A little wilderness close to home

Not every escape into nature requires a highway drive. In the middle of Little Rock, Allsopp Park offers mature trees, a winding creek, shaded paths and enough varied terrain to make visitors forget how close they are to neighborhood streets. The park is particularly inviting for a cool autumn walk, although its trails vary considerably in difficulty.

A park with more than one personality

The park spreads across roughly 150 acres in the Hillcrest and Riverdale area. At the more developed portions, visitors will find a playground, tennis courts, ballfield, picnic pavilion and places to sit outside. In the wooded sections, hikers, joggers and mountain bikers share a network of trails that rises and falls through the landscape.

Choose the route that suits you

For an easier introduction, consider the paved Allsopp Trail and developed park areas. The City of Little Rock connected the Hillcrest business district to the park through a concrete trail project completed in 2020. That route gives walkers and bicyclists an alternative to Cedar Hill Road, which lacks sidewalks along part of the corridor.

Visitors looking for more of a workout can explore Allsopp North's dirt hiking and mountain biking paths. These trails include uneven surfaces, slopes and narrower sections. They are not interchangeable with a flat neighborhood sidewalk, and cyclists and walkers should be alert for one another.

More than just a trailhead

Allsopp's appeal is also social. A short outing can become a family picnic, a stop at the playground, or a leisurely walk with friends. Its position near Hillcrest makes it convenient to pair time outdoors with a neighborhood coffee or lunch stop, while the park itself remains a green retreat.

Know before you go

Address: 3700 Cedar Hill Road, Little Rock. Parking is available in developed park areas. Wear shoes appropriate for your planned route, bring drinking water, and avoid muddy or eroded dirt trails after heavy rain. Accessibility varies by trail and park entrance; paved connections do not mean all trails are accessible.

For official trail information, see the City of Little Rock's Allsopp Trail page. This week, consider skipping the long drive and enjoying an autumn landscape right in the heart of the city.