85 Miles, 200,000 Visitors, One Question: Are You Ready?
The Visitor Center at the Barton Trailhead
What is the Delta Heritage Trail?
The Delta Heritage Trail is an 84.5 mile “rail-to-trail” that goes through the Arkansas Delta, between Lexa and Arkansas City. The trail got its start in 1992 thanks to the donation of a rial corridor, and has since had more than $40 million put into its development. Trail riders will go over multiple bridges, most notably crossing the Arkansas and White Rivers, through farmland, and multiple Delta towns.
Once the Benzal bridge closes the final gap, which is estimated to be in December 2026, 84.5 miles of trail will run through the heart of our region, bringing new opportunities for outdoor recreation, tourism, and business.
On August 11th and 18th, Delta Magic brought that reality to Elaine and Arkansas City with two community meetings built around a simple idea: the trail is an opportunity, and opportunities are only as good as what a community does with them.
The Numbers Behind the Trail
We opened both meetings with market research that changes the conversation. The Delta Heritage Trail is projected to draw as many as 200,000 visitors annually, along with an estimated $6 million a year. That's not a hypothetical crowd passing through on the highway. It's people who move slowly, stop often, and spend money in the towns along their route.
We walked attendees through the idea of a Trail Town: a community that intentionally shapes itself to welcome trail visitors, from wayfinding signage to bike racks to a business or two that knows how to make a cyclist feel like they found something special. We shared examples of small communities elsewhere that have used trail tourism to bring in new revenue and new energy, and we made the case that the biggest wins often come from the smallest investments — a bench, a water fill station, a sign that says "welcome, you're on the trail now."
Resources in the Room
The point of these meetings wasn't just to inform people. It was to connect them to the people and programs that can help them act. We brought partners to the table who work in this space every day:
Arkansas Arts Council — grant programs that can fund public art and creative placemaking along the trail
Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) — Rural Services programs and community development assistance
Office of Outdoor Recreation — grants and support built specifically for outdoor recreation infrastructure
Thrive Inc — help building a community brand that reflects who you actually are
Ozark Foundation — trail development expertise and the Arkansas Graveler, a regional gravel riding event
Each partner spoke directly to what they offer and how communities in Elaine, Arkansas City, and everywhere in between can put those resources to work.
A Call to Action
We closed both meetings with an ask: join a volunteer group that's planning an annual bike race on the trail — one designed from the ground up to route riders through each community along the corridor, not around them. It's the kind of event that puts a town on a map a rider will remember.
What Delta Magic Is Doing Next
These meetings are one piece of a larger effort. Delta Magic is working directly with businesses and entrepreneurs along the trail who want to start something new, grow what they've already built, or find a way to connect their business to the visitors headed their way.
Two resources are already in motion:
Natural State Initiative Economic Opportunity Zones.In 2023, Arkansas launched this initiative to encourage private investment around four state parks — and the Delta Heritage Trail is one of them. Businesses located in the zone, which is one mile on either side of the trail, may qualify for tax credits, and Delta Magic is helping interested business owners understand and access that opportunity.
Walton Family Foundation facade grant. Delta Magic is facilitating a grant program that supports facade improvements for businesses along the trail, helping storefronts look as ready for visitors as the trail itself will be.
Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to Drew at [email protected]. You can learn more about the NSI tax credits by clicking here.
Mayor Carolyn Blisset of Arkansas City gets the rooms attention
A picture of my bike on the Yancopin bridge over the Arkansas River