Written by The Osterman Team, REALTORS® at The Agency
When will Edmond's Spring Creek to Arcadia Lake trail connector open? The latest target in the public record is mid-October 2026, from the Arcadia Lake Commission's August 13 meeting, but as of early October no city notice or news report had confirmed the 1.8-mile connector was open, so treat mid-October as a goal and not a promise. We live and work in Edmond, and we keep up with projects like this because they shape the parts of a home's location that never show up in a listing: which trailhead is closest, how far it is to a separated bike lane, and which road gets torn up for a season.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises.
Edmond's east-side paved trails mostly connect already. You can start at Fox Lake behind Sam's Club, go under I-35, and follow Spring Creek Trail out to the lake. On the far side of Arcadia Lake, another paved path runs from Edmond Park to the Post Road trailhead. Between them is one gap, and the city's plan to close it is the connector, which crosses the creek at a low-water crossing. This fall, water is setting the schedule on both sides of that gap.
How do Edmond's east-side trails connect from Fox Lake to Post Road?
The city's bike-trail map splits the route into named pieces. Read west to east, they connect like this:
- Fox Lake Trail, 1.5 miles. Forested and multi-use. Runs behind Sam's Club and Walmart, crosses 15th Street, and follows the frontage road to Mercy North Hospital. Connects north to Spring Creek Trail.
- Spring Creek Trail, 3 miles. Paved, with separate lanes for cycling and for walking or running. Passes under I-35 and has views of Arcadia Lake. Start at Spring Creek Park or the Integris Hospital trailhead.
- NW Connector, 1.8 miles. Under construction. Starts at Midwest Boulevard and links to Spring Creek Trail by a low-water crossing. Not yet open as of the latest reports.
- Arcadia Lake Trail, 3 miles. Paved, along the east and north sides of the lake, with room for strollers and dog-walking. Start at Edmond Park at 7100 E 2nd St, or at Post Road, 1 mile south of Route 66.
The three open segments total 7.5 miles of named trail, and the connector adds 1.8 more. Spring Creek Trail's separate bike and foot lanes are why the western half works well for mixed use. A runner and a cyclist leaving Spring Creek Park together do not have to share a lane until the trail ends. Spring Creek Park is on 15th Street, 2.5 miles east of I-35, and the city lists parking in its all-day-use areas.
The west end is growing too. The same map says construction is underway to extend Spring Creek Trail west to Coltrane Road. No completion date was available for that extension, so for now Fox Lake remains the practical western start.
Why did the trail connector slip from fall to mid-October?
The connector is a $3,415,004.38 project paid for by Edmond's 2017 CIP Tax Fund. In the city's July 29, 2026 project update, expected completion was listed as "Fall 2026," and the contractor "continues to make progress and is on track." That page is refreshed quarterly, so it is a July snapshot.
The more recent word came at the Arcadia Lake Commission's August 13 meeting, where staff said the low-water crossing had not been built yet. The minutes read:
"The Rt 66 to Spring Creek connector is moving along, with the low-water crossing section beginning soon, although they are still working through some water and drainage concerns. The current completion date is expected to be mid-October."
A low-water crossing sits on the creek bed by design, so drainage is the hardest part of the job, and that is exactly the part the commission named as unresolved in August. The commission's September 10 agenda packet included those same August minutes and no newer trail schedule. The city's bike map still says Arcadia Lake Trail "currently ends at Edmond Park" and "will soon" connect to Spring Creek.
The people waiting on it are mostly locals. The August minutes record that the lake safety committee found 91% of Arcadia Lake users are Edmond residents.
How is the 2nd Street water project affecting the way to Arcadia Lake?
The road to the lake is under construction while the trail is. Starting September 24, the eastbound right lane of 2nd Street/US-66 between Saints Boulevard and Air Depot Boulevard closed for the first phase of the MAIN-03 Water Infrastructure Project. In the second phase, the westbound right lane closes instead. The city expects both phases to take about three months combined.
The project is installing a 36-inch treated-water transmission line and a 48-inch raw-water transmission line between the Arcadia Lake Water Treatment Plant and the I-35 and 2nd Street area. So the lake that gives the trail its scenery also supplies the water in those pipes, and the work to move it west is narrowing the main road to Edmond Park.
The lake commission heard about this before the traffic notice went out. Its August minutes say water line work along Second Street "will cause a series of park entrance closings." The city's September 22 notice covers the lane closures but does not list which park entrances are affected or when. If you usually park at Edmond Park or the park office at 9000 E 2nd St, the Post Road trailhead at 1387 S Post Rd and the Spring Creek Park lot on 15th Street are both away from the 2nd Street work zone. Commission minutes from the summer also mention a $10-per-day lake parking fee.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises.
What trail segment does Arcadia Lake want to rebuild next?
At the same August meeting, commissioners and staff discussed a grant for the trail section running from the park office west to Midwest Boulevard. The minutes describe that trail as "old and deteriorated" and say it "needs to be rebuilt/restructured."
The grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program, funded through the Federal Highway Administration. It offers up to $300,000 and requires a 20% match. A professional assessment has to be done before the application, which is due in December. The minutes also note that Edmond has no adaptive trails and that this segment could be a good place for one. Adjusting width, turning radius, and grade would let people use adaptive mountain bikes and handcycles.
