BTV Hikers Return to the Razorback Greenway
Village residents will be back on Northwest Arkansas’ premier trail system as part of a Butterfield fitness program that combines the benefits of exercise with the beauty of nature and the outdoors.
The BTV Hike & Lunch program has grown in popularity each year since it started seven years ago. This spring, Fitness and Wellness Director Jennifer Neill will resume the group hikes with residents along the Razorback Regional Greenway.
The Razorback Greenway is 37-mile, multi-purpose system of paved trails that stretches from Fayetteville to Bella Vista, meandering through six Northwest Arkansas cities. Utilizing in part existing trails systems operated by the various cities, the Razorback Greenway winds through woodlands, past lakes and streams and over rolling hillsides, linking downtowns, schools, parks and shopping.
Every Monday during the spring, Neill and her team will lead residents on a two-mile hike along the greenway. The first hike will begin in Fayetteville where Skull Creek connects to the Butterfield Trail Village campus. Each new hike will begin where the last ended until the group reaches Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in downtown Bentonville. After each hike, the group gathers for lunch together at a nearby eatery.
BTV provides transportation to and from the group hikes.
Neill said hiking is a great way for residents to improve their cardiovascular health and overall body strength. Those with knee and other joint pain will likely benefit as studies show exercise by walking helps lubricate knee and hip joints while also strengthening the surrounding muscles. Those who exercise regularly are also less likely to experience age related memory loss. The brain also regulates mood, and walking can help with that too because it causes the body to release endorphins -– chemicals that make people feel happy.
“If you’ve gone on these hikes with us in the past, there are plenty of new trails and improvements to be seen and experienced,” Neill said. “This is an incredible way to experience Arkansas both on and off the beaten path. We can’t wait to get moving on the greenway this spring!”
