In the last five years, our small town has seen a tremendous increase in the number of trails for public use. Eureka Springs is now on par with many outdoor Meccas in terms of miles of trail per resident. While this certainly has provided all of us with a more convenient access to nature, it can also be daunting to navigate these new trail systems, especially considering a portion of the new trails being built have been designed for specific modes.
For those of you who have been intending to hit the trail, but aren’t sure where to start, I have excellent news that will hopefully give you the confidence you need to begin exploring. Mountain Bike Project (or more commonly known as MTBProject) is a free app available to download on any smartphone.
Don’t let the name fool you, you can use it for hiking, too. This powerful free app allows users to scroll through thousands of miles of trail state-by-state, and provides essential info on each trail, such as length, difficulty, elevation gain/loss, basic descriptions, photos, current conditions, and even user ratings.
It works even if you don’t have a cell signal by identifying your location via GPS in real time, showing exactly where you are on a given trail and which direction you’re going. Best of all, you don’t need to create an account to use it! Simply download the app, then download the Arkansas package and you’re ready to hit the trail.
Currently, MTBProject has practically every trail within Eureka Springs downloaded in their archives. In fact, some of these trails are only available to view via the app, as they have not been incorporated into physical maps yet.
As someone who has worked in trails’ maintenance for both Passion Play and for the city, I can say that MTBProject is the easiest way to ensure you approach the trail with the confidence you need to explore without the stress of getting lost along the way. Hope to see you on the trail!
Sam Dudley