Welcome to the second installment of our New Resident Guide! 

We polled our staff and our residents to discover their favorite spots to eat, shop, and explore in Little Rock. Now, we can share them with those of you moving to Little Rock and making your new home in our luxury apartment community.

After sharing the best photo spots around town, we’re excited to help you experience the great outdoors surrounding you here in Little Rock. You live in “The Natural State” now, after all!

So many excellent hiking, biking, running, and walking trails await you across the metro area, so let’s dive in and get started… 

Arkansas River Trail

Without a doubt, the crown jewel of all Little Rock outdoor trails is the Arkansas River Trail. This paved 15-mile trail winds along the beautiful Arkansas River that divides Little Rock and North Little Rock, crossing several bridges and 38 parks.

You can hop on and hop off at various points along the trail, but our residents’ two favorite spots are Two Rivers Park and the Big Dam Bridge.

Two Rivers Park

Two Rivers Park lies at the westernmost point of the Arkansas River Trail, which you can see while crossing the I-430 bridge into West Little Rock. 

To reach the park, we recommend taking River Mountain Road from Cantrell Road. This will lead you down to the base of the pedestrian bridge where the Arkansas River Trail starts. 

There, you can cross into the park and follow several picturesque trails that loop you back to the bridge, or head east to follow the river trail. 

Big Dam Bridge

Down the trail from Two Rivers Park, you will find the Big Dam Bridge. Fun fact: it’s the longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in North America!

Built on top of the Murray Lock and Dam, the bridge offers an excellent view of the Arkansas River for a nice bike ride, healthy jog, or leisurely stroll. To reach it, just head to Cook’s Landing on the North Little Rock side or La Harpe Park on the Little Rock side. 

Burns Park

Where can you find Arkansas’ largest urban municipal park? It’s right here in North Little Rock at Burns Park!

Burns Parks offers 1,700 acres of space for all kinds of fun outdoor adventures. 

In addition to 4.6 miles of paved trails and 12.5 miles of unpaved trails, you can also find a tennis center, golf course, BMX park, archery range, batting cages, dog park, fishing pond, and more.

Allsopp Park

A smaller, quainter park with a cozy neighborhood feel, Allsopp Park is another one of our residents’ favorite places to follow some outdoor trails. 

Located in the steep hill between the Hillcrest and Riverdale neighborhoods in Little Rock, this park is a great place for hiking, biking, and jogging on both paved and unpaved trails.

If you feel like mixing up your workout routine, you can also check out the tennis courts!

Pinnacle Mountain

Are you less of a runner, more of a hiker? Less of a cyclist, more of a mountain biker? The outdoors trails at Pinnacle Mountain State Park are made for you!

The Monument Trails were specifically designed for mountain biking, providing all kinds of uphill climbs, scenic slopes, and downhill drops.

But if you want the best view of the park, you have to hike to the top. The mountain offers several hiking trails with varying difficulty and there’s nothing quite like that taking in that pretty peak overlooking Little Rock as your outdoor exercise reward. 

Rattlesnake Ridge 

If the outdoor trails at Pinnacle Mountain aren’t strenuous enough for you, pack up and head out to Rattlesnake Ridge.

This looped trail is a bit further west of Little Rock out past Pinnacle Mountain, perfect for hiking, biking, and climbing. Just be careful to avoid the area after heavy rain for your own safety! 

Lake Maumelle

Last but not least, you have to check out the trails at Lake Maumelle. 

Keeping the lake clean is key, since it’s the primary water source for most of Central Arkansas. So, the hiking trails that wind around the lake are very natural and peaceful. 

If you ever feel like venturing out into the water, you take a canoe or kayak into the backside of the lake from the boat launch at Sleepy Hollow Park.

After all this outdoor exercise, we bet you’re going to work up quite an appetite.

Stay tuned for the next installment of our New Resident Guide highlighting the best restaurants around Little Rock!

Photo Credit: Arkansas State Parks