Pinnacle Mountain State Park

Used to hike pinnacle mountain as a kid all the time when my family and I lived in little rock. Now we only get to come when we visit our family once a year or so. I’ve been hiking this for almost 20 years now and it’s still just as beautiful. It’s a little flooded right now so the main entrance up is inaccessible but there is an alternate trail. Since the sun sets early, I recommend you start heading down no later than 4:15ish so you don’t have to hike in the dark. The park technically closes at 6 so the ranger will start announcing the gate closing but obvi if there are still cars there, he would have to wait. Its a must stop for both locals and visitors!

Great place to hike near Little Rock. When the weather is nice, parking can be a pain to find but there is overflow parking on the other side of the street if you are parking at the West Summit area. There have been some renovations on the West Summit restrooms and playgrounds. If you have the time, check out Petit Jean State Park (approx. one hour from Little Rock) instead.

This is a great afternoon hike. Make sure to bring a bottle of water with you and a good attitude. It is just under a mile to the summit but it is quite a climb. Wear good shoes and bring a snack for the top. Could be a fun date.

I love nature/​outdoorsy activities but the bugs hate me. My first time was in 2005 through the east summit trail, tougher hike. I accidentally kicked a wasp’s nest and got stung on each leg. The east summit has bigger rocks and can get quite steep– getting on all fours would be recommended. We took the west summit trial this time (1.5 miles total). There were bumblebees swarming everywhere, but didn’t get bit (thank goodness). Unfortunately, I went after a night of drinking and so it took us over an hour just to reach the top (due to multiple breaks) and only 30 minutes going back down. I thought the hike down would be scary due to some steep inclines, but it was fairly quick and easy. There are small loose rocks than can make you slide and sprain an ankle so look where you are stepping. I slid, but thank goodness it was a light fall. It’s best to pay attention to the yellow painted rocks/​trees and it guides you where to go and probably the easiest way to hike. Luckily my friend knew to stick to the left coming up as it is the easier, less steep hike. The trails are laid out with rocks to step on (some may be slippery due to some sand), but for the most part, the path is clear-​cut. There is an area where you hike up nothing but big rocks (that was the fun part for me). It can get dangerous. I somehow ended up bleeding from a large scratch, but I was probably too tired to feel a scratch on my leg. I didn’t notice this until after the hike was completed.
The hike, overall, was pretty much shaded thanks to the trees, but unfortunately the summit is not. Once you reach the top you’re fairly tired and want to rest, but if you go on a 100-​degree day like we did you cannot sit up there and enjoy the view for long. I ran out of Gatorade by then. The view is worth it! I enjoyed it and would like to hike it again in the fall. Pack plenty of water!

My favorite park in the Little Rock area. Climbing the mountain is a challenge and I’ve done it from both the East and West summit trails. The view is totally worth the effort! My personal favorite hike is the Rocky Valley trail from the visitors center, continue on the East Quarry trail which leads to a beautiful overlook of the Arkansas river. If you’re not trying to get too exhausted, the Arboretum has a nice paved trail. The picnic area in front has a beautiful view of Pinnacle Mountain.

