Hike explores lake trails
Hill ‘N Dale Hiking Club will hike the 3-mile Lake Atalanta, Cramps Trail and Shadow Ridge loop in Rogers on Wednesday. All hikers are welcome. Those interested should contact hillndalehike@gmail.com for more details. Club information is available at bvhikingclub.com .
Join in two walks
Ozark Hill Hikers, affiliated with the American Volkssport Association, invites all walkers to join a walk on Saturday in Siloam Springs. Registration is 9:30 to 10 a.m. at the Phillips 66 convenience store, 1295 N. Mt. Olive St., in Si-loam Springs.
The walk will start and end at the Bob Henry Park where walkers may choose a 5- or 10-kilometer route. The walks follow the Dogwood Springs greenway trail that meanders along Sager Creek and past John Brown University and continues through the historic downtown district.
Also, all walkers are invited to a walk Jan. 16 in Fayetteville. Registration is 9:30 to 10 a.m. at Walgreens, 4007 N. Shiloh Drive in Fayetteville. There is a short drive to the start point at Lake Fayetteville where participants may choose a 5- or 10-kilometer route.
Membership dues to the Ozark Hill Hikers are $12 a year, prorated $1 for each month remaining in the calendar year. Email bvvohh@gmail.com or call 479-381-9366 for more information.
Meet the
squirrel challenge
The annual Big Squirrel Challenge is set for Friday and Saturday headquartered at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozarks Highlands Nature Center, 3400 N. 40th St., in Springdale. Teams hunt Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, then bring their three largest field-dressed squirrels to the center to be weighed. Teams may compete in youth or adult divisions. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams.
Registration is not required. Call the center at 833-356-0847 for details.
Paint a duck decoy
Free duck decoy painting programs will be Jan. 18-19 at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center in Fort Smith. All supplies are furnished. Sessions will be at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18 and at 9 a.m. Jan. 19. Call the center at 501-710-6285 to register.
Learn to cook trout
Learn different ways to cook trout from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 20 outdoors at the J.B. And Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center, 3400 N. 40th St., in Springdale.
Steve Dunlap with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will demonstrate techniques for cooking trout. Trout are stocked in Arkansas’ tailwater streams and during fall and winter at city ponds and lakes statewide.
Registration is not required. Call the center at 833-356-0847 for details.
All about trout
Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation will host Trout Day from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 27 at Murphy Park in Springdale.
Catch rainbow trout and win prizes at the event. Anglers will be available to help people catch fish. There will be a trout cooking demonstration and free lunch after fishing. Registration is required.Register at agfc.com or call 833-356-0847 for registration information.
Hike, bike as a team
Coler Mountain Bike Preserve in Bentonville offers outdoor team-building activities designed for corporate groups and organizations. Expert-led activities include group-oriented mountain biking, hiking and outdoor workshops. Visit www.peelcompton.org for details or email scott.dirksen@peelcompton.org for information.
Corps welcomes
eclipse campers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open campgrounds earlier than usual at Greers Ferry Lake and Clearwater Lake in southeast Missouri to accommodate visitors traveling to see the April 8 total solar eclipse.
Thirteen campgrounds at Greers Ferry will open March 15. Three campgrounds at Clearwater Lake will open April 1. The move opens 430 additional campsites to accommodate eclipse visitors.
Sites may be reserved at recreation.gov . Reservations by phone or email are not accepted.