Parks

With more than 60 city parks in Little Rock, you’re never far from nature. Little Rock abounds with places where you can find respite in the soothing sounds of the natural world.

Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park is likely Little Rock’s most famous park. Riverfront Park stretches 11 blocks, connecting downtown Little Rock to the Arkansas River. Its 30+ acres are filled with monuments to history and tributes to art. A visit here is a must for any trip to Little Rock, and visitors will find themselves in lockstep with locals out enjoying one of Little Rock’s most tranquil sites.

Cycling in Parks

Many of Little Rock’s largest parks, including Two Rivers Park, Allsopp Park, River Mountain Park, and Boyle Park, feature mountain biking trails. With routes catering to all experience levels, it’s easy to find a thrill even in the heart of the capital city.

Many of the city’s parks are also connected via the Arkansas River Trail. This 15+ mile loop connects Little Rock and North Little Rock as well as many parks. It offers stunning views of the Arkansas River and tranquil moments as you cycle its banks.

State Parks

Little Rock is closer to several state parks, each of which is worth a visit. To the west, Pinnacle Mountain State Park features stunning views of the Arkansas River Valley from the top of its namesake mountain. The trail to the top – the “west” trail, known locally as the “easy” side – follows a meandering path up to a breathtaking vista. This trail also features a connection to the new visitor center. On the mountain’s east side, the “hard” side, more experienced climbers can experience to break a sweat as they scramble over rocks to reach the 800+ foot summit.

To the east, in the community of Scott, the, Plantation Agriculture Museum preserves Arkansas’s farming history. Housed in a series of buildings is the main museum originally built as a general store in 1912, the Dortch Gin Exhibit containing a 1916 cotton gin, Seed Warehouse #5 which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a Historic Tractor Exhibit completed in 2018. Live demonstrations include water pumping and cotton ginning. At the Plantation Agriculture Museum, kids and adults alike can explore where and how crops were grown and harvested in Arkansas from the time of statehood in 1836 through World War II. It’s a highly interactive park where kids and adults alike can explore where and how crops are grown, harvested, and processed into foods we eat and products we use.

Also in Scott, is Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park. Formerly Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, Plum Bayou is one of four National Historic Landmarks in the Arkansas State Parks system. This park interprets the largest and most complex mound site in the state. It also offers the rare opportunity to see archeological research at work. This site was a ceremonial ground for prehistoric Native Americans and stands today as an important and fascinating piece of history.