I love hiking, love it! I’ve hiked in parks across the country, and cannot live for long in a place where there isn’t anywhere to get a decent day hike it. With that in mind, take some of my comments with a grain of salt!
When I first heard about Pinnacle Mountain, I (and I imagine many transplants to LR) scoffed at the idea of a «mountain» so close to town. But, I wanted to try it anyway, and I was shocked at how nice it was!
It’s a beautiful hike up a relatively short mountain, and though the path is very good there are some parts of the trail that can be difficult for people not used to hiking. There are multiple paths you can take as well, and some of them are much harder than others, so if you’re new to the walk don’t be afraid to do a little scouting, and even switch approaches if you need to.
That said, for my wife and I as regular hikers, this one was on the easy side. It was plenty to get the blood pumping though!
And it’s well worth it. Little Rock is in a beautiful area, and that’s no more apparent than from the top of the tallest point anywhere nearby! From the top you can see a few small lakes, the Arkansas river, Little Rock, and woods in all directions. It’s a wonderful reward for making it to the top! And there are two peaks too, both with slightly different views.
But, another perk, it’s dog friendly! Bring your furry friend on a leash, and they’ll love you forever for giving them such a fun dog day!
All is not shiny and perfect, the two things I had trouble with were first, how crowded it was. We went on a pretty busy Saturday, but it’s often quite busy, so be prepared for that. Also, I was shocked that in the middle of all of the crowds, there were at least a few people smoking. I mean, come on! You’re out hiking AND in the middle of a crowd of people!
But that’s just me — and just a heads up in case you’re as annoyed by that as I am
I think I’ll be up here at least once in every season. I went first on a warm day in winter, and it was awesome — and because there were no leaves on most of the trees, I got the best views all the way up! In spring it’s shady, greener, and the views are more colorful. In summer, it’s a pure test of stamina, and then in fall, it’s a wild spray of fall colors!
Check it out!

Can I get a lift please!
Although it is a short hike it is a rough one… at least for the first run.
I have been back 2 more times since! There are different sides of the mountain, so be careful as to which one you choose. The first couple rounds, my friends and I took the normal easy rout, but then we decided to be brave and try the harder one. FML! we found ourselves climbing lots of rocks (boulders) with barely any trail. It was a great challenge! If you have the balls, go for it. Just beware, be prepared for the hot sun on the harder side, not much shade, so bring lots of water and snacks. Both sides of the mountain will take you up to the same top, so if you feel like crap after choosing the hard side, you can always make you way down the easier one.
West: Easy
–They have markings so you know how far you are from the top!
East: Hard
View: Lovely, especially over the summer. Green everywhere! Don’t forget to take a pano!

I’m not from little rock, and I hate nature or being outside but I branched out tried something new and pinnacle was great as a one time experience. It wore me out but I love the view and the tears of making it to the top.

You will not be disappointed, when you hike the West Summit be prepared take some water have good shoes it is a hike but worth it to have the view

I was feeling really good about myself when I got to the top of Pinnacle Mountain until I saw children up there as well. I don’t really hike nor do I rock climb.
I took the East route, which is supposed to be harder. I cannot describe the other route, but the East side starts of pretty easy, then there’s a wall– of big boulders and rocks. I was definitely on all fours a good portion of the hike up and down the wall. Going up took about 40 minutes, and down took about an hour for me since it was a little bit scary. I also saw some pretty interesting insects (HUGE black centipede with neon orange legs!) so I stopped for those.
As other reviews have mentioned, it was surprising to see people CARRY their children. That seemed pretty dangerous. Also, please do not write on the rocks!

Great place to spend a day when you are in the Little Rock area. Lots of trails to hike for a variety of skill levels. We chose a short one because we had a limited amount of time to spend in the park. It was lovely. Beautiful trees and mountain springs. I would love to go back and try one of the more advanced trails.

I’ve never climbed a mountain before yesterday, so I definitely feel like I have crossed something off ye olé bucket list. Especially after we saw it from the distance and were like, we are never going to climb that!
It also seemed like there was nice picnic and bathroom facilities.
Here are my tips: This is a grown up place. If your kid can’t walk or crawl, do not hike them to the top, because it is dangerous. As we were walking up we saw a bunch of people walking down with babies on their shoulders and in their arms. I’m not sure what is wrong with these people, but I think putting these children in danger like this is just irresponsible. I slipped a couple times, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I had a baby on my shoulders when I slipped. I also saw some little kids crying because they were scared. Just let them go home.
On the other hand there was a 7 – 10 year old crowd that were the boss of the mountain and I heard a girl exclaim to her parents «I can see the whole world from up here».
This mountain is also not for fat, old, short legged dogs. Leave those poor puppies at home.
I’m looking forward to going up the east side (the hard side) and walking the base at some point. Also renting kayaks sounds right up my sporty alley!

Love the trails.

