Wild Women are hiking in the park

Who runs the world … or at least Pinnacle Mountain State Park? Wild Women will this Wednesday, as they do every Wednesday when a popular women-only hiking group travels one of the state park’s eight trails.

There are no membership fees or any fees to participate, because it’s not a club. It’s just a park-led outing open to all women.

They meet in different parts of the park from week to week. This week they will gather at 3 p.m. at the visitor center, 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road, to tackle a route they don’t normally use, the Winter Wonder Hike. Little known to park visitors, the route sometimes steps off the official trails.

Cold weather is possible and so participants should wear layered clothing and sturdy shoes for the rugged path. Hikers need to stay hydrated even in low temperatures, and there are no water coolers in the woods, so women should carry their own water.

The group hikes yearround. In winter the hikes begin at 3 p.m. and are finished by 5; from April to September, they start at 6 p.m., to avoid the heat of the day.

Created in 2012 by former park interpreter Maryanne Stansbury, the women’s hike was intended to help women who don’t feel safe alone in the outdoors gain confidence while enjoying a friendly, guided walk in the woods.

For more information or the next meeting location, call (501) 868-5806 or check out the park website, ArkansasStateParks.com/PinnacleMountain.

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