There’s a new superintendent at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Josh Jeffers was named to the post on Monday, which administers more than 2,300 acres of wetlands, prairies, forests, and of course – Pinnacle Mountain. Jeffers says he intends to focus his energies on attracting youth from diverse backgrounds in Little Rock schools.
“One of the issues we’re seeing here at the park is that although we have a lot of people come out that are of different cultures and enjoy it, not many are coming to our programs,” said Jeffers. “We’re hoping to reach out to children at different schools in hopes they’ll understand what we have to offer, know a little bit about the park, and that their families will come back out and enjoy it.”
Pinnacle offers a range of interpretative programs focusing on different animals in the park as well as an array of guided hikes and floats. Pinnacle Mountain was designated as a state park in 1977. It sits at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains on the outskirts of Little Rock.
Jeffers started his park service career at DeGray Lake Resort State Park. He’s been assistant superintendent at Pinnacle since 2008. The former superintendent at Pinnacle, Ron Salley, left to manage War Memorial Stadium.
While he enjoys the park itself, which Jeffers champions as one of the most ecologically diverse in the state, it’s the people that make the park special to him.
“What really draws me is the diverse geographic area but also the diverse people that come visit the park since we’re located right close to Little Rock,” he said. “That’s what I really enjoy the most, getting to meet all these people.”