Put together, the new connector starts at Midwest Boulevard, and the segment the commission wants to rebuild ends there. This fall's construction, and possibly next year's, is all on the lake's west side, between Edmond Park and Spring Creek.
That is separate from the dirt. Arcadia Lake has more than 35 miles of natural-surface trails. The South Trails are good for beginners and start at the Integris Hospital trailhead at 4303 Integris Parkway. The West Trails are best reached from the park office lot. The Dam Trails, with sandstone, lumber, and rock features, are best reached from Post Road.
What dates are on the Arcadia Lake fall calendar?
- Mondays, 6:45 p.m. Phat Tire's listing shows a weekly mountain-bike group ride from the Post Road lot on the lake's northeast side. The listing has no date, so check the shop's ride alerts before you go.
- Mid-October. The latest target for finishing the NW Connector, according to the August commission minutes.
- Saturday, December 5. Prevail the Trail at Arcadia Lake, with 5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon, and family-hike options. Listed race starts are at 10 a.m.
- December. Application deadline for the Recreational Trails Program grant for the segment from the park office to Midwest Boulevard.
- Around late December. The end of MAIN-03's lane closures on 2nd Street, based on the city's estimate of about three months from September 24.
How should you plan a ride or run around the construction this fall?
Here's what we would do:
- Start west. Spring Creek Park and the Integris Hospital trailhead are the starting points least affected by either construction project.
- Skip 2nd Street when you can. If you are headed to the east side of the lake, use the Post Road trailhead at 1387 S Post Rd.
- Check Edmond Park first for news. Once the connector opens, Edmond Park is where the city's map says Arcadia Lake Trail now ends, so that is the first place the change will show.
- Bring cash or a card for parking. Summer commission minutes mention a $10-per-day lake parking fee.
- Have an in-town backup. Hafer Park has a 2-mile loop under tall trees. Fink Park's quiet 1-mile trail drops down from 2nd Street south of the University of Central Oklahoma and joins Hafer Park at Bryant Avenue and 9th Street.
What mistakes do people make with the Arcadia Lake trails this fall?
- Treating mid-October as an opening day. It is a target from August, and the hardest part of the job was still unresolved then.
- Planning a through ride from Fox Lake to Post Road. Until the low-water crossing is done, the route stops at the gap.
- Assuming every park entrance is open. The commission was told the water work will close a series of entrances, and the dates were not listed.
- Trusting an undated group-ride listing. Check the shop's ride alerts before you load the bike.
What does a fall trail day near Arcadia Lake look like right now?
Picture a runner who lives on the east side of Edmond and wants a long Saturday route. The plan is to start at Fox Lake, run Spring Creek Trail under I-35, and keep going around the lake to Post Road.
Right now, that plan has two snags. The connector is not confirmed open, so the paved route ends at the gap. And the usual drive to Edmond Park runs through the 2nd Street lane closures. So the runner parks at Spring Creek Park, runs out and back on the separated lanes, and saves the full loop for after the crossing is finished. Once it is, Edmond Park becomes a midpoint where you keep going instead of the place you turn around.
Let's look at this through a buyer's eyes, too. Someone comparing homes on the east side might care a lot about which trailhead is closest and whether the road to it is under construction this season. Those are real parts of daily life that a listing will not mention.
What local signals should you watch around Arcadia Lake?
- Arcadia Lake Commission minutes. They are where the trail schedule, the park entrance closures, and the grant plans show up first.
- The city's quarterly project page. Watch for the connector's status to change from "Fall 2026."
- MAIN-03 traffic notices. The switch from the eastbound to the westbound lane closure marks the second phase.
- The Spring Creek Trail extension to Coltrane Road. No completion date yet, but it will change where the western start is.
- What else is changing in Edmond. See Why is East Covell in Edmond getting stores before its road? and What changed in downtown Edmond around Broadway and Hurd in summer 2026?. And if you spend time on the Arcadia side of the lake, see What is driving Arcadia's record Route 66 visitor season? and What is it like living in Arcadia during the Route 66 centennial year?.
What should you do next if trail access matters in your home search?
We wouldn't panic about the delay. When the low-water crossing is finished, the Fox Lake to Post Road route will be one continuous trail. The question is just when.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises. If you are wondering how the new trail connections affect a particular street or subdivision on Edmond's east side, call or text The Osterman Team at 405-593-8326.
What questions do people ask about the Spring Creek to Arcadia Lake trail?
How long is the NW Connector trail in Edmond?
The NW Connector trail in Edmond is 1.8 miles long. It starts at Midwest Boulevard and links to Spring Creek Trail by a low-water crossing.
Why is the Arcadia Lake trail connector delayed?
The Arcadia Lake trail connector is delayed because of water and drainage concerns at the low-water crossing, which staff described at the August 13 Arcadia Lake Commission meeting.
How much does the Spring Creek to Arcadia Lake connector cost?
The Spring Creek to Arcadia Lake connector costs $3,415,004.38 and is paid for by Edmond's 2017 CIP Tax Fund.
How long will the 2nd Street lane closures near Arcadia Lake last?
The 2nd Street lane closures near Arcadia Lake are expected to last about three months combined across both phases of the MAIN-03 Water Infrastructure Project, which started September 24.
Where can I park for Arcadia Lake trails away from the 2nd Street construction?
You can park for Arcadia Lake trails away from the 2nd Street construction at the Post Road trailhead at 1387 S Post Rd or at the Spring Creek Park lot on 15th Street.
