Pinnacle Mountain State Park getting ready for solar eclipse
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PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. – Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other state leaders are planning to use the solar eclipse as a way to showcase the Natural State and boost the economy, with many Arkansas communities in the path of totality.
The governor and department officials held a press conference Monday morning to lay out the plans for the April 8 eclipse.
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At Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Assistant Superintendent Cale Davenport said showcasing the state’s beauty will be fairly easy to do, and planning at the park has gone on for months now.
Davenport said the park is expecting to quickly meet capacity on April 8, with people wanting to watch the eclipse from the top of the mountain. He said once every parking spot is taken, that lot will be closed down.
If and when there are too many people on the mountain, the park’s officials said they will start taking steps to reduce that number of people. However, Davenport said the park is no stranger to a lot of guests this time of year. Beautiful spring days often bring in a massive number of people to the park and mountain area, so everyone on duty that day will be prepared.
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“It’s gonna be drawing visitors from all over the country. There’s gonna be a lot of people who have never been to Arkansas,” Davenport said. “It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to showcase everything we’ve got here in Arkansas.”
Pinnacle Mountain State Park will open at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of the eclipse, and per usual, will close an hour after sunset.
Once the lot is full and more cars are not allowed in, Davenport said it is important cars do not park on the street outside the park, as it will create even more traffic.
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If you plan to watch the eclipse from Pinnacle that day, you are advised to arrive as early as possible.
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