Fayetteville Parks

Northwest Arkansas is widely known for its natural beauty, and justly so.  The University of Arkansas campus is surrounded by magnificent rolling hills, quaint streams and woods.  One of the best ways to observe the beauty of the area is by going to one of the many parks near the University of Arkansas.  The City of Fayetteville is home to about 37 parks including sports complexes, nature areas and gardens.  Many of these parks are very accessible from campus and have a lot to offer your students.

The closest park to campus is Wilson Park.  This park is very popular among students here at the university for several reasons; for one it is only one and a half miles from the union.  This is a short walk, especially for students who live on the north side of campus.  It is has a basketball court, tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and even a softball field.  For the less competitive park goers there is also a walking trail, gazebo and picnic areas.  This is Fayetteville’s oldest park and arguably one of its best.

Walker Park is also very close to the University of Arkansas campus.  This park offers several unique features that Wilson Park does not offer.  One of my favorite amenities at this park is the disc golf course that cuts through the wooded portion of this park.  In addition to its tennis courts, basketball court and volleyball courts it also has eight baseball fields, two handball and racquetball courts, twenty horseshoe pits, two soccer fields and a skate park.  Although this park is a little bit farther than Wilson Park it has quite a bit more to offer.  This park is about 1.8 miles from the union and is connected to campus via the Razorback Regional Greenway.

Lake Fayetteville is another great park located in the Northwest Arkansas area.  This park is significantly farther away from campus but it is still worth the fifteen minute drive.  If your student is looking for a pleasant bike ride, they can ride just over seven miles on the Frisco and Scull Creek Trails.  This park also has a trail that loops around the small lake.  This park is a different caliber park than Wilson and Walker, it doesn’t have many sports facilities, besides its softball complex, but it is a beautiful park with many trails.  It has hiking and mountain biking trails as well as a small technical bike course.  Lake Fayetteville is also home to North Shore Disc Golf course.

These are my personal favorite parks here in Fayetteville, but there are many other great parks here that all have something unique to offer the city’s inhabitants.  You should encourage your student to explore Fayetteville and all it has to offer; I encourage everyone to go to these parks and to visit others.  For more information about Fayetteville’s parks follow this link.