Be a Symposium sponsor and/or exhibitor!

American Trails presents the National Trails Symposium

The Symposium provides an opportunity for the worldwide trails community to come together for an inspirational and educational conference. The 2006 Symposium was held in the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. The Symposium agenda addresses both non-motorized and motorized issues and our vision for trails and greenways nationwide. Dozens of speakers and keynote presenters cover the top topics in the trails community with presentations from across America.

Besides the educational opportunities found at this biennial symposium, networking with a wide variety of knowledgeable people working on trails today, including advocates, agencies, land managers, designers, planners, technicians, vendors, builders, developers, and enthusiasts, is one of the best benefits of attending this conference. See the Symposium schedule for details.

The Symposium also provides sponsors and exhibitors from across America a place to showcase their products and services. All sponsorships/exhibits paid in full by July 31, 2008 will receive a 10% Fee Discount. Download the Sponsor/Exhibitor packet (pdf 120 kb) and Download the Exhibitor Rules & Regulations (pdf 40 kb).

Another highlight of the Symposium is the National Trails Awards, wich recognizes the people, agencies, and organizations that are creating trails for all Americans. We'll also be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System.

Join us in Arkansas for the future of trails!

Health and art on the trails in Little Rock

By Pam Gluck, Executive Director, American Trails

The "Big Dam Bridge" in Little Rock, Arkansas

Why did we choose Arkansas as the location for the next National Trails Symposium? I'm excited to share some of the "wow factors" that amazed me and led to the final decision in making Little Rock the place to be in November of 2008.

First, we are all trying to make the connection between trails and health. Little Rock's cutting-edge Medical Mile project, coordinated by trail innovator Terry Eastin, is a linear outdoor health museum. It is "lighting the way" for us to learn how to work with the medical community and bring hospitals and physicians across the country "on board" with trails.

Then there is the Big Dam Bridge project, over the Arkansas River, that is a shining example of how to take a BIG vision and make it happen. Judge Buddy Villines of Pulaski County had the concept and worked tirelessly to make it happen. He says "We build roads because we have to move cars in commerce. We build trails to improve the quality of life for our citizens." The project won a 2007 Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives Award from the Federal Highway Administration. See 2008 BDB events...

	Medical Mile Trail in downtown Little Rock

The mayors of both Little Rock and North Little Rock live trails. Jim Dailey, Mayor of Little Rock, believes "The artistry of our landscape, the health of our citizens, and the desire for innovative economic stimulus that harmonizes with the environment have given us a mandate for developing the Arkansas River Trail."

Mayor Patrick Hays thinks, "The North Little Rock River Trail is one of the most scenic bicycle and walking trails in the country." This proud and enthusiastic "father" of the trail actually helped lay out sections of it.

The leaders and people of Little Rock are enthusiastic about their trail projects and are just as excited to share them with you at the 2008 National Trails Symposium. So mark your calendars and join us in Arkansas in 2008!

More about Little Rock

View of downtown Little Rock

Turning Little Rock into a "City in a Park"

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas, located on the banks of the Arkansas River. The six-county Little Rock-North Little Rock metropolitan area has a population of 643,272. Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau has a video tour of the city: see low resolution video - or see high resolution video.

On March 4, 2008, Little Rock was recognized by Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) as the best walking city in Arkansas. Liz Vaccariello Editor-in-Chief, noted that "cities were evaluated on 14 walking criteria, including the percentage of adults who walk to work, number of parks per square mile, use of mass transit, and percentage of adults who walk for fitness. New this year, a Best Walking City was also named in each of the 50 states, from an evaluation of its 10 most populated cities. As the mayor of a winning city. We applaud Little Rock; itŐs a great place to walk!"

Some interesting areas of the city are:

• Quapaw Quarter: Turn of the century Little Rock includes three National Register historic districts with over a hundred buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Tours are available showing the many Victorian and Antebellum homes.
• Riverfront Park, located in downtown, hosts the annual Riverfest music festival, and home to La Petite Roche (the little rock).
• River Market District is a refurbished former warehouse district and subset of downtown including an old-fashioned bazaar-style market hall, and various shops, bars, restaurants and galleries.

