By Lynn Kutter
ENTERPRISE-LEADER
Upcoming Event
Ozark Off-Road Cyclists will sponsor its annual Mountain Bike Festival at Lincoln Lake, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Free admission, registration is not required. Every rider must have a helmet and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. There will be a 3-mile trail ride for novice riders but most trails are geared for experienced riders.
LINCOLN -- As leaves in northwest Arkansas start to change colors, Lincoln Lake is coming upon its busiest time of the year.
David Justice, director of Lincoln Lake for city of Lincoln, says he likes to call Lincoln Lake a nature environment, a set-aside place.
Many times, Justice says, he sees people drive into the parking lot at the lake, then turn around and leave.
"The whole park is designed to get you out of your car to see the wonders of it. You have to get on the trails," Justice said.
On a weekend in the fall, Justice estimates 150-200 people will come to the park to enjoy many activities. The area will stay busy throughout fall and into early winter, then pick up again in spring. The number of visitors tapers off in the cold of winter and heat of summer.
The park includes 400 acres with eight miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking. The trails are handbuilt, the way trails were built in the 1990s, according to Justice. Volunteers used picks, shovels, rakes, saws, ropes and pulleys to build trails for visitors to enjoy. Even today, routes are changed occasionally to improve trails, he added.
Visitors to the park can see beautiful lake and forested vistas from the trail and its many overlooks. The most popular overlook is called Lake View Overlook. From this vantage point, visitors can see both sides of the lake. Other wonderful sights are rock outcrops and rock formations.
Wildlife is abundant and visitors have been known to see foxes, coyotes and deer. Some have reported seeing black bears passing through.
Most people come for hiking, biking and rock climbing. But others come to Lincoln Lake to take photographs, bird watch or even search for up to 15 geocaches.
The 90-acre lake is busy with people fishing or paddling on the water with canoes or kayaks. No gasoline-powered motors are allowed on Lincoln Lake, which means the air is pristine and the water free for canoes, kayaks, rowboats or rafts.
Climbing, fishing and mountain-bike riding are popular year-round, Justice said. Hiking is more popular in the fall and winter.
"The wonderful thing about the lake is that even with lots of visitors you can still get out and get away from people. It's beautiful and very quiet."
Lincoln Lake, which was formed in 1960, is fed by two water sources, Beatty Branch and Moore's Creek. It used to be the city's water supply but now is used exclusively for recreation.
The trailhead for the lake loop starts behind an information kiosk and map located near the lake's main parking lot. The lake loop is 4 1/2 miles long and is designed to go counterclockwise for hikers.
The trail for mountain bikers starts on a bridge located off Arkansas Highway 669, near the main entrance into Lincoln Lake park, and goes clockwise around the lake.
Separate loops branch off from the main trail. These include Spinway Loop, Piney Loop and Lower Eagle View Loop. Bikers and hikers can take the loops, then come back to the main trail.
"You can do all eight miles without backtracking," Justice said.
Trails are marked and every trail intersection has a sign that gives the name of the loop and a description of the trail. In addition, arrows can be found along the trails to assist hikers and bikers.
A printable map is available on the city of Lincoln website, lincolnarkansas.com. A free trails' apps also can be downloaded to a smartphone. Search for mtbproject to download the app.
General News on 10/18/2017