Arkansas: Petit Jean State Park Is Big on Adventure

Unusual features found at Petit Jean State Park include a lake on top of a mountain. In fact, the park has two: Lake Bailey and Lake Roosevelