If you told me three years ago that I’d find myself wanting to spend time to Little Rock every spring, I would have spit out my beer.
Seriously?
Little Rock? Arkansas?!? Yeah, fat chance.
Yet, here I am after three years of nomadic life, and I have to admit Little Rock makes me fall in love with it just a little bit every time I visit. There’s something about this town that speaks to me. Perhaps it’s the breweries (there are 6 craft breweries located there).
Or maybe it’s just their love of the great outdoors. From the 21-miles of riverfront trail along the Arkansas River to the 62 public parks and recreation areas, Little Rock is a pleasure to visit.
The perfect case in point is Pinnacle Mountain State Park! I absolutely love this state park. Just a quick drive west of downtown Little Rock, this outdoor space packs in a lot of awesome perks. Whether your a hiker, trail runner, mountain biker, or you just want to try your hand at rock scrambling, this is the place to be.
On our most recent spring trip to Little Rock, we camped in nearby Maumelle Park and spent nearly every day trying out different hiking trails. It was hard to pick my favorite hikes, but here are three that definitely stand out in my mind.
Hike #1 – The rocky valley & east Quarry trails
SKILL LEVEL – EASY TO MODERATE. The inclines and descents on this popular hike will get your heart rate pumping, but the distance is just short enough for hikers of any age to enjoy.
DISTANCE: 2.9 miles round-trip
START/END POINT: Upper parking lot near Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: This hike begins near an scenic quarry pit that has since turned into a pond. At the beginning of the trail you can take a short detour up to the top of a scenic overlook where you’ll spot Pinnacle Mountain off to the west. Back down near the quarry pond, the turquoise blue water will undoubtedly catch your attention. This unique color is caused by the calcium carbonate particles floating in the pond. From the pond, just follow the well-marked Rocky Valley trail as it weaves through natural forest, consistently going up and down with enough frequency to keep your heart rate elevated. Near the end of the hike, you make a sharp left onto the East Quarry Trail before ascending the final half mile up toward a rocky outcropping with a scenic overlook above the Arkansas River.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: This trailhead is located near the park’s main visitor center. Parking is free, but the area is very popular and crowded on weekends. The 1-mile Rocky Valley Trail loop is blazed in green, and connects to the East Quarry Trail at its furtherest end. On the return trip, hikers have the option to come back on the main path for the Rocky Valley Trail or turning off onto an alternate loop. This alternate is the multi-use trail, but it tends to be fairly quiet because the majority of mountain bikers prefer to stick to the nearby Jackfork and Rabbit Ridge mountain bike trails instead.
HIKE #2 – PINNACLE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT HIKE
SKILL LEVEL – DIFFICULT. While not a technical climb, this route ascends a 500-foot rock scramble that requires some agility.
DISTANCE: 2.9 Miles
START/END POINT: East Summit Trailhead
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Pinnacle Mountain has some of the best views in central Arkansas, allowing visitors to see Lake Maumelle and the Ouachita Mountains from its summit. This unusual triangular peak explodes out from the flat Arkansas River Valley almost like a steep volcano and seems to beckon hikers to find their way to the summit. My favorite option for this hike is to park at the East Summit Trailhead follow the red and white blazes up the East Summit Trail. About halfway to the summit, the trail transitions from a dirt path to a steep, rocky route that requires some serious effort up the rocks and boulders. The challenge is 100% worth it though. The summit has two peaks about 200 yards apart, and the majority of visitors will be on the opposite peak because they took easier the West Summit Trail up. After catching your breath and taking in the views, you have the option of returning back down the same route (the East Summit Trail), or following the yellow blazes down the West Summit Trail, which is far easier. Just know, if you decide to head back down via West Summit Trail, you will be on the opposite side of the mountain from where you began, so you’ll need to use the Base Trail to get back to the correct parking lot.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Pinnacle Mountain has a 1.25-mile long trail, called the Base Trail, that encircles the base of the mountain and connects the parking areas on both the east and west side. The West Summit Trail is the easier route to the summit, so it had a much larger parking lot sits near its trailhead, along with a pavilion, playground, restrooms, and the paved Kingfisher Trail loop. A much smaller parking lot (with no facilities) sits near the East Summit Trailhead. Parking is free at both lots.
HIKE #3 – THE OUACHITA TRAIL
SKILL LEVEL – MODERATE. This segment of the Ouachita Trail can be shortened and it only has small elevation gain/loss.
DISTANCE: 20.5 miles
START/END POINT: Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center and Vista Park (Arkansas Highway 10)
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: First, off what’s not to love about getting to hike on a National Recreation Trail? The Ouachita Trail (which is pronounced WASH-i-tah) is a 223-mile trail that traverses the Ouachita Mountains in eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas. The section near Little Rock is the gentlest stretch of the trail, and it takes hikers around part of Pinnacle Mountain’s Base Trail, through wooded forests, and along the northern side of Lake Maumelle. Hikers can begin at the eastern terminus near the Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitor center and hike the 20 miles west to Vista Park (on the western end of Maumelle Lake) in a single day. This is a great spring hike to train up for other long distance trails, or it can be the beginning of a much longer backpacking trip along the Ouachita Trail.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: The Ouachita Trail is marked with blue blazes and diamond-shaped numerical markers every mile. The numbers will be in descending order, as most Ouachita Trail thru-hikers begin hike the trail at Talimena State Park in Oklahoma and head east toward Little Rock. There are a handful of few places where hikers can shorten this hike, if 20 miles is further than they want to hike in a single outing. The Ouachita Trail crosses Highway 300 (around mile 10 and again at mile 11), as well as Highway 113 (at mile 18.5 and mile 19) before it arrives at Vista Park. In the alternative, hikers can also do an out-and-back hike of any desired length.
Final Thoughts
Pinnacle Mountain State Park is definitely a true gem in the Natural State. If you’re out in that neck of the woods anytime soon, check out these other great outdoor spots in Little Rock: