Lake Fayetteville Trail Hiking Guide
Lake Fayetteville Trail circles a 194-acre lake on the north side of Fayetteville, and the city calls it one of the most popular trails in its parks system. You can walk a 5.5-mile paved loop or a longer natural-surface path through the woods closer to the water. It is flat enough for an after-work walk and long enough to count as a proper workout.
Two Loops: Paved and Dirt
Fayetteville Parks and Recreation lists the paved multi-use trail at 5.5 miles and the soft-surface natural trail at 6.9 miles. AllTrails measures the paved loop at 5.5 miles with 229 feet of gain and the nature trail at 6.5 miles with 275 feet. Both are shared by walkers, runners and cyclists. Hiking Project describes the dirt route as mostly smooth singletrack with a few roots and short dips at shortcut junctions; stay right at those to keep to the main trail.
Where to Start
Most people start at Veterans Memorial Park, a 40-acre park on the south shore with public parking, restrooms, playgrounds and picnic areas, according to Experience Fayetteville. The city lists park addresses at 1208 E. Lake Fayetteville Road and 1350 E. Zion Road. Veterans Memorial Park is also where the loop meets the Razorback Regional Greenway.
Along the Way
The city points out benches, kiosks, lighting and rest areas on the bridge across the lake spillway, which it calls award winning. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks sits on the lakeshore, along with a bike skills park and a boat and bike rental. Expect a steady stream of bikes on the paved loop, especially on weekends; keep right and listen for riders calling out passes.
Dogs
Fayetteville's leash law covers its parks and its trail system. The city says every park outside its two off-leash areas, the IAMS Dog Park and Lake Wilson Park, requires dogs to be leashed at all times. City ordinance also requires picking up after your dog, and most city parks have waste stations.
When to Go
With lighting on the paved trail and no fee, this is a year-round loop. Weekday mornings are quieter than Saturday afternoons. Hiking Project describes the dirt route running through open hardwood forest and grassy meadows, partly in the trees right along the lake, which makes it the shadier choice in summer. After heavy rain, the pavement is the cleaner option.
Hiking tips for Lake Fayetteville Trail
- Pick the paved loop after rain and the natural trail when it is dry.
- Stay right at the shortcut junctions on the dirt trail to follow the main route.
- Keep right on the paved loop; cyclists share it.
- Leash your dog; Fayetteville's off-leash areas are elsewhere.
- Park at Veterans Memorial Park for restrooms and greenway access.
Nearby trails to explore
- Yellow Rock Trail (Devil's Den State Park)
- Whitaker Point Trail (Hawksbill Crag)
- Lost Valley Trail (Buffalo National River)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Lake Fayetteville is an easy loop to fit into a weeknight, and a good way to meet people before a bigger Ozark trip. Use TrailMates to find walkers and hikers in Fayetteville, set the time and meeting spot at Veterans Memorial Park in the event's group chat, and walk a lap as a group. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.