I spent a most worthwhile afternoon recently climbing Rattlesnake Ridge with my oldest son Ethan.
Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area, owned by The Nature Conservancy, is part of the Arkansas Department of Natural Heritage system. Its purpose is to protect the integrity of the Big Maumelle River watershed, which forms Lake Maumelle, a major water supply for Central Arkansas.
The parking lot to access Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area is on the west end of Barrett Rd. I lived on the east end of Barrett Rd., in the early 1980s, when it was a blue-collar rural neighborhood. While I lived there, Annis Steadman's biology class at Little Rock Central High School did water quality samples and cataloged aquatic life in the creek adjacent to the natural area.
My next door neighbor during my stay on Barrett Rd, Alex Gilmore, killed his first buck on the powerline in the shadow of Rattlesnake Ridge. He used an ancient Enfield rifle chambered in 303 British.
Al's brother staged a legendary crow massacre near Rattlesnake Ridge. He buried one end of a corrugated metal drainage pipe in the dirt against a boulder and aimed it at a tree. He dumped 5 pounds of blackpowder inside, tamped in a cardboard wad, and then filled the thing with broken glass and rocks. He hung a speaker in a tree and played a cassette of crows fighting. Crows came from everywhere and lit in the tree. Mo lit a very long fuse and ran away.
When the thing detonated, it split the pipe to the ground and defoliated the tree.
The first time I got checked by a game warden was while hunting squirrels in that area. The guy that checked me wasn't actually a wildlife officer. He was kind of a wannabe that taught hunter education and assisted when a wildlife officer needed help in that area. The late Ross Spurlock, the real wildlife officer for Pulaski County, told me the guy was a pain, and that he caused a lot of grief for the commission by hassling people like me. He checked my gun, a Remington 870 20-gauge, to see if it was plugged. Shotguns need not be plugged for squirrel hunting. It was October in the mountains, for Pete's sake.
Like monolithic bookends, Rattlesnake Ridge looms over the west end of that community and Pinnacle Mountain boxes in the east end. I never climbed Rattlesnake Ridge when I lived there, but its addition into the public domain made that omission indefensible.
The parking lot is very small, which I count a good thing. It discourages the heavy visitation that diminishes the natural experience at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Also, the area is closed in wet weather to prevent the trails from eroding.
Only one vehicle was in the Rattlesnake Ridge parking lot when we arrived, and we never saw its owner. We walked the Cliffbrake Trail, a dual-purpose walking and mountain biking trail. Cycling is allowed only on the ascent. Cyclists must descend on another trail, which prevents unsafe contact and potential conflicts between cyclists and hikers.
The trail is well maintained and moderately easy, but it is narrow and very rocky, so boots with strong ankle support are essential. The trail gains altitude slowly through a mature pine forest that is managed with prescribed fire. The woods are open, and you can see a long way.
It's a straight climb up a very narrow set of foot holds to reach the top of the ridge. From the promontory, you look straight across to the peak of Pinnacle Mountain. In the distance is the sprawling campus of Joe T. Robinson High School. There's also a mansion on a nearby ridgetop that has its own water tower.
A brisk breeze cooled us off for the return trip, which begins with a somewhat precarious descent down the cliff that requires a bit more nimbleness than the ascent. Best of all, the return trip is entirely downhill, making for a quick journey.
According to my iPhone, the round trip is four miles. The trail is not marked, and first-timers will have to stop occasionally to make sure they are on the right course.
All of this makes Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area a fantastic addition to the recreational opportunities that make Central Arkansas a great place to live, work and play.