Petit Jean State Park

Petit Jean State Park is the birthplace of the Arkansas state park system and one of its most beautiful and beloved parks, crowning Petit Jean Mountain between the Ozark and Ouachita ranges in the Arkansas River Valley of west-central Arkansas. A landscape of deep canyons, unusual rock formations, caves, forests and sweeping overlooks, the park is crowned by its spectacular centerpiece: Cedar Falls, a powerful 95-foot waterfall that plunges into a lush canyon.

Established in 1923 as Arkansas’s first state park — saving the scenic mountain from logging — and richly developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Petit Jean preserves not only natural wonders but some of the finest rustic CCC stonework in the country, including the historic Mather Lodge. Trails lead to Cedar Falls, through the canyon, past curious formations like the Rock House cave and the ‘turtle rocks,’ and to overlooks gazing across the Arkansas River Valley. With its waterfall, canyons, rock formations, historic charm and the legend of Petit Jean herself, the park is a treasured Arkansas landmark.

Petit Jean State Park offers superb recreation — hiking the trails to the spectacular 95-foot Cedar Falls and through its lush canyon, exploring unusual rock formations (the Rock House cave, the turtle rocks, Bear Cave), taking in sweeping overlooks of the Arkansas River Valley, plus the historic Mather Lodge and cabins, camping, a lake for fishing and paddling, a swimming pool, and birding. The combination of the dramatic waterfall, the canyons and formations, the river-valley views and the historic CCC charm makes Petit Jean a premier and beloved destination, the cherished birthplace of Arkansas’s state parks.

Spring brings the fullest, most powerful flow over Cedar Falls and abundant wildflowers, while fall brings spectacular color to the canyons and the Arkansas River Valley, a premier autumn time. Summer is lush and popular, with the lake and pool, though warm, and winter offers bare-canyon views and quiet trails. The waterfall is most powerful after rain and in spring; fall color and the spring falls and wildflowers are highlights. The park is busiest on warm-season and fall weekends, so arrive early to enjoy Cedar Falls and the trails.

Petit Jean State Park was established in 1923 as the very first state park in Arkansas, born when local advocates moved to protect the scenic mountain from logging — an effort that also helped inspire the creation of the state park system. The Civilian Conservation Corps richly developed the park in the 1930s, building the historic Mather Lodge, cabins, trails and dams with lasting rustic stonework. The mountain is named for the legend of Petit Jean, a French girl who, by tradition, disguised herself as a boy to follow her love to the New World and is said to be buried atop the mountain.

Petit Jean Mountain, between the Ozark and Ouachita ranges, is a flat-topped sandstone mountain in the Arkansas River Valley, where the layered sandstone has been eroded over immense time into the park’s deep canyons, bluffs, caves and unusual rock formations — including the ‘turtle rocks’ (sandstone weathered into turtle-shell patterns) and the Rock House cave. Cedar Falls plunges 95 feet over a resistant sandstone ledge into the canyon. The layered sandstone, the long erosion, and the unusual weathering created the waterfall, the canyons and the curious formations that make Petit Jean geologically fascinating.

The canyons, forests, lake and streams of Petit Jean State Park host white-tailed deer, foxes, wild turkey, and a rich community of birds, including woodland species and the raptors that ride the air over the river valley, while the cool, moist canyons shelter salamanders and amphibians, the caves provide habitat, and the lake supports fish. The biodiverse mountain between the Ozarks and Ouachitas supports diverse wildlife. The park is a fine place for wildlife watching and birding amid its waterfall, canyons, formations and overlooks in the Arkansas River Valley.

Petit Jean State Park protects a biodiverse mountain ecosystem in the Arkansas River Valley between the Ozark and Ouachita ranges, where the canyons, the sandstone bluffs and formations, the caves, Cedar Falls, the forests and the lake support diverse plant and animal life, including cool-canyon species, cave life, and rich forest and streamside communities. The cool, moist canyon around Cedar Falls creates humid microhabitats. Protecting the canyons, the waterfall, the streams’ water quality, the formations and the forests sustains both the ecology and the scenic beauty of this treasured first state park of Arkansas.

Petit Jean State Park, the birthplace of the Arkansas state park system, holds a cherished and storied place in the state, beloved for its spectacular Cedar Falls, its canyons and formations, its historic CCC stonework, and the romantic legend of Petit Jean herself. The dramatic waterfall, the rustic Mather Lodge, and the mountain’s natural and legendary heritage have drawn generations of visitors. As the first state park and a showcase of Depression-era craftsmanship and Ozark-Ouachita beauty, Petit Jean is a treasured landmark of west-central Arkansas.

Petit Jean State Park is in west-central Arkansas atop Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton, off State Route 154 from Interstate 40, about an hour and a half northwest of Little Rock. The park is free to enter. It offers trails to Cedar Falls and the rock formations, sweeping overlooks, the historic Mather Lodge, cabins, campgrounds, a lake, a swimming pool, and a visitor center. The trail to Cedar Falls is moderately strenuous, descending into the canyon. Check Arkansas State Parks for fees, lodging, trail conditions and access before visiting.

Arkansas State Parks protects Cedar Falls, the canyons, the rock formations, the caves, the forests, the lake and the historic CCC structures of Petit Jean State Park. Visitors help by staying on trails to protect the fragile canyons, formations and vegetation, keeping back from cliff edges and the top of Cedar Falls, not climbing on the falls or formations, packing out everything, protecting water quality, respecting wildlife, and treating the historic structures with care. Protecting the waterfall, the canyons, the formations and the forests sustains both the ecology and the natural and historic significance of this treasured first state park.

Petit Jean’s canyons and bluffs have steep, dangerous drop-offs and the trail to Cedar Falls is moderately strenuous, descending into and climbing back out of the canyon — stay on trails, keep well back from cliff edges and the top of the falls, watch footing on rocky, sometimes slippery terrain, and supervise children closely, as falls from the cliffs can be fatal. Do not climb on the falls or the formations. Wear sturdy footwear, carry water, take care in wet or icy conditions, and respect the canyon’s depths and the dangerous cliffs and waterfall.

The park is free to enter. Stay on trails and back from cliff edges and the top of Cedar Falls; do not climb on the falls or the rock formations. Camp only in designated areas; the lodge and cabins require reservations. Follow lake fishing regulations. Pets must be leashed. Drones require authorization. Collecting is prohibited; treat the historic structures and formations with care. Pack out all trash. Check Arkansas State Parks for current rules, lodging and conditions before visiting this treasured park.

The town of Morrilton, the Arkansas River Valley, the Museum of Automobiles atop the mountain, and the nearby Ozark and Ouachita mountains lie near the park, with Mount Nebo and Mount Magazine (Arkansas’s highest point) state parks within reach and Little Rock about an hour and a half southeast. The Arkansas River Valley and the flat-topped mountains define the region. Petit Jean, the first state park, anchors a scenic region of waterfalls, canyons, river-valley views and historic charm in west-central Arkansas, a centerpiece of an outdoor getaway.

Hike the moderately strenuous trail down into the canyon to the spectacular 95-foot Cedar Falls — best after rain or in spring for the fullest flow — and explore the unusual rock formations like the turtle rocks and the Rock House cave, and the overlooks of the Arkansas River Valley. Keep back from the cliff edges and the top of the falls, wear sturdy footwear for the canyon trail, and stay at the historic Mather Lodge or a cabin. Visit in fall for color or spring for the falls, and appreciate Arkansas’s first state park.