Arkansas’s Pinnacle Mountain State Park Trail Guide For Mountain Bikers
Pinnacle Mountain was the last Monument Trail System for me to check off (I’d already ridden Devil’s Den, Hobbs, and Mt. Nebo) and honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Each of the other trail networks has something amazing to offer like:
- Epic views and long downhills (Mt. Nebo)
- Really cool rock formations (Devil’s Den)
- Truly world-class machine-built cross-country trails (Hobbs).
But Pinnacle? After spending a day exploring the trails there (and I have since been back), it didn’t really seem to have anything exciting to offer. If I had to give it a ‘specialty’ I’d say it wins the award for rugged, steep, chunky, old-school trails. Of course, there was some flow, but not as much as the other Monument Trail systems.
I don’t want to discourage you from checking them out if your mission is to hit all of the Monument Trail Systems in Arkansas. They are pretty cool. But maybe hit Pinnacle first so your expectations are set accordingly 🙂
In this post I share everything you need to know to make the most of your mountain biking experience at Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
Quick Tips
For mountain biking at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock
TWW Take
Please note that these are my personal opinions – you may argue otherwise! And if so, state your case (politely) in the comments 🙂
Fun-ness Factor
Trail Variety
Average Difficulty
The Good & Bad of Mountain Biking at Pinnacle State Park
What I like
What I don’t
Planning your Pinnacle Mountain State Park Ride
Best trails to hit
The trail system can be split in half: the east side are more XC trails and the west side are more DH trails:
- Coachwhip (beginner)
- Chaotic Zone (intermediate)
- Jackfork (intermediate)
- Dynamite (intermediate)
- Twistflower (intermediate)
- Turkey Tracks (advanced)
Tip: Don’t skip Dynamite – there’s a lot of climbing, but I thought it was one of the more interesting trails.
Route recommendation
- Joe’s Pinnacle Ride (beginner+) – A good cross-country route at Pinnacle. Skip Dynamite if you want to make it easier.
- Pinnacle Highlights (intermediate) – If you only have one day at Pinnacle, this route hits the best trails.
Pinnacle Mountain Trail Map
FAQs & Planning Tips
🚗 Getting there: Pinnacle Mountain State Park is located in central Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock. The trails are free to use.
🅿️ Parking: There are several parking areas, but I recommend parking at the Middle Mountain Parking Area because it has easy access to both the east and west trail networks.
🗺️ Navigating the trails: The trails are well signed, but I still recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone.
🚻 Bathrooms: There are bathrooms at most trailheads.
💧 Water: Plan for no water.
📅 How many days: Honestly, just one if you’re visiting.
☀️ When to go: Pinnacle Mountain trails can be ridden year round, depending on weather. (It gets hotttt in the summer!)
🚲 What type of bike to bring: A short or mid-travel full-suspension bike would be best.
⚡️ E-bikes: Yes, class 1 pedal assist e-bikes are allowed at Pinnacle Mountain (and pretty much everywhere in Arkansas).
⛺️ Camping: There is no campground within Pinnacle Mountain State Park, but Maumelle Park Campground is just a short drive away with 128 sites, clean showers and bathrooms, and access to the Arkansas River.
Need gear recs?
Head over to my gear closet! I’m always testing out new pieces of bike gear and if I really like them, they earn a place on this page.
So, final thoughts? Pinnacle Mountain State Park isn’t a must-ride in my book, especially when stacked up against Arkansas’s other Monument Trail systems and mountain bike networks across the state.
The trails aren’t terrible, but they’re definitely not polished, and overall, they just felt a bit underwhelming and not taken care of. If you’re local or curious, sure, it’s worth checking out. But if you’re planning a mountain bike trip through Arkansas, I’d recommend focusing your time on Mt. Nebo or Devil’s Den and definitely Bentonville. Those spots deliver way more fun, flow, and mtb stoke.
Have you ridden the Pinnacle Mountain trails in Arkansas? What did you think of the mountain biking there? Leave a comment below!
You may have missed two of my favorite runs at Pinnacle. Logging Road (on the middle mountain side) and the south section of Jackfork going downhill. The section you climbed on Jackfork is also worth a ride down.
Thanks! I didn’t take logging road because I wasn’t sure how to fit it into a route. I think next time I’d take Logging road instead of doing the full coachwhip loop (probably clockwise?)
I could see how Jackfork would be awesome as a descent, too. I hope Pinnacle gets some some trail love soon!