Northwest Arkansas usually gets all the outdoor cred, but if you haven鈥檛 been to , you鈥檙e missing out. Aside from the 1,200 miles of cycling trails in the metro area alone, the restaurants and cultural scene are world-class. If you鈥檙e looking to explore a city where you can get outside and learn something new, read on.
Cycling and Getting 国产吃瓜黑料
If you’re big on , you’re big on Little Rock. Whether you鈥檙e an avid, advanced cyclist or just getting into biking and wanting some practice, there鈥檚 a trail around Little Rock for you. Start with an easy ride along the Arkansas River Trail鈥攁 gorgeous, beginner-friendly loop that runs along both sides of the river. The sides are connected by the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge and the Big Dam Bridge, which is the longest cyclist- and pedestrian-intended bridge in the country. In late September, the goes through here, offering cycling routes from 15 to 105 miles long through mountain scenery and challenging hills.
Dustin Smith, a Little Rock resident and cyclist, also recommends Pinnacle Mountain State Park. He says that even though you can ride there from town, it feels like the country, and it鈥檚 rarely crowded. 鈥淧eople are very friendly, and generally drivers are aware that cyclists will be on those routes, so as an experienced cyclist it feels safe to be riding there,鈥 he says.
Feel free to come any time of year, even when it鈥檚 snowy in your neck of the woods. Little Rock鈥檚 weather is usually pretty mild year-round despite being in the Ouachita Mountains, so you can hit the trails in any season. Leave time to venture a little further out of the city, too, if you want to hit the gravel trails of Ouachita National Forest and Lake Winona, about an hour and a half away. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing natural place to be,鈥 Smith says.
If biking鈥檚 not for you, don鈥檛 sweat it. You can downtown, right along the Arkansas River. It also offers expertly guided tours of the nearby Little Maumelle River if you have time for a little more exploring.
Good Eats
Little Rock has an impressive culinary scene, so make sure you work up a good appetite to hit as many local restaurants as you can. For an early-morning caffeine boost, Smith recommends grabbing coffee at . For lunch, he鈥檒l send you to the , which has great burgers, biscuits and gravy, and a substantial brunch for even the toughest adventures. Post-ride, you鈥檒l want to swing by for a locally brewed pint (or two). 鈥淚t鈥檚 very affordable and it鈥檚 kind of a hidden gem,鈥 Smith says of Little Rock. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e new here and you鈥檝e never been, there鈥檚 an adventure around every corner.鈥听
Around Town
Little Rock鈥檚 Black residents fought hard during the Civil Rights Movement, and since, to make changes that have reverberated throughout the country. Take some time to travel the self-guided Civil Rights Tour to learn about the Little Rock Nine鈥攖he high school students who fought to desegregate education in 1957鈥攁nd visit historic places like the and the Daisy Bates House Museum, where the publishers of the Arkansas State Press facilitated meetings between the Nine and the NAACP legal team.
While you鈥檙e strolling through town, keep an eye out for countless murals and over 100 sculptures. Check a听 before you go to get a glimpse at these gorgeous works, but make sure to leave time just to wander aimlessly too. In late 2022, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts will reopen in a stunning, architecture-award-winning new building in MacArthur Park. It鈥檒l house over 14,000 works from artists all over the world, and you鈥檒l have a chance to create your own masterpieces too. The new arts center will have studios for printmaking, ceramics, painting, metalsmithing, and other art forms that let adults and kids alike get messy and create.
Downtown is easily bikeable if you stay north of Interstate 630, close to the Arkansas River, Smith says, and there鈥檚 plenty of parking so you can road-trip effortlessly in with your bikes. Stay at the elegant , whose five-star rooms sometimes go for under $200 a night. It鈥檚 just a moment鈥檚 walk from the picturesque Riverfront Park and the Arkansas River Trail where you can go on an easy evening ride鈥攖he perfect way to end a trip to this do-it-all capital city.
, Arkansas, is home to 1,200+ miles of mountain, gravel, and road cycling trails, making it the epicenter of Arkansas鈥檚 artistic, culinary, and cycling cultures. Visitors can walk the path of civil rights pioneers at historic Central High School and explore modern American history at the Clinton Presidential Library.