The South Lake Trail Turns Pinnacle Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge and Blue Mountain Into One Network

The trail comes out of the woods at the corner of Arkansas Highway 300 and Pence Drive, close enough to the Pinnacle Mountain State Park Visitor Center that you can almost see it. Before you reach the bathrooms, the water fountains and the gift shop, you still have to cross a highway. When the Arkansas Times hiked the whole route in mid-September, writer Elizabeth L. Cline described traffic that moves fast there and told readers to be "very careful crossing."

That crossing is the hinge of the new South Lake Trails, which opened Friday, Oct. 23. If you live in west Little Rock, you probably already know Pinnacle, Rattlesnake Ridge and Blue Mountain as three separate drives with three separate parking lots. The new trail connects all of them. That changes how they work together, and which door you go in through matters as much as how far you plan to go.

Three trail systems, now one trip

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the 13.5-mile system connects Pinnacle Mountain State Park to Bufflehead Bay on Lake Maumelle, and that it links up with the Blue Mountain and Rattlesnake Ridge natural areas. At the opening, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "Starting today, it is now possible to hike or bike from downtown Little Rock to Lake Maumelle and beyond."

The main line is the South Lake Trail itself. It runs about 10 miles along the lake's undeveloped south shore, from WestRock Landing Marina to the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center. Three spur trails tie that shoreline route into the existing trails at Rattlesnake Ridge and Blue Mountain, and the spurs bring the new mileage to 13.5. Arkansas Outside reported that the expanded system now connects with the Monument Trails at Pinnacle, the Rattlesnake Ridge network and the Blue Mountain Trails.

This phase belongs to the much larger Maumelle Pinnacles Conservation Area plan. The Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism describes that plan as more than 50 miles of existing and planned hiking and mountain biking trails, reaching west as far as the Lake Sylvia Recreation Area in the Ouachita National Forest. The 50-mile figure covers the whole plan. The part you can use today is the 13.5 miles that opened in October.

Four ways in

Central Arkansas Water owns much of the land the trail crosses. The utility says you can start at any of the trailheads and build one-way routes, loops or lollipop routes. The trails are not blazed, but signs at the major intersections help you find your way.

Along the shoreline, the spurs come off in a predictable order heading east from the marina. According to the Times, the Pygmy Trail leaves for Blue Mountain at the 1.3-mile mark, and that junction can be confusing. A second spur heads to Rattlesnake Ridge around mile 2. The Drip Torch Trail, the last spur, also goes to Rattlesnake Ridge, about 7 miles in. Bryan Rupar, Central Arkansas Water's watershed protection manager, told the paper that the name comes from the tool forest managers use to set prescribed burns.

The full shoreline takes two cars

To walk the whole South Lake Trail, you need to stage a car at each end. The Times hikers did it like this:

1. Meet at the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center, about 30 minutes from downtown Little Rock, and leave one car there.
2. Drive about 12 minutes to WestRock Landing Marina and park the second car.
3. Fill up on water at the marina store, because the trail has no water stations, bathrooms or campsites, and very few places to exit.
4. Walk east to the visitor center. At a steady 2 miles an hour, the full stretch took them about five hours.
5. Drive back to the marina to pick up the second car. The writer's tip was to make sure the right keys are in someone's pocket before you start.

The grade helps on a long day. In a July interview reported by Arkansas Outside, Mitchell Allen of the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation said builders aimed for consistent grades of about 5% wherever the terrain allowed. That makes the trail ride like cross-country singletrack, with gradual climbs, flowing descents and few switchbacks. The tighter turns are on the Cliffbrake and Drip Torch sections. Cline called the main trail "smooth, gently rolling but challenging."

The spurs also let you skip the shuttle. With a Blue Mountain or Rattlesnake Ridge start, you can make an out-and-back or a loop that reaches the lakeshore and returns to the same car. You keep the trail's quietest stretch and avoid the Highway 300 end entirely.

The east end is still being finished

Most of what is still in progress sits at the Pinnacle end. That is why the western trailheads make the easier start for now.

The Highway 300 crossing. A tunnel under the highway was considered and set aside because of cost. The plan instead is an at-grade crossing near the Arkansas State Parks Region 2 office entrance, on the hill between Pinnacle Valley Road and Barrett Road, with a push-button system that sets off flashing yellow lights. The Arkansas Department of Transportation agreed to lower the speed limit there to 45 mph. The flashing lights only warn drivers, so trail users still have to stop and yield. Arkansas Outside reported on Oct. 26 that the crossing was not yet complete.

The North Slope Connector. This route is meant to curve around the north side of Pinnacle Mountain and join the Coachwhip Trail in the park's Monument Trails system, giving riders another way between the park and the larger network. It is still under construction. Riders should also know that the Base Trail around Pinnacle Mountain, which shares part of its route with the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, is closed to mountain bikes.

The visitor center. At the opening, the state announced two new concessions. Point Remove Brewing Co., which already operates in Morrilton and Russellville, will run a food and beverage counter inside the visitor center with pizza by the slice and whole, salads, soft drinks and locally brewed craft beer. Apple Seeds, the Arkansas nonprofit that teaches gardening and cooking, will bring its programs to the historic Butterfield House and barn.

The ride from downtown. The governor's statement describes a downtown-to-lake connection. Arkansas Outside notes that the Arkansas River Trail still has a gap on Highway 10 between North Street and the Gill Street bridge.

The rules depend on whose land you're on

The trail crosses ground with different owners, and each owner sets its own rules.

On Central Arkansas Water land, the South Lake Trail is open to hiking and biking, and e-bikes are not allowed. The utility's lake rules are stricter than that. Mountain bikes may only use trails the utility has designated for them, and e-bikes are prohibited "in ALL areas."

Lake Maumelle is the main drinking water source for about 500,000 Arkansans, so the water itself is off limits. The same rules ban body contact with the lake by people or pets, which covers swimming, wading and even a dog cooling off at the shoreline.

On the two natural areas, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission lists hunting as not allowed at both Rattlesnake Ridge and Blue Mountain. Rattlesnake Ridge closes in wet weather to protect its trails, and the commission posts 501-663-6699 as the number to call for status.

Why the cold months suit this shoreline

The first reviews came in under bad conditions. The Times hike in mid-September topped 90 degrees with high humidity, and the group drank every drop of water they carried. The writer added that readers would get "more comfortable weather."

Cold weather also brings birds. In winter, Lake Maumelle draws migrating waterfowl, including bufflehead ducks, loons and mergansers. The trail system's lake end reaches Bufflehead Bay.

Daylight and fire both shape a winter outing. Shorter days matter on a route that takes about five hours on foot, and they matter even more at Rattlesnake Ridge, where the gate locks at dusk. Fire is the other. The burned tree bases and open understory along the trail come from prescribed burns, and Central Arkansas Water says it can't confirm a burn date until about 24 hours ahead. It posts prescribed fire notices on its website and social media channels, so check them the night before a long outing.

Rupar described the route to the Times as a rare close look at the region's water supply. It is the first trail to go this deep into the utility's land on the south side of the lake. "Water is so vital to public health, to our economic growth and stability, and just our everyday life," he said.

At Lindsey & Krystina Realtors, we love learning which parts of west Little Rock connect to which trailheads, and Krystina is always ready to get the camera out along that shoreline. If you're curious how close your street is to WestRock Landing, Blue Mountain or Barrett Road, or how a new trail like this fits into what your home is worth, schedule a free consultation and we'll talk through it with you.