Kessler Mountain Reserve is a 380-acre conservation easement held by the Land Trust located within the City of Fayetteville’s Kessler Mountain Regional Park. With over 10 miles of soft surface single track trail, it is a go-to spot for many mountain bikers in the region. The trails are also accessible to trail runners and hikers. 

 

Kessler Mountain Reserve was protected through a partnership between many organizations including neighbor Frank Sharp, Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Ozark Offroad Cyclists, and the City of Fayetteville. 

 

Kessler Mountain is part of a chain of small mountains at the border between the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains ecoregions. The mountain also splits the Illinois River and White River/Beaver Lake watersheds. There are many regionally and globally important habitat types on the mountain including oak/hickory forest, ephemeral streams and ponds, springs, bluff lines, and a large shale barren.  

 

Visitors can access the mountain via the parking area off Cato Springs Rd on the south side or the Fayetteville Traverse Trail on the north side, with current parking at the old Ozark Mountain Smokehouse on Martin Luther King Blvd. 

 

Visit Kessler Mountain Regional Park | Fayetteville, AR - Official Website (fayetteville-ar.gov) for more information about Kessler Mountain and the regional park.