At Pinnacle Mountain State Park, near Little Rock, outdoor explorations include climbing to the top of Pinnacle Mountain, paddling, hiking and mountain biking the park’s Monument Trails, and more. Pinnacle Mountain State Park is also a Trail of Tears National Historic Site.

The state park now has a new visitor center to explore too housed in an innovative architectural space. Here you will find new indoor and outdoor exhibits, a trail entrance to the base of the West Summit Trail, and more. This new visitor center is located at 9600 Arkansas 300 and in a different place from where the previous one was located at.

The building has massive glass windows that let the surrounding nature shine through. An outside pavilion in the back has interpretive exhibits and access to the trails. New exhibits can be found throughout the visitor center. “The 360 degree panorama view of the top of the mountain in the middle of the exhibit room is a must see especially for those who have never hiked to the top of Pinnacle Mountain,” said Josh Jeffers, park superintendent at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. “From there [visitors] should go outside on the patio and check out the geology zone that gives the geologic history of Pinnacle Mountain’s formation.”

The visitor center itself also stands out. “This visitor center will serve as the Central Hub for recreation in Central Arkansas,” said Jeffers. “It’s unique in that it will be a gateway to many different recreational outlets. We also have Loblolly Ice Cream as a concessionaire.” 

The building was designed by Arkansas firm Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. “We look forward to being able to serve our community out of this building for years to come,” said Jeffers.