Wellness & Fitness
Winner • 20,000 or Greater
In the summer of 2021, the city of Paragould broke ground on the comprehensive 8 Mile Creek Trail system with the aim of improving alternate transportation in the city and enhancing citizens’ health and wellness.
PARAGOULD
Population: 28,568
Mayor: Mike Gaskill
County: Greene
Region: Northeast
In 2016, the Green County Future Fund began working with a grant writer and the city of Paragould for initiatives that could improve the quality of life in the county. These efforts have generated nearly $1 million over three grant cycles to provide this amenity to the citizens of Paragould and surrounding communities.
The trail consists of three phases and will stretch roughly four miles one way, starting near the Rotary Softball Park, going along the 8 Mile Creek and ending at Highway 412 East. The overall plans for the trail include connecting it to all city parks, school systems and several retail areas as well as a proposed future connection to Crowley’s Ridge State Park, located a few miles outside city limits.
Located on the former home site of pioneer Benjamin Crowley, the park contains many examples of the work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. One of Arkansas’ most popular state parks, it is bisected by Crowley’s Ridge Parkway, a National Scenic Byway.
The site became a state park in 1933 in an effort to honor Crowley and the heritage of the Crowley’s Ridge area.
By connecting several areas in Paragould to the trail system, the city provides an alternative method of transportation for many of the city’s residents. Paragould does not have public transit, so this allows for citizens to walk or bike safely around the city, to work and school.
Not only does the trail provide safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists, it also promotes health and wellness in the community.
The 2020 Community Health Assessment by Arkansas Methodist Hospital, Paragould’s local hospital, listed obesity, healthy eating and active living among the most important priorities identified in its Community Health Summit.
As a multi-generational trail, 8 Mile Creek will improve the quality of life for the citizens of Paragould.
The trail’s primary focus is connectivity. Urban biking, hiking and walking trails are a vital addition to the existing park system and Paragould is using the creek that runs through the city limits as an added trail feature.
The trail is funded by TAP Grants from the Arkansas Department of Transportation and a financial commitment from the city. TAP Grants are available for any community to apply for and any other community could replicate the funding and project plan.
DID YOU KNOW?
The city’s name is a combination of the last names of railroad magnates J.W. Paramore and Jay Gould, whose competing lines intersected in the area in 1882.
There is a high level of community buy-in with the 8 Mile Creek Trail. A local nonprofit, the Greene County Future Fund, has raised funds for years to help the city in paying for grant-writing costs to make the trail a funded possibility.
The Leadership Paragould Alumni is currently raising funds to assist the city in putting in an outdoor exercise facility along the trail. With help from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and local nonprofits, the group has been able to secure funding to make the project a reality.