Pinson Mounds Hiking

Two children walking towards a large mound on a sunny day.

Hiking at Pinson Mounds  

The park’s archaeological features and wildlife can be viewed along six miles of interconnecting trail. The paved trail sections are bicycle-friendly and wheelchair-accessible. Gravel and forest floor hiking trails, which do not permit bicycles, are of easy to moderate level.

Flora and fauna of three intersecting ecosystems, a cypress swamp, mixed beech-oak slopes, and oak-hickory uplands are viewable along these trails.

Trails

Nature Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

1.05 mi.

Difficulty

Difficult

Surface

Natural

Availability

Open

Allowed

Hiking

Earthworks Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

0.45 mi.

Difficulty

Difficult

Surface

Natural

Availability

Open

Allowed

Hiking

Hudson Branch Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

1.30 mi.

Difficulty

—

Surface

Natural

Availability

Closed

Allowed

Hiking

Mounds Great Outer Loop Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

2.45 mi.

Difficulty

Moderate

Surface

Paved

Availability

Open

Allowed

Biking Hiking wheelchair

Mounds Inner Loop Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

1.60 mi.

Difficulty

Difficult

Surface

Paved

Availability

Open

Allowed

Biking Hiking wheelchair

Passion Flower Trail

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park

Distance

0.30 mi.

Difficulty

Difficult

Surface

Natural

Availability

Open

Allowed

Hiking

Trail Definitions

Cross Slope 

Describes the degree of incline from one side of the trail path to the other; measured as a percentage. Cross slope aids in water drainage and impacts the overall trail stability.  
Grade 

Describes the rise in elevation over a horizontal distance on the trail; measured as a percentage.  Higher percentages represent a steeper grade indicating a more challenging ascent or descent for hikers.   
Standard Ramp Grade

Serves as a reference guide for the grade of the trail.  Standard Ramp Grade is 8.3% across all trail assessments. 
Surface 

A characteristic of the trail expressed in terms of material type, grading, compaction, and roughness of the path. Possible surface types include soil, gravel, paved, and mulch.  
Tread Width 

Represents the horizontal distance from one edge of the trail path to the other; measurements can vary.  Tread width helps to determine the amount of space a hiker has to pass through. Obstacles on the trail can alter the remaining tread width.  
Trail Types: Loop

Trail returns at or near the point from which you started.
Trail Types: Network

Offers multiple route options within one trail, and each route is connected
Trail Types: Out and Back

This type of trail travels out to an endpoint where hikers turn around and travel back to the starting point.  
Trail Types: Stacked Loop

A loop trail contained completely within another trail.

About Pinson Mounds Trails

Pinson Mounds offers a variety of hiking experiences. Paved, ADA-friendly trails enable visitors to walk or bicycle near featured mounds, including Sauls Mound, Mound 28, and the Duck’s Nest. Access to the paved trails begins at both the group camp and museum parking lots. Unimproved nature trails give visitors a glimpse of cypress swamps and oak-hickory woodlands. A boardwalk allows visitors to view the native flora and fauna of the cypress swamp and Forked Deer River.

A short walk from the museum, Sauls Mound stands sentinel, dominating the landscape. Visitors may climb the stairs at the rear of the mound to the observation deck on top. Additional paved loops are accessible from the Sauls Mound juncture. These provide access to archeological features such as the barrow pit, Duck’s Nest, and Mounds 12, 15, 17, and 28. This is also an access point for the boardwalk and nature trails.

The natural trails provide visitors access to Mounds 29, 30, and the Eastern Citadel, a key feature within the Eastern Mound sector. Both Ozier Mound and the Twin Mounds are accessed in the Western Mound sector through the Forestry Division. Interpretive panels provide additional information as visitors walk along the park trails.