the first Pulaski County judge to champion the project, helping set the trail’s foundation during those early years. In 2015, planning firm ALTA Planning completed a corridor and economic impact study that made the case for the trail’s benefits to recreation, tourism and transportation. Two years later, in June 2017, Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties jointly secured a Federal Lands Access Program grant to fund design and engineering. Garver Engineering was selected as the lead design firm in 2018, during Hyde’s tenure as the second county judge to advance the project.
The Pulaski County segment got its first tangible milestone in April 2025, when officials cut the ribbon on a roughly four-mile stretch running from the Saline County line north to near Hilaro Springs Road, crossing Chicot Road and Geyer Springs Road along a flat, former railroad bed well-suited for biking, walking and running. It was the first completed section of the larger 60-plus mile regional trail.
More construction is imminent. Hyde said a section between Hilaro Springs Road and Baseline Road is expected to break ground in June, and a separate segment running from Central High School to the State Fairgrounds should be under construction by early summer. That would leave two remaining sections, Baseline Road to 65th Street and 65th Street to the State Fairgrounds, for the next county judge to complete. Hyde said land acquisition is already underway in those areas. Whoever wins in November will become the third Pulaski County judge to carry the Southwest Trail forward, inheriting both the project’s momentum and its final miles.
The Southeast Trail: A Bike Route Grows Up
On the eastern end of the county, a different kind of trail is coming into its own.
The Southeast Trail traces its origins to an informal cycling route local riders called the “Airport Loop,” a practical path from downtown Little Rock out toward Clinton National Airport and the industrial areas east of the city. Pulaski County and the city of Little Rock formalized the route in 2016, officially dedicating it as an extension of the Arkansas River Trail network, though much of it still ran along existing streets at the time.
The long-term goal was always something more substantial: a separated, off-street greenway designed as much for daily transportation as for recreation. The trail’s planned connections tell that story clearly, linking the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, Heifer International, the Clinton School of Public Service, Clinton National Airport, East Little Rock neighborhoods, Carver Magnet Elementary, eStem East Village schools, East End and Cheatham parks, and major employers like Dassault Falcon Jet.
That vision took a major step forward in March 2024, when Pulaski County and the city of Little Rock broke ground on the first major off-street improvement phase, a new 12-foot-wide shared-use path along the levee corridor connecting the existing Arkansas River Trail toward the airport. Long-range plans call for the trail to continue beyond the airport to the Port of Little Rock and Terry Lock and Dam.
The next construction phase, extending the trail from its current northern terminus near the airport to the wastewater treatment plant, is also scheduled to get underway this summer, Hyde said.
A New Judge, the Same Direction
Hyde’s tenure ends at the close of the year after Griffen defeated him 62.7% to 37.3% in the Democratic primary, ending Hyde’s 12-year run as county judge. On the Republican side, Michael Rushin ran unopposed and will face Griffen in the November general election. Given Pulaski County’s recent Democratic lean in countywide races, Griffen’s primary win was widely viewed as the most consequential result of the night.
Griffen, a former circuit judge and pastor, said he supports completing both trail projects and spoke positively of expanding bicycle infrastructure throughout the county. He said he is seeking input from advocates as he shapes his transportation priorities. Republican candidate Rushin had not responded to a request for comment as of this writing.
For trail users and active transportation advocates, the message from both the outgoing and incoming county leadership is consistent: the Southwest and Southeast trails are moving forward. The shovels are going in the ground this summer, and Central Arkansas’s most ambitious greenway network is getting closer to reality, one phase at a time.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
