October 2026 - Parks Commission Meeting

The City of Little Rock Parks Commission met on October 19, 2026. Arkansas’ Office of Outdoor Recreation presented the two-year Maumelle Pinnacles Recreation Master Plan, a 24,000-acre, multi-agency recreation network focused on trail and site connections, signage, fishing and boating access, and other recreation facilities. The state office said it awards approximately $12–15 million annually in grants for parks, trails, playgrounds, fishing piers, and launch ramps. A new concessionaire for Pinnacle Mountain State Park is expected to be announced in the coming weeks; no vendor or contract details were provided. The commission discussed improving public awareness and the ongoing wayfinding phase, but took no procurement action on the plan.

The Parks Department reported a major renovation planned for Southside Park, funded through the city’s targeted community development fund, and said Reservoir Park’s playground and restroom work was nearing completion, with a possible opening before year-end. Allsopp Park trail work was supported by a prior state Recreational Trails Program grant. Department finances included two negative accounts that staff plan to bring into positive balances through reallocations; commissioners also raised the approaching city budget process and higher medical-insurance costs. A proposal to investigate National Recreation and Park Association memberships at about $18 per staff member was referred for review, not approved. The commission approved the prior meeting’s minutes and voted to add commissioners to the Parks Conservancy and master plan subcommittees; no contract or bid award was made.