Pinnacle Mountain State Park is a beautiful park close to Little Rock, Arkansas.  It boasts a surprising amount of nature in a relatively small amount of real estate; particularly in view of the fact that that park is basically surrounded by suburbia! I guess my favorite spot is on the summit of Pinnacle Mountain, where the westerly view to the Ouachita Mountains will make you forget how close to Little Rock you actually are; there is also a swamp, an abandoned quarry and beautiful quarry pond, a nice overlook of the Arkansas River at the Visitor Center, and the Kingfisher Trail/Arboretum Trail, both of which are close to the Little Maumelle River.
    I always use the West Summit Trail to get to the top of Pinnacle Mountain; expect the climb to take at least 30-40 minutes, and it is a pretty good workout. Remember, if you linger to take sunset photos, you have 30 minutes to get back down and out of the park before the rangers lock the gates. Also, you will be climbing down in decreasing light, which makes it easier to fall; particularly at the top, so please watch your step.   park directions   Arboretum Trail