#littleRock
Hiking and Mountain Biking at Blue Mountain Natural Area
To the west of Little Rock lies the Maumelle Pinnacles chain of mountain peaks. These peaks somewhat mark the eastern gateway to the Ouachita Mountains. The Maumelle Pinnacles consist of three peaks: Pinnacle Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, and Blue Mountain. Pinnacle Mountain has been one of Arkansas’ most visited state parks for decades. And since opening in 2018, Rattlesnake Ridge has become a popular outdoors spot for folks seeking to avoid the Pinnacle crowds. Both of those locations offer excellent hiking and mountain bike trails. And in June of 2023, the third and final peak in the chain was opened to the public. Thanks to the Nature Conservancy and Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, we now have hiking and mountain biking at Blue Mountain Natural Area. Directions On Hwy 10 wes...
MTB Trails at River Mountain Park
Central Arkansas may not ever compete with Northwest Arkansas for the title of Mountain Biking Capitol of the World. But great strides are being made in Central Arkansas with trail systems like Pinnacle Mountain and Rattlesnake Ridge. And now we have MTB trails at River Mountain Park in West Little Rock. Although these are not part of the Monument Trails system at Pinnacle, they are professionally-built trails, well-designed, and a lot of fun. Directions Directions to this location are hard to describe in writing, so I’ll make it simple. Just go to Two Rivers Park in Little Rock. This is right off Cantrell Rd, next to I-430. It’s difficult to describe because at the time of this writing, there is major road construction along Cantrell Rd. So the turn-by-turn directions change o...
Hiking or Biking at Rattlesnake Ridge
Living in Central Arkansas, I’ve watched the sun go down many times from the top of Pinnacle Mountain. From my spot on the north peak, I’ve looked to the west and wondered “what is that other mountain over there?” And “it sure would be cool if we could hike to the top of it and look back this way.” Well, that mountain “over there” overlooking Lake Maumelle is Rattlesnake Ridge. And in 2018 it was opened to the public for hiking by the Nature Conservancy and Arkansas Dept of Natural Heritage. Finally, a much-needed new place to hike close to home! I love Pinnacle, but after you’ve been to the top 150 times (not kidding), it kinda loses its luster. In 2019, mountain bike trails were added so we can now go hiking OR biking at Rattlesnake R...
