"It's basically a blank canvas of awesome." That's how Planning & Development Director Richard Stafford described Riverside Park in a May 2026 profile by City & Town. He told the magazine he'd been picturing the park's future for 13 or 14 years.
On Saturday, October 17, the first two pieces of that plan are scheduled to open. Both are rated green, which the city describes as an approachable experience for riders. The first loop was also built to the standards of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, the group behind youth mountain biking leagues. City leaders talk about drawing riders from Memphis and Northwest Arkansas someday. Even so, the city chose to open the beginner end of the system first, so this fall's new miles are built for a kid on a hand-me-down bike or a parent who hasn't ridden dirt in years.
What Opens Saturday Morning
The City of Searcy's October 8 announcement names the two trails opening this weekend.
| Trail | Length | Rating per the City | What the trail map shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backwater | 1.8 miles | Green | Labeled "Easier" |
| Monarch | 1.6 miles | Green | Length only, no difficulty label |
Together they make up 3.4 miles of new singletrack. The city calls Saturday's event a community group ride, and anyone can join. Here's how it works:
- Bring your own bike. The city won't provide rentals.
- Meet in the parking lot near the Riverside Park boat ramp.
- The ride rolls out at 10 a.m.
KATV also reported the opening on October 8. As of this writing, the ride is still on the calendar and hasn't happened yet.
Why the First Trails Are the Gentle Ones
Opening beginner trails first follows a pattern you can trace back years at this park. Before any contractor cut trail, a local volunteer group built the park's bicycle skills course. The city's Advertising and Promotion fund covered $10,000 in materials, according to White County Citizen reporting. A separate $10,000 from the same fund paid for a trail master plan for the park. The skills park still appears on the new trail map, close to the parking area and restrooms.
The NICA standard ties in with that. Stafford told City & Town the city would like to host a NICA event, and he added, "Maybe that would get some interest here to create our own team." As far as public reporting shows, Searcy doesn't have its own youth mountain bike team yet. A beginner loop a mile and a half from downtown would be a logical place for one to start.
The Rules Printed on the Map
The city's Little Red Riverpark trail map has a short rules list. It's worth reading before Saturday, especially if you're bringing kids or a dog:
- Park hours run from sunrise to dark.
- Trails are two-way. Watch for oncoming traffic and call out when you pass.
- Don't stop on or below jumps and features.
- Pets must be leashed, and you need to pick up after them.
- No motorized or electric vehicles, except Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which are allowed.
- Park only in designated areas.
- No smoking, fireworks, soliciting, or selling.
- Use the trails at your own risk.
The two-way rule is the one that will change how a ride feels. On a two-way trail with families on foot and riders on bikes, expect to slow down at blind corners and say hello a lot.
The map also tells people to stay off the trails shown in grey because they're still under construction. One wording issue: the map's heading says "Biking & Walking Trails," and the city describes Backwater and Monarch as mountain biking trails, but the rules list includes the line "Walking/Hiking Trails Only." Until the city clarifies, check the signs at the trailhead for which use applies where.
The Park Was Already Doing Something No Other Searcy Park Does
New trails are going into a park that already stood out. The city's parks inventory lists Riverside as the only Searcy park with a boat ramp and access to the water. It also notes that fishermen are regular users. On the city's Riverside Park page, the amenities include accessible hiking trails, a playground, two pavilions, picnic and grill areas, a river outlook, Little Red River access, and restrooms.
City & Town described the park as seeing moderate traffic from families fishing on the Little Red. It added that planners expect a regional draw once phase one is done, including major improvements to the boat launch area.
So a Saturday visit can cover a lot. One person in the family can ride Backwater while another fishes, and a third can watch younger kids on the playground, all within a short walk of the same parking lot.
The location matters too. Stafford told City & Town the park entrance is "maybe a mile and a half from downtown center." In January 2026, the City Council approved Resolution 2026-3, hiring Davidson Engineering for a bike-trail extension from Davis Drive to Riverside Park. The resolution covers engineering services, not construction, but it shows the city plans to connect the park to town by bike.
Why You'll See Two Names on the Signs
The City Council voted to rename Riverside Park as Little Red Riverpark on May 12, 2026, under Resolution 2026-32. The city says the change will happen gradually as it rolls out new signs, maps, and promotional materials, so residents will see both names for a while. Saturday's announcement still tells riders to meet at the "Riverside Park boat ramp," while the new map already says Little Red Riverpark at the top.
"The river really makes the park special," Stafford said in the city's announcement. He added that the new name "helps us tell that story to people beyond Searcy." The phrase "beyond Searcy" connects the rename to the trail plan, since the name is meant to help market the park regionally as more trails come online.
What Comes After Backwater and Monarch
Mayor Mat Faulkner called Saturday "really just the first look at what we're building at the park." The public record so far shows this much about what's next:
- Phase one includes eight mountain biking trails in total. The city hasn't published names or opening dates for the six beyond Backwater and Monarch.
- Progress as of May 2026: Stafford told City & Town that crews had "about 3 miles cut in" out of a planned 11.5-mile trail system.
- Who's building it: On August 12, 2025, the City Council approved an agreement with Rogue Trails for trail design and construction services. The White County Citizen also names Modus Studio and Ecological Design Group as partners on the park work.
- Funding: The city committed $5 million in bond funding to the first phase of the redevelopment. That money covers trails and other improvements, including a new entrance off Highway 13. Stafford called the entrance "the big visible thing."
- Later phases: City planning coverage lists camping as a later phase. A blufftop overlook structure appears as a phase-four concept in City & Town, which notes it isn't currently funded.
Faulkner described the long-range goal in City & Town as "a place that we can certainly see people traveling from Memphis or traveling from northwest Arkansas" to visit for a day or two. That will take more trails, a new entrance, and years of work. For now, Searcy has 3.4 miles of green trail, a volunteer-built skills park, and a boat ramp on the Little Red, all within reach of downtown.
If Saturday's ride is your first trip to Little Red Riverpark in a while, you'll find a lot has changed since your last visit. For more on what's happening around town, see our guide to how locals spend weekends around Searcy. And if you're a homeowner wondering how projects like this one fit into the bigger picture for your part of town, the team at Howell Realty Pros is happy to talk it through. Start with a free home valuation and a conversation with a local expert who's following the park's progress too.
