BOU AVENUE
Signal Hill-Magazine Mountain
On 7 April 2024, Zosia Zgolak and I drove to Mount Magazine State Park to hike up Signal Hill, the high point of Arkansas.  Signal Hill is part of the Magazine Mountain massif and is easily accessed via a good paved road.  There are multiple trailheads available, and we chose to start from the one on the north side of Signal Hill (35.17046, -93.64474).  The short hike up the forested hill was pleasant enough if not particularly scenic.  Besides a sign board and register, the high point has an impressive stone map of Arkansas with the summit benchmark situated at the exact geographic location of Magazine Mountain on the map.  For some variety, we extended the hike by descending a different trail and then looping back to our original trailhead.

After finishing our hike up Signal Hill, Zosia and I visited nearby Mount Magazine Lodge, and we also walked out to the top of some cliffs guarding the southern flank of the massif.  When we had our fill of far-reaching views, we drove to a picnic area near the park's visitor centre to eat lunch before leaving for good.

Better views than from the summit!

This viewpoint near the entrance to Mount Magazine State Park already grants far-reaching views to the south.

The most direct route up! Zosia starts hiking up Signal Hill from the north trailhead.
An easy stroll in the park. The trail is well-maintained and easy to follow.
Very cool map! Sonny and Zosia sit beside the survey marker on the summit of Signal Hill (845 metres).  The marker is situated at the exact geographic location of Magazine Mountain on the stone map of Arkansas.
Anyone know what kind of tree this is?

These pink blossoms really stand out while most other trees on Signal Hill are leafless at this time of year.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
The 34th highest US state high point. Total Distance:  2.6 kilometres
Round-Trip Time:  59 minutes
Net Elevation Gain:  51 metres

GPX Data
Or is it a woodchuck? This groundhog makes its home at Mount Magazine Lodge.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Nice spot for lounging--all we need is a beer! Zosia sits among some daffodils outside the pool room at Mount Magazine Lodge.
Serious cliffs here! Zosia sits at the top of some cliffs guarding the south side of Magazine Mountain.  In the distance is Blue Mountain Lake.
Big sucker! Resting outside Mount Magazine Lodge is a luna moth.

It ain't no Matterhorn, but it's a mountain nonetheless!

Here is a comprehensive view of Magazine Mountain from the highway to the south.  Mount Magazine Lodge is barely visible on the right skyline.