Newly installed signs along Benton County trails aim to make navigation easier.
The signs are unlike typical trail signage seen around the country, and they're going up alongside the paths of Lake Bella Vista, the Back 40, Blowing Springs Park, the Lincoln Junior High trail, the All American Trail and Slaughter Pen. They're packed with information and posted frequently along all trails, trailheads, intersections and use difficulty symbols that more closely resemble those of ski resorts.
Tips for cycling in Benton County
• In Bella Vista, there’s no gas station or store near the Back 40. Pack plenty of dry foods, water and fill your car’s gas tank before heading that way.
• Be aware of your surroundings and abilities; prepare for what obstacles you could encounter based on trail difficulty. Choose a trail that you’re confident you can complete.
• Don’t go alone and know where the nearest city street is in case of emergency. If you do ride alone, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll return.
• A first aid kit and cellphone.
• Have the right tools with you, such as a spare tube, air cartridge, pump or other repair kit to fix a flat tire.
For more information and maps, see NWATrails.org.
Source: Staff report
The final round of signs will be installed by Nov. 9, just in time for the International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit in Bentonville and Rogers Nov. 9-12. The cost of the signs is included in a $3 million grant the Walton Family Foundation gave to NWA Trailblazers.
"One of the things we've noted on our own trails was a lack of signage for wayfinding and all those things," said Jason Stouder of Progressive Trail Design, the company that built the trails and worked on signage design. "We wanted a regional sign plan that was concise and gave all the information that needed to be on it."
"In other areas it gets overlooked, but it's a critical piece of development for an amenity that the public uses for a good and safe experience," said Paxton Roberts, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks. "What they've done with the Back 40 trail system is to create a world class signage system. It's something other areas would love to see."
A trail marked with a green circle symbolizes an easy trail for the average beginning cyclists. Riders can expect 3-foot-wide paths with few obstacles and not much in the way of technical difficulty.
"It's something you'd take your young children on," said Cassi Lapp, communications manager for Bella Vista. "It's a little bit wider, no rocks or roots, jumps or drops. It's just an easy trail that is probably pretty smooth."
A blue square suggests a slightly more difficult trail, still with few technical aspects, but narrower and with more obstacles, such as rocks or navigating between trees. A black diamond indicates a very technical trail with expert features, including drops and jumps. Those features may not exist along the entire length of the trail, but any user would need to be prepared to navigate those sections, Lapp said. A double black diamond is the most difficult.
"These signs offer a degree of difficulty, to give you an idea of what to expect," Roberts said. "You're able to choose a trail that meets your ability."
Bella Vista does not yet have a double black diamond trail, but its Ledges Trail is a single black diamond and takes cyclists along a rock ledge and exposed bluff line. Its drops exceed 15 inches and parts of it are extremely narrow.
"We just want you to be aware of the type of trail you're getting on," Lapp said. "If it's your day one of riding a bike, be aware of what's coming if you're not of that level of experience."
Having sign symbols that differ by both color and shape is helpful for anticipated wear and tear, Lapp said. If the color eventually washes away, users can still identify which path to tread safely by noting the shape.
The use of ski resort difficulty symbols is common for multiuse mountain biking trails, Stouder said, because many well-known ones are in ski resort areas and the shared use of that rating lends consistency. The standard was developed by the IMBA, a nonprofit trail advocacy group.
Trailhead kiosks have two panels that detail hours the trail is available for use, a map of the system, legends for trail difficulty, emergency contact information and trail or park rules.
The aesthetics and consistency of the signs throughout the city were important to Bentonville, Bella Vista and Springdale, the cities that have them installed. After more than 20 variations of trail sign samples, the final design is a sign that has thick, cedar posts stained canyon brown that hold up durable, gray matte signs with light-colored lettering outlined in a sheen for better visibility.
"The sign artist cut it with a wider tool so when the sun hits it, the material pops around the letter, but not in a blinding fashion," Stouder said. "We made sure people could see them in any kind of light because night riding is popular for mountain bikers."
"In the right light, it looks backlit," Lapp said.
The color and material choices for the signs were chosen to make them fit right in with the environment, Stouder said.
New mile markers are included, and directional signs are placed immediately before and after each intersection. It makes for a sign frequency of approximately every quarter of a mile.
Each Bentonville and Bella Vista trail intersection is three ways and the signs are designed to be easily navigated at speed.
"Each intersection is clearly marked and believe it or not, that's unique," Stouder said. "You get out into the intersection then think 'Oh crap, which direction should I go?' Rather than come back and look, as soon as you're past it, you come to the other sign that says the trail name for confirmation."
"They've done a great job of making sure signs are there when riders need them," Roberts said. "Those junctions are well marked and the quality, the type of posts look really natural, like they fit in."
NW News on 09/19/2016