RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Russellville’s growing trail system has a new addition, offering hikers and cyclists a route from a residential neighborhood up through the woods to Skyline Drive, with scenic views of the city along the way.

RussVegas Ridge officially opened Thursday, Oct. 15, with a ribbon cutting attended by city staff, local cyclists and community members who gathered to celebrate the completion of the nearly mile-long trail.

The trail begins near the intersection of West 12th Street and Inglewood and winds up the hillside toward Skyline Drive. Along the route, visitors will encounter switchbacks, resting areas, a bridge crossing a ravine and several opportunities to enjoy views overlooking Russellville.

City Council member Chris Olson, who has been involved in the project, said the trail was designed to accommodate more than just mountain bikers.

“It’s for hiking as well as biking,” Olson said. “We want people to hike, use it.”

Olson said the trail has a grade of approximately 4%, providing a manageable climb for recreational users. Trailforks, an online trail mapping service, classifies RussVegas Ridge as a green-rated, family-friendly trail suitable for mountain biking, hiking and trail running.

Affordable Trail Solutions constructed the trail over the summer, but bringing the project to completion required the involvement of several organizations and community partners.

Olson said part of the funding came from the RussVegas Foot Races Foundation, which had money remaining after the organization ended its operations. Organizers wanted to direct those funds toward a project that continued the foundation’s original mission of encouraging physical activity.

“Our vision in the very beginning was to get people moving off the couch,” Olson said.

The foundation approached Ozark Off-Road Cyclists about developing the trail. Olson credited Blake Slater and the organization with helping bring the project together, including coordinating the professional trail construction.

He also thanked the Lamoureux family for its cooperation in providing access to the land needed to connect the two ends of the trail.

While Thursday’s ribbon cutting marked the official opening of RussVegas Ridge, Olson said the trail represents another step toward a much larger vision for Russellville.

The new route connects the city’s existing multi-use trail network at the bottom of the hill with Skyline Drive at the top, and additional connections are planned in both directions.

At the lower end, Russellville’s trail system already extends toward Kroger. Olson said grant funding has been secured for another extension that will eventually connect the route to downtown Russellville.

“You’ll be able to ride here to downtown without getting on a city street,” Olson said.

At the upper end, another approved grant will fund a connection between RussVegas Ridge and Pine Knob Mountain Bike Park, located within Confederate Mothers Memorial Park. Longer-term plans also call for potential trail connections extending toward the Lock and Dam area.

These projects are part of a broader citywide effort to develop an interconnected network of trails linking neighborhoods, schools, parks, shopping areas and other destinations.

Russellville’s Connected Trail System initiative has identified numerous proposed improvements, including routes along Prairie Creek, downtown connections and trails extending south toward Old Post Park and the Arkansas River.

The goal is not simply to create additional recreational trails, but to develop a network that also gives residents opportunities to travel across the city by bicycle or on foot.

In the meantime, RussVegas Ridge offers another outdoor recreation option while filling an important gap in the planned trail network.

Olson said residents were already showing enthusiasm for the new trail before its official opening.

“People have already been using it, even though it said closed,” he said. “So that’s always a good sign. That means you put it in the right place.”

For those planning a visit, the lower trailhead is at the corner of West 12th Street and Inglewood. Visitors are asked to park along Lancelot Drive and walk to the trail entrance.

Olson said additional crosswalk markings near the lower trailhead are still planned. The upper entrance is accessible from Skyline Drive.

A map and additional trail information can be found on Trailforks.