I live about a mile from this mountain/​park (I can actually see it from my backyard!) and we LOVE everything about it! The trails are varied for any interest (from bird watcher, novice hiker, to more intense), the views are beautiful, the entire park is family friendly (great picnic areas, the playground was recently updated and my three children beg to go all the time), and the park rangers routinely host mini classes for children and adults. Well worth a trip! Just a note: weekdays are relatively quiet, but the park is PACKED on weekends. If you want to hike or play in peace, go first thing in the morning on a weekday!

I totally turned my back on any touristy attraction in Little Rock, and decided instead of the presidential library, (which I still want to see), after discussing Little Rock with locals here on Unilocal,chose to spend an afternoon at pinnacle Mountain State Park.
I turned on my Garmin, and drove up Pinnacle Valley Road, and knew I was close to the mountain, cause my ears were popping. Always a good sign. I never, ever turn down visiting mountains if I happen to be in the area.
This isn’t only a mountain, it’s a huge park area. It has over looks, and trails, shelter houses, and a very nice area for viewing the Arkansas River.
I hiked up to the lower summit, and got concerned I’d get lost going back to my rental car. Rental cars bring terrible anxiety to me. The trails, atleast the one I walked on has wooden «steps’ in place, in walkable distance of each other. The trail is marked with signs, but I still think, if you are alone, it’s easy to get lost. The trail goes all the way to the top of the mountain. Plus, I don’t have a water bottle… note to self, next time…
I do plan on returning to this, and Mount Ida, which is near Hot Springs. I want my son to see this, and we can go up to the top of the mountain together. I’m a so so so glad I visited Pinnacle Mountain State Park, other than the coolness of the entire park, I had no idea that there were mountains here.
Seriously, the air is the cleanest between here and Denver on Estes Peak. I walked the base trail, which took a long time, up to a set of rocks, and stopped. I love to climb mountains, and this one is no different. I saw alot of people with dogs, and kids. At the over look area, you can ride paddle boats, uh, a bit cold now, but maybe not.
I’m not that far that I can’t drive down here, spend a few nights a visit the mountains in this area, and I intend to do just that.

Great view! It was shocking to me that just a few minutes before we were downtown. The location is great. Me and the mister wanted to go kayaking. They do rent kayaks but they had an event that weekend, so they weren’t renting anything out. I’m seeing other Unilocalers mention that this park has good hiking options– i didn’t stay that long and just stopped by to ask about kayaking in an impromptu manner-​you can also just walk up some stairs to get a great view. I will visit this park again.

So beautiful, but don’t forget your water bottle!

Quite good place to hike. Make sure to carry some hiking footwear for the top most part of the mountain.
Well marked trails and well maintained park.

I completely agree with Michael about the hike! It is a great afternoon activity with nice views of the surrounding area.
There are two choices on ways to traverse the mountain:
A) The hard trail — which I haven’t had the pleasure to go up but made it a point to scramble down that way! Probably my favorite thing about this side of the mountain is that you see people carrying their small children and dogs, which in my opinion, is asking for disaster. My hat is off to them for their coordination and daring.
B) The «easy» trail. That is misnomer. Moderate, like Michael mentioned, would be correct. I don’t know about other people, but when I think easy, I think of a gently climbing slope that switchbacks up the mountain to the top. Not the case. The push to the summit is a series of rock «stairs» that fortunately have natural points where you can stop and take a breather if needed.
Either way, this hike is great and I will definitely be taking some of my out of town visitors out here to check out some of the local natural beauty that is around Little Rock.

If you have a spare afternoon in Little Rock, this is a fantastic place to go for a hike with a great reward at the top.
Drive about 20 minutes outside of downtown and you’ll soon hit farm fields and forests. Another 10 minutes and you’re in Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Take the West Summit Trail to the top – it’s heavily traveled, but it’s steep and modestly challenging. You’ll take about 45 minutes to go up and about 30 minutes to go down, but you’ll want to save some time to see the fantastic, nearly panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, including the Arkansas River.
A beautiful day hike for all, young and old.