  Arkansas River Trail

  When completed, the Arkansas River Trail will reach from downtown Little Rock to Pinnacle Mountain State Park on the southern shore, and from downtown North Little Rock to Cook's Landing on the northern shore. A 14-mile loop will be created by a the "Big Dam Bridge" across Murray Lock and Dam and a renovated railroad bridge near the Presidential Library Center and Park. The Junction Railroad Bridge is also being converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, linking both sides of the Arkansas River. The trail will also connect to the 225-mile Ouachita Wilderness Trail.

  	Biking on the Arkansas River Trail

   

  Healthcare is a big business in Little Rock, which has helped provide major support for the trails system. One of the largest public employers in the state with over 9,400 employees, is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and its affiliates. They have a total economic impact in Arkansas of about $4.1 billion per year.

  The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, designed by architect James Polshek, cantilevers over the Arkansas River, echoing Clinton's famous campaign promise of "building a bridge to the 21st century." See the video of Bill Clinton's introduction to his Presidential Library.

  The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History opened in 2001, the last remaining structure of the original Little Rock Arsenal and one of the oldest buildings in central Arkansas, it was also the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur who would go on to be the supreme commander of US forces in the South Pacific during World War II.
  

  Canoeing at Pinnacle Mountain State Park

The city has two major universities that are part of the University of Arkansas System. The campuses of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are located within Little Rock.

National Trails System Turns 40 in 2008

October 2, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of passage of the National Trails System Act. This Act opened the door to Federal involvement in trails of all types, from city centers to remote back country. It also formally established both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest as America's first two National Scenic Trails.

Since 1968, under authorities of this Act, 23 additional national trails have been established. Of these, 8 are National Scenic Trails (primarily hiking) and 17 are National Historic Trails (retracing historic routes of national significance), together totaling over 50,000 miles in combined lengths. In addition, the Act authorized over 1000 National Recreation Trails and the ground-breaking railbanking of abandoned railway corridors, opening up another 15,000 miles for trail-based recreation. Come join the 2008 National Trails Symposium to help celebrate four decades of America's National Trails System!

For more information on the National Trails System, visit these websites:

• National Park Service
• Partnership for the National Trails System
• American Trails Website
• National Recreation Trails
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

More trails:

• The "Medical Mile" project
• Art and Health on the Medical Mile
• More photos in the Cool Trail Solutions area
• Little Rock's "Big Dam Bridge" project and the Junction Railroad Bridge
• Big Dam Bridge Foundation
• The Big Dam Bridge: Ride it, Run it, Walk it, Live it
• Little Rock's Arkansas River Trail
• Clinton Presidential Library ties into Arkansas River Trail
• The Mississippi River Trail - Terry Eastin receives Kodak Greenways Award
• Mississippi River Trail's NPS Centennial project
• Friends of the Ouachita Trail
• Trail of Tears Association and NPS Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
• Arkansas Trails page

More links to information:

• Arkansas official tourism website
• Arkansas Bicycle Club
• Arkansas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
• Arkansas Canoe Club
• Arkansas Forestry Commission: Proper tree maintenance around trails
• Arkansas Famous and Historic Tree Program
• Arkansas Urban Forestry Council - "Helping build healthy communities with trees
• Buffalo National River
• Devil's Den State Park
• hikearkansas.com
• hNorthwest Arkansas trails
• Links: hikearkansas.com/outdoorlinks.html
• Keep Arkansas Beautiful and Pulaski County affiliates
• Little Rock City Beautiful Commission
• North Little Rock, Arkansas
• Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
• Ouachita National Forest
• Blanchard Springs Caverns (USFS)
• The Ozark Society
• Pinnacle Mountain State Park
• U.S. Green Building Council - Ark. Chapter
• White River National Wildlife Refuge

American Trails, P.O. Box 491797, Redding, CA 96049-1797 • (530) 547-2060
• Fax: (530) 547-2035 • Symposium@americantrails.org • www.AmericanTrails.org

Where to find it:

Symposium index
Agenda
Be a sponsor
Sponsorship levels
2008 Sponsors
Call for proposals
Submit proposals
National awards
Be a volunteer
Volunteer signup
Planning Team

Registration
Hotels

Past and future of the National Trails Symposium: