Arkansas · Hiking

Arkansas River Trail (Eastbound)

1.7 mi
one way
62 ft
climb
315 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Feb–May, Sep–Nov
best months

The Arkansas River Trail (Eastbound) is an easy, short hike of about 1.7 miles, running from the edge of Little Rock across the Arkansas River. It is a point-to-point route rather than a loop, and it is close to town, with the nearest town listed as Little Rock, about half a mile away. The trail has a gentle climb. The start sits at about 293 feet, and the high point reaches about 315 feet, with the steepest stretch at roughly 0.9 miles in, where the grade reaches about 8 percent. The overall elevation gain is about 62 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Little Rock show April highs around 73°F and October highs around 74°F, while July and August average in the low 90s. Willow Beach campground, about 9 miles away, is the closest nearby place.

  • Best time to go · Feb–May, Sep–Nov

    Best time to visit Arkansas River Trail (Eastbound)

    Best months: February–May and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      51° / 31°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    2. Feb

      55° / 34°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    3. Mar

      64° / 42°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      73° / 50°

      10 wet

    5. May

      81° / 59°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      88° / 68°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      92° / 71°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      91° / 70°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      85° / 63°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      74° / 51°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      62° / 40°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      53° / 33°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Little Rock Ap Adams Fld, AR, 3.1 mi away at 258 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Lake Sylvia LoopPhoto: ChattOconeeNF, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Lake Sylvia Loop

~53 min drive

1.40-mile out-and-back trail at Lake Sylvia with 353 ft gain

Hunts LoopPhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Hunts Loop

~1h 19m drive

8.75-mile out-and-back trail in Arkansas with 701 ft gain.

Peak TrailPhoto: Eric Friedebach, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Peak Trail

~1h 20m drive

1.12-mile out-and-back hike in Arkansas with 379 ft gain.

HIKE

WILDCAT MTN. TRAIL

~51 min drive

6.98-mile out-and-back trail in Arkansas with 945 ft gain and 1,188 ft max elevation.

Trees of the ForestPhoto: ChattOconeeNF, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Trees of the Forest

~54 min drive

0.72-mile out-and-back trail in Arkansas with 25 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Wildcat Mtn. Trail

~53 min drive

7.00-mile out-and-back hike in Arkansas with 426 ft gain

HIKE

Sunset Trail

~1h 18m drive

9.32-mile point-to-point hike in Arkansas with 2,148 ft gain

Chinquapin LoopPhoto: ChattOconeeNF, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Chinquapin Loop

~54 min drive

0.53-mile loop trail in Arkansas with 43 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

BEAR CREEK EQUESTRIAN TRAIL

~1h 22m drive

11.24-mile out-and-back equestrian trail in Arkansas with 1,874 ft elevation gain

Wildlife LoopPhoto: ChattOconeeNF, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Wildlife Loop

~54 min drive

1.00-mile out-and-back trail in Arkansas with 149 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors