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Print Friendly MapThe Sulphur Creek Trail offers a pleasant, tree-lined route in the central Arkansas community of Heber Springs, just a few blocks south of Main Street. The trail includes several crossings over Sulphur Creek and about half of the route follows the former Missouri and North Arkansas (M&NA) Railroad right-of-way. Currently, the trail exists in segments, with 5 miles of paved trail spread out between on-road and bike lane sections. The total route, including all on-road sections, is approximately 10.3 miles. Starting from the trail's eastern endpoint at Sugarloaf Mt. (mile zero) where it connects to the Arkansas State University Beebe Heber Campus via an unpaved trail. It heads west from here along a shared on-road section along Libby Road.
This road is winding with no shoulder, so be warned of cars along this shared route. From here it turns left onto a paved off-road route until reaching S Van Buren St. Another on-road section switchbacks from S Van Buren St. to Walnut St. to S. Park St., and then Quitman St. (where the trail is marked along the street), Center St., E Searcy St., and finally S Broadway St. where the trail picks up again. The next mile of the trail once again winds along a paved route, just south of downtown Heber Springs, before an on-road section of the trail along Scott St. The next section of the trail is the longest paved off-road section of the trail. The 10-ft wide paved path features two new bridges crossing over Sulphur Creek. This route also passes the town fairgrounds.
This section of trail crosses Bittle Rd then back to Bittle Rd farther west (~Mile 6.2). Share-the-road routes continue west on Bittle to Woodland, Woodland to Hwy 110, Hwy 110 to Tyler, and Tyler to Harrison where it crosses Hwy 110 to the Sports complex and western terminus (~Mile 8.3). A spur trail called the Sandy Beach Trail adds 2 miles to the overall trail system and can be accessed on James Place at about mile 7 of the Sulphur Creek Trail on Woodland. The paved Sandy Beach Trail picks up at James Pl and Hwy 110 and goes below the little dike, across Fox Ln, and crosses Hwy 110 at the Judge Dill Complex (old hospital). The trail reaches this end of its route at West Main (~mile 2 of Sandy Beach Trail) however the Jeff Anderson Trail (gravel) can be accessed from here which goes to Sandy Beach where a share-the-road route can be accessed back to downtown (S 11th St). Plans are to extend the trail soon.
A trail kiosk and small parking lot are available where South 4th Street meets S Broadway St (part of the trail). There is also trail access and parking along Bittle Rd., near the fairgrounds, and near the northern terminus of the trail at Sandy Beach at the end of W Front St.
See TrailLink Map for all options and detailed directions.
Over the past month, we have walked the entirety of this trail in sections, and that includes about 3/4 mile that was recently added near Sugarloaf. We love this trail, especially between Scott street to where you’re forced to walk on the road at Bittle Rd. Round trip is about 4 1/4 miles. It’s flat, mostly wooded, with several bridges over the creek. Only improvement would be to either add sidewalks or a dedicated walk/bike path where this trail is on a road.
My wife and I rode a few miles in November 2023 and enjoyed the lush fall foliage. The trail itself is paved with some elevation - nothing very intense. Lots of places to stop and rest or take in the beautiful scenery.
Good News: Very nice, well maintained trail with lots of greenery, birds, so forth, adequate parking. The trail arcs north off the right of way and over to Walnut.
Bad News: Its too short. Only a half mile one-way.
This trail has major potential. The trail starts off on the old right of way on the Missouri and North Arkansas railroad that folded not long after WWII. The Heber Springs USGS quadrangle shows the right of way. There is very little to show there was once a rail line that ran all the way from Helena to Neosho, Mo. There is still a lot of the old right of way that runs from the current trail that runs south/east and remains undeveloped with houses, etc. You can see some of the old right of way as it parallels the Little Red River for several miles. This could make a really nice lengthy trail.
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