Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area near Little Rock not only has a cool name, it also has a vital purpose. As the state’s 73rd natural area, it is home to multi-use trails to hiking, biking, and rock climbing areas and protects special plant and animal habitats.

Mitchell Allen of The Nature Conservancy’s Arkansas Field Office said in a press release: “The Nature Conservancy has allowed public use on many of our places, but we never have really had an official recreational use plan before. A lot of our preserves are farther out and not so easy to find. Because Rattlesnake Ridge is so close to town, we thought it was a fantastic opportunity for more people to interact with the places we own and the conservation work we do. Our partners on this project, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and surrounding neighbors, shared this same vision for the natural area, so we were able to move forward with a multi-use trail system. Our goal was to really try and keep a wild feel to the place while creating an opportunity for people to interact with nature without overcrowding.” The natural area has a pretty small parking area that can fit around 10-12 cars and no overflow parking is available.

To learn more about Rattlesnake Ridge, visit Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission's website.