Arkansas Trail Fairy, caught in the act.

Trail Fairies Wear Boots

NWA Spring Classic Road Race

OORC Hand building a better community since 1997 from Ozark Off Road Cyclists on Vimeo.

Whether you are hiking, running or cycling on a trail in Arkansas, you are taking advantage of work performed by what are known as Trail Fairies. Arkansas Trail Fairies have been responsible for working with land managers, designing trails, building trails and maintaining trails for decades. Some of the work through fundraising activities to have trails professionally built, some of the work is the tiring work of convincing landowners/managers to support trails on their land and some is through strong backs wielding various types of tools from rakes to sledgehammers, weed-eaters to chainsaws.

Arkansas Trail Fairy, caught in the act.
Arkansas Trail Fairy, caught in the act.

Many of these fairies work alone while others prefer to work in groups. Through their hard work, Arkansas has developed some of the best trails in the country that can be enjoyed year-round. If you would like to lend a hand, help financially or just learn more about Arkansas Trail Fairies, visit these trail advocate websites:

The Community Bicyclist

* International Mountain Bicycling Association affiliates.

FoOT Volunteers working a section of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.
FoOT Volunteers working a section of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.
River Valley OORC volunteer creating trail.
River Valley OORC volunteer creating trail.
Volunteers assist FOST with sections of the Syllamo Trail System.
Volunteers assist FOST with sections of the Syllamo Trail System.
CATA getting kids involved in trail work.
CATA getting kids involved in trail work.
A FAST volunteer picking up trash along the trail.
A FAST volunteer picking up trash along the trail.
The COG volunteers showing off some engineering expertise.
The COG volunteers showing off some engineering expertise.
Trail Dogs working on a bridge along the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail.
Trail Dogs working on a bridge along the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail.
OORC members working some new trail in Northwest Arkansas.
OORC members working some new trail in Northwest Arkansas.
NEATO members helping out at the Syllamo.
NEATO members helping out at the Syllamo.

(photos ruthlessly stolen from the Facebook pages of the above groups.)

Franks Dermatology
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6 Responses

  1. Thank you for the shout-out to all of the dedicated, hardworking trail volunteers.

    Marty
    Friends of the Ouachita Trail

  2. Realize this article is 1.5 years old, but even back then the Arkansas Master Naturalist chapters, especially those in the Ozarks, have been clearing, building and maintaining trails all over the state. Ought to update the article to give them a shout out.

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