Arkansas: Go to Mount Nebo for the Big Views and Bigger Hikes

The views from Mount Nebo State Park have made it a favorite vacation spot in Arkansas since the 1890s.

When at the top of Mount Nebo, you can hike around the park’s perimeter and gain views of the surrounding area in every direction. If you’re looking for a vacation with memorable vistas and a chance to burn surplus calories, then Mount Nebo is an excellent choice.

HIKING TRAILS

As hikers we liked Mount Nebo’s trail system, but the 14 miles of trails proved to be a little too much for one of our team members. Be advised that the trails labeled “strenuous” fully live up to the strained muscles and dehydration that the word conveys. Unless you’re in top shape, choose the easy trails, which are still scenic and offer a significant physical challenge. We tried a mix of the trails with the Rim Trail being the one that gave us the best opportunity to travel around the entire mountaintop and get long-range views of the area. Plan your hikes to include stops at Sunrise Point and Sunset Point at the right time of day to catch the sunrise or sunset.

Rim Trail offers a wide range of views of the valley below

LODGING

Twelve of the park’s 15 cabins are located along the bluff and provide views of the river valley below. There are two kinds of cabins: rustic stone cabins and A-frame wooden structures. We loved the look of the stone cabins and their placement on the edge of the mountaintop.

CAMPING

The wooded campground accommodates up to 24 camping units year-round. All the campground spaces are equipped with tables, grills, water and electricity. The park also has a group camp, hike-in campsites and places to camp on the Bench Trail. Facilities at Mount Nebo also include a swimming pool, bathhouse, tennis courts, basketball hoops, a ball field, picnic area, pavilions and a visitor center with a gift shop.

Arla tries to convince Doug that hiking the Nebo Steps Trail might be a bad idea, but he laughs off her concern, boasting that no trail is too strenuous for him.

ARLA’S SHOCKING MOMENT

Doug has a good vocabulary, but he doesn’t seem to understand the word “strenuous.” On the other hand, I get it. The word means tiring, arduous, exhausting, tough and demanding. Doug said we should take the strenuous trail at Mount Nebo because it would be a good challenge. I frowned and replied, “No. We should be sensible and take the easy trail. By taking the strenuous trail, somebody could get heat exhaustion or fall down the mountain and die!”

Arla recommends hiking the easy or moderate trails instead of taking the strenuous ones.

Linda rates this trail as one of the most challenging she has encountered.

LINDA’S TAKEAWAY

In my opinion, Mount Nebo State Park has some of the most treacherous and hardest trails to hike in Arkansas. I’ve walked up and down many challenging and scary mountains in Utah and North Carolina. For me, Mount Nebo matched that level of difficulty. Shortly after I started hiking around Mount Nebo, I knew it would be a rough day and wasn’t sure how far I could go. But I knew that not trying wasn’t an option. As I came close to completing the Rim Trail, I decided it was time to rest my legs for the rest of the day and called a halt to the hike.

On a positive note, I exceeded my daily goal of 10,000 steps and set a record of 24,000-plus by midafternoon. Later that day, Doug showed me his photos taken during our hike around Mt. Nebo. The pictures captured beautiful spots I had missed because of my focus on the ground to make sure I didn’t trip over rocks and fall to my death. I often appreciate the natural beauty of state and national parks only after I’ve made it safely to level, paved ground. If you’re a seasoned, fearless hiker, Mount Nebo might be on your “bucket list.” I’m just glad it wasn’t the last thing I completed on my list. Whew!

Linda enjoys the view from the stone bridge that is located on the Rim Trail and Summit Park Trail.

DOUG’S HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT

Mount Nebo is the second oldest state park in Arkansas, earning its designation shortly after nearby Petit Jean State Park. Cabin 1 at Mount Nebo was the first cabin rental in Arkansas state park history.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed many of the rustic stone cabins at the park along with the pavilions, bridges and hiking trails. In case you aren’t familiar with the organization, the CCC was a voluntary public relief work program conducted in the U.S. from 1933 to 1942 for unemployed, single men.

Mount Nebo earned its name because of the view it provides like Mount Nebo mentioned in the Bible.

GEE WHIZ FACTS

The first log house on the mountain, built after the Civil War, was constructed near Nebo Springs by Louis C. White.
Mrs. White named Mount Nebo after the mountain in the Bible from which Moses had a view of the promised land.
The Summit Park Trail is named for the Summit Park Hotel, which was built near the trail in 1889. Unfortunately, the hotel burned in 1918.
A huge, round slab of sandstone perhaps 15 to 20 feet thick lies approximately 300 feet below the summit of Mount Nebo. It extends completely through the mountain, like a gigantic rock pancake.

PARTING SHOTS: SCENERY TO KEEP HIKERS MOTIVATED