by Debbie Robus

Created on: August 10, 2009

Little Rock, Arkansas, is no exception when it comes to cities that provide a number of fitness centers offering a bevy of exercise options. But Little Rock also affords a number of choices for exercising and getting fit while enjoying nature and the beauty that abounds in central Arkansas. With a climate that is relatively mild, outdoor exercise is a viable option in this city virtually year-round.

The newest and most exciting offering in Little Rock is the Arkansas River Trail, which stretches from downtown Little Rock to Pinnacle Mountain State Park on the south shore of the Arkansas River, and from downtown North Little Rock to Cook's Landing on the north shore. When completed, a fourteen-mile loop will encircle this area with the renovation of the Junction Railroad Bridge, located near the Clinton Presidential Library Center & Park and the Big Dam Bridge - a pedestrian bridge across Murray Lock and Dam. Extensions to the loop will create a total of 24 miles of Arkansas River Trail for walking, cycling, and more. The trail will also connect to the Ouachita Wilderness Trail in Pinnacle Mountain State Park, a nationally recognized 225-mile trail, and add an additional 17 miles.

Plans are in the works for Pulaski County (of which Little Rock is the county seat) to begin construction on a $5 million bridge that will span the Little Maumelle River west of the I-430 bridge and connect to Two Rivers Park, a 100-acre tract located at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Maumelle Rivers. This county-owned area includes approximately 550 acres of open fields, developed trail systems, the Garden Center in which county residents can rent garden tracts, and the Garden of Trees, which highlights indigenous trees in arboreal arrangements that form outdoor "rooms" and make this a scenic location for bicycling and more.

Additional biking trails in and around Little Rock include Harper's Loop - 37 miles of trail from North Little Rock to Keo to Scott, and the Big Dam Bridge Bike Trail. The Big Dam Bridge (www.bigdambridge.com), completed in September 2006, offers 4226 linear feet of bridge, 679 feet of walled embankment and a 14-foot wide walkway for walking and cycling. Approaches to the bridge are at a 5% grade, and the span perches 72 feet above the Arkansas River upstream - 90 feet above the Arkansas River downstream. There are 8 observation areas, and the walkway is lighted. The Big Dam Bridge is the longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge ever built

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