(Editor’s Note: Each year, Arkansas Business partners with the Arkansas Municipal League to present the Trendsetter City awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives underway in municipalities across the state. Large, medium and small-sized cities were honored in six categories: Diversity and Inclusion; Education/Workforce Development; Infrastructure and Water; Public Works/Environmental and Green Management; Technology and Security; and Tourism Development/Creative Culture. Below is one winner’s story. For more, click here.)
Tourism Development/Creative Culture
Winner • 5,000-20,000
Population: 7,239 | Mayor: Kasey Griffin | County: Cleburne | Region: Northeast
The Challenge
For years, Heber Springs struggled to complete a long-envisioned hiking trail along Sulphur Creek. The challenges of acquiring land access and funding caused the project to stall for decades, but the community never lost interest in creating avenues for outdoor recreation along Sugarloaf Mountain. Renowned for its natural beauty, Heber Springs sought to enhance outdoor recreation and meet residents’ demands for more trails.
The Solution
The Greers Ferry Lake Trails Council formed in 2009 to begin planning for the trail, and several local residents donated their land to start the trail network. In 2021, a community-backed initiative secured funding by refinancing a 2007 sales tax bond, allowing the completion of the 9.4-mile Sulphur Creek Trail. With broad support from landowners and community volunteers, the fully paved trail now offers scenic routes for locals and visitors, boosting outdoor activity and tourism revenue.
Long-Awaited
In 2005, Heber Springs residents ranked walking trails their third-highest priority for new facilities in town.
Engineering plans for a trail network in Heber Springs were first created in the 1960s.
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