By Jamie Middleton, student, Master's of Public History at UA at Little Rock

Visited on: 8/1/2019

This trip was my first time visiting Mount Nebo, but I had heard great things about the park from friends commenting on the beautiful overlooks and campsites. I only had one day to get the full experience, so I tried to make the most of it. The drive up the mountain to the park was fun with a bunch of switchbacks and all of the trees on the way up. Luckily the day I went it wasn’t too hot and there was a nice breeze, perfect for the windows being down and a long hike.

When I arrived, I went straight to the Visitor’s Center to decide on which trails I wanted to do. Everyone was so helpful; I had explained this project with the CCC and that I wanted to see as much as I could. They recommended the Summit Trail, Nebo Steps, and the Rim Trail in addition to the two pavilions near the bathhouse. I started with the Summit Trail since that was the park’s CCC interpretive trail, and the most strenuous of the ones they had suggested for me (straight down the mountain and then straight back up again). On this trail, you can see remnants of the CCC as well as from the hotel resort that was on the mountain in the late-19th century. The first half of the loop was an easy leg since it was all downhill, and along the way was one of the original stone markers CCC men used to mark the trail down to Darling Springs, a popular attraction for locals who stayed in the area. At the bottom of the summit is Fern Lake, which used to be a recreational swimming area for the old hotel. From here the trail started back up to the top of the mountain, the more difficult portion of the trail. On the way back up is the CCC-built stone bridge. Throughout the hike, the craftsmanship of the trail was incredible, and all I kept thinking about was how difficult it must have been lugging stones on the mountain to build these trails when I was having a hard enough time using the steps they built. 

All of the trails at Mount Nebo connect through the Rim and Bench Trails that run in concentric circles around the mountain. Lover’s Leap was the last stop on the Summit Trail where it converged with the Rim Trail. Here was a beautiful overlook to the surrounding forest where I spent some time catching my breath, watching hawks making their circles in the sky. After this, I started to make my way back towards the Visitor’s Center along the Rim Trail. Apparently, before the CCC was disbanded at Mount Nebo they had intended to construct a lodge on this trail. The CCC had built the foundation to the structure before they ran out of funding and still remains intact just off the main trail. Many of the cabins in the park are built on this trail overlooking the surrounding landscape. There are three other overlooks on the Rim trail that I visited, Sunset Point, the Visitor’s Center, and Sunrise Point. 

I had my lunch at Sunset Point which was about halfway between the Summit Trail and the Visitor’s Center. It was such a peaceful day being out here by myself. The intermittent clouds kept some of the sun at bay, and with it being a Thursday very few people were around which allowed me to soak in the day. I only ran into a couple of rangers and maintenance workers around the Visitor’s Center and Administration buildings. More often than not I ran into some deer. I crossed paths with at least twenty deer on my walk around the park. My favorite moment was when I was walking towards Sunrise Point, everything was calm and still, and I happen to look to the yard up the road to my right and there was a group of does laying in the grass and their fawns playing a few feet away. We all finally realized each other’s presence and one by one each of the deer crossed the road in front of me into a thicket of trees. One of the other interesting things about Mount Nebo is that the land was first settled privately and many have continued living there within the park, so it was kind of crazy to see that many deer casually wandering throughout the park. 

I would love nothing more than to go back to Mount Nebo and experience the camping aspects of the park. The cabins would be amazing to stay in, especially with them being right on the Rim Trail. I could see myself waking up early, having a cup of coffee watching everything outside wake up, and then hopping on the trail just feet away from the porch. Mount Nebo is honestly a hidden gem, and I cannot wait to go back.