MISSION & HISTORY
Mission
We lead the development of an innovative regional movement that places cycling, trails, and active transportation infrastructure at the heart of a vibrant, healthy, and sustainable culture.
Vision
Northwest Arkansas sets the national standard for world-class trails, cycling, and active transportation—fostering a thriving, connected, and engaged community.
Values
Excellence - Excellence is the standard. We pursue it relentlessly, setting the benchmark for performance, innovation, and enduring success.
Humility - We value diverse perspectives, challenge our own assumptions, and learn from others—using every experience to improve the work we do.
Innovation - We innovate with purpose, developing forward-thinking, environmentally responsible solutions for long-term sustainability and financial strength.
Collaboration - We partner with cities, businesses, and thought leaders to build infrastructure that brings people together and enhances the region’s future.
Our History
Trailblazers is a nonprofit formed in 2021 through the merger of NWA Trailblazers, an organization that has developed 300+ miles of multi-use trails, including the OZ Trails network, and BikeNWA, a bicycle advocacy and education-focused organization that has led the region in advocating for active transportation.
NWA Trailblazers was founded in 1996 as the Bentonville/Bella Vista Trailblazers Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit that developed cycling and pedestrian infrastructure that connected communities and moved people, with a focus on helping the Northwest Arkansas community by developing multi-use hard and soft-surface trails for cycling, running, and walking. Later, the organization rebranded as NWA Trailblazers and for over two decades has designed and developed a first-class trail system known as Oz Trails, including more than 300 miles of multi-use trails.
BikeNWA was founded in 1999 as the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. The organization was the first nonprofit in Northwest Arkansas to advocate for active transportation infrastructure. The founder, Laura Kelly, successfully brought the region's first paved trails and bike lanes to Fayetteville. The organization rebranded in 2016 with a mission was to educate, inspire, and activate the Northwest Arkansas community to support the creation of a world-class network of active transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities, with a primary focus was on communities along the Razorback Greenway corridor. The organization worked to encourage residents of Northwest Arkansas to ride bikes for both recreation and transportation purposes.