Pinnacle Mountain, located between the Maumelle and Little Maumelle Rivers just upstream from the Arkansas River, rises 1,011 feet. It’s reason the nearby rivers, lake, and city are called “Maumelle,” which is French for “breast.” Those wacky French explorers had been away from home a long time. Here’s what it looks like from the Big Dam Bridge over the Arkansas River, with the I-430 bridge in the foreground. (Picture taken in 2009.)
I’ve been to the park many times to bird and hike, although I’ve only climbed the mountain three times. The last time was in early 2023. On the way down, I tore my meniscus so badly that I lived in pain for a year and a half and eventually had knee surgery. So when I say “last” time, I’m pretty sure I mean it literally. You can read about my 2011 climb and see my photos here.
But I needed to get my passport stamped, so I went again.
I walked the two trails where I regularly bird. The first is the Kingfisher Trail, a short, paved loop that runs along the Little Maumelle River where there are some giant bald cypress trees that a marker says could be more than 500-years old.
From there I went to the Arkansas Arboretum trail. It’s another paved loop, this one about three-quarters of a mile long. I always think of it as a great place to bird, but I just checked my records — I’ve been there nine times and have only seen 43 species, none of them particularly unusual.
