Frequently Asked Questions

Electricity is available at all three pavilions at Walker Park, the Gulley Park gazebo, the Veterans Park pavilion, and the Lake Fayetteville Northshore pavilion.

Residents of all abilities are invited to participate and utilize any Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department programs or facilities. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate the needs of each individual.

Volleyball courts are available at Wilson Park, Walker Park, Gulley Park, and Veterans Memorial Park at Lake Fayetteville.

Yes. State fishing licenses can be obtained throughout the State of Arkansas at various sporting goods outlets. City fishing permits can be purchased at Lake Fayetteville or Lake Sequoyah and are usable at all City lakes. Lake Fayetteville, Lake Sequoyah, and Lake Wilson are open to the public throughout the year from sunrise to sunset, using the times given on The Weather Channel.  The lakes are closed Thanksgiving Day and from December 24 through January 14. For information on required permits and general lake regulations, contact Lake Sequoyah at (479) 444-3475 or Lake Fayetteville at (479) 444-3476.

Gulley Park (1.5 mi.), Wilson Park (.9 mi.), Gordon Long Park (.66 mi.), Frisco Trail (.91 mi.) Walker Park Trail (1.30 mi), Mudcreek Trail (2.15 mi.), Red Oak Park Trail (.80 mi.), and Raven Trail (.27 mi.) feature hard surface trails. Natural trails can be found at Finger Park (.6 mi.), Gregory Park (.6 mi.), Joe Clark Trail at Lake Wilson (2.6 mi.), Two Turtles Trail at Lake Fayetteville (5.5 mi.), and Trammel Park (.20 mi.).

Starting at Frisco Trail on Martin Luther King Boulevard, you can travel north using Scull Creek Trail and Mud Creek Trail, and end at the Lake Fayetteville Trail for a total distance of 10.12 miles one way.

Visit the Trails & Greenways portion of this webpage for more information including directions to each trail.

The decision on Parks and Recreation Department Programs and Special Events activities is not made until 3:30 p.m on weekdays, and one hour prior to the start of the event on weekends. If weather conditions worsen after the initial update decision, participants are encouraged to call back for further update information. Call the parks information line at (479) 443-7275 (PARK), or (479)718-7600 x 1788. Rainouts for Fayetteville Parks and Recreation programs are also updated on twitter.com/fayparksandrec.

The largest pavilions, which can accomodate up to 100 people, are located at Veterans Memorial Park at Lake Fayetteville and Walker Park. Smaller pavilions are available at Davis Park, Harmony Pointe Park, David Lashley Park, Rodney Ryan Park, Gregory Park, Lake Wilson, Walker Park North, Wilson Park and North Shore Park at Lake Fayetteville. There are also gazebos located at Gulley Park and Craft Park. Additionally, Gulley Park and Finger Park each have a 20' by 24' rectangular pavilion which can accommodate 20 to 30 people. Smaller neighborhood pavilions are not reserved, but are first come, first serve. For information about reserving these facilities, please call (479) 444-3471.

Currently the City of Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department does not offer camping facilities. Contact the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism at 1-800-NATURAL or the Fayetteville Visitor's Center at (479) 521-5776 for more information.

The City of Fayetteville has an ordinance requiring that all dogs be leashed and that citizens clean up after their pets.

Regular summer hours for open swim are 1:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Swim lessons are also available on Tuesday through Friday mornings and evenings. Adult lap swim is 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Fees, programs, and additional information, including pool rental for parties, can be found on the Wilson Pool page.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meets the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. All Board meetings are held in the City Administration Building, 113 W Mountain Street, in the suite indicated or as otherwise noted on the weekly public meetings list. Special meetings are held as needed and usually are conducted on-site.

The Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department is always looking for volunteers to staff events and help with different programs, special events and projects. Check out the volunteer information on-line to see if there is an event in which you might be interested helping. We also have Adopt-A-Park and Adopt-A-Trail programs for helping with maintenance tasks, however, it is not necessary to adopt. We work with groups and individuals on a one time basis also. Please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 479.444.3471 or download the Volunteer Handbook.

Volunteer Handbook

The programs offered are Adult Softball, Girl's Youth Softball, Women's Soccer, Youth Soccer,  Swim Lessons, Adult Flag Football, Summer Concerts, Movies in the Park, Dive-In Movies at Wilson Pool, and our summer camp series including Soccer, Tennis, Drama, Outdoor Adventure, and Swim/Fun/Fitness.

Activities offered are up to your imagination, but might include, fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, etc.

For information about baseball programs, please go to www.fybaseball.com. If you would like information about basketball or football programs, you can call the Donald W. Reynolds Boys and Girls Club at 479.442.9242.

You can email fayettevillegarden@gmail.com . Please check out the Community Gardens page on our website for additional information about community gardens in Fayetteville.

Lake Wilson is a 320 acre off-lease dog park located in southeast Fayetteville. There is also a 1.5 acre dog park located at the Fayetteville Animal Shelter at 1640 S Armstrong. Procter and Gamble has donated $30,000 to build a dog park in Bryce Davis Park in 2010. The Dog Park rules are as follows:

• Dogs must be on a leash upon entering and exiting the dog park.
• Dogs must be supervised by the owner, have current vaccinations and City licenses.
• The owners must pick up dog waste and dispose of it in designated trash receptacles.
• A person may bring in only two dogs.
• Children eight years and younger are not allowed in the off-leash dog area. Children ages nine through thirteen must be accompanied by an adult.
• Dog owners must be in the park and within view of their dogs at all times.
• Food is not allowed inside the dog park, with the exception of training treats.
• Aggressive dogs are not allowed.
• Users of the facility do so at their own risk.
• Dogs in heat or under the age of four months are not allowed.
• Spiked collars are not allowed in the dog park.

Fayetteville sport facilities can be rented by completing a Special Event Form, which can be obtained by calling the Parks Office at 479-444-3471. Fees vary according to the type of facility, number of fields used, maintenance needs, and light usage.  Facilities that can be reserved include soccer fields, softball fields, baseball fields, the disc golf course, multi-use fields, sand volleyball courts, and tennis courts.

The Parks and Recreation Department tries to keep all of its parks and facilities in excellent condition, but occasionally vandalism, misuse, or wear can leave a facility in need of repair. If you witness or observe damage to a park facility, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at 479.444.3471 to report the problem. You may also report non-emergency problems online at www.accessfayetteville.org . 

There are currently 16 miles of 12' wide multi-use trails in Fayetteville, and this number is constantly growing as the in-house trail development program continues. All of the individual trails are listed on the website along with the distances and maps showing parking locations and amenities. For trail info please go to: www.accessfayetteville.org/government/parks_and_recreation/trails_and_greenways/index.cfm

Scull Creek Trail has lighting from North Street to the Fulbright Expressway with additional lighting planned from North Street south to Spring Street. Frisco Trail also has lighting from Spring Street to Prairie Street. In addition, Gulley Park Trail has lighting.

Arkansas State Law considers bicycles to be vehicles, so the same laws apply to bicycles as to vehicles. Bicycles must yield to vehicles at all crosswalks, just as if you are a vehicle crossing traffic. Bicycles must stop and look for traffic before proceeding. Pedestrians have the right of way at the crosswalks, and vehicles should stop for pedestrians by law. A short crosswalk safety video is available on our Trails and Greenways webpage.  

There are several ways you can be safe on the trails. Some ideas are:

• Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle.
• Use bicycle lights and reflectors after dusk and before dawn.
• Cyclists should use hand signals to alert others when they intend to turn.
• The trail speed limit is 15 m.p.h.
• Stay to the right.
• Ring a bell or give a clear, verbal warning by saying "passing" to nearby trail users before passing.
• "Leave No Trace". Keep trails litter-free by carrying out anything you carry in.
• Motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails, except motorized wheelchairs.
• Keep all pets on a leash within four feet.
• Pick up after pet waste.
• Do not disturb wildlife.

While enjoying the many opportunities the park system has to offer, please be aware of the following regulations for park use:

• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the parks.
• Parks close at 11 p.m. (Lake Sequoyah, Lake Fayetteville, Charles J. Finger Park, and Veterans Memorial Park close at sunset.)
• No vending or peddling without prior permission from the Parks Director.
• Vehicles must observe all posted signs.
• Park only in designated parking areas. Do not park on the park grass.
• No motorized vehicles are allowed within the park.
• Place trash in trash receptacles.
• No fires except in fireplaces or grills.
• Leash and clean up after pets.
• Posting of streamers, signs, or posters is prohibited when adhered with tape or other sticky materials which remove paint from the pavilions, railings, and other structures.
• Inflatable jump toys and pony rides are prohibited.