Petit Jean State Park

When portions of Petit Jean Mountain were set aside as public land in 1923, it set precedent for the establishment of state parks in Arkansas. The natural beauty of this mountain, which rises 1,207 feet above sea level, is evident whether you view it from the Arkansas River Valley below, or look down on the river from the east brow at Stout's Point.

Your experience at Petit Jean State Park is part of the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Log and stone facilities, built by these young men in the 1930s, mirror the mountain's rugged beauty, and are preserved throughout the park as National Register of Historic Places districts. The quality, quantity, and diversity of geological formations on Petit Jean Mountain is unique. Hiking trails lead you through forests, canyons, bluffs, caves — some with Native American pictographs to explore — streams, meadows and mountainsides. Overlooking Cedar Creek Canyon is the park's Mather Lodge, featuring 24 guest rooms. Thirty-three cabins are nearby; some are on the canyon bluff, while others are nestled in the woods. Park campsites are a short drive away, near Lake Bailey. Park interpreters offer a variety of programs and special events throughout the year.

The essential experience of the park is Cedar Falls, a spectacular Arkansas waterfall that drops 95 feet and has carved Cedar Creek Canyon. To know Petit Jean State Park, you have to know Cedar Falls.

Through time, Petit Jean Mountain has been a place of opportunity, for explorers, for settlers, and for travelers like you. Petit Jean State Park is a place where all elements work in harmony: the natural beauty of the mountain and its windswept views of the Arkansas River Valley, the warmth of the CCC/Rustic Style architecture, and the diversity of geological formations and wildlife habitats.

To discover more about Arkansas's first state park, go to: www.PetitJeanStatePark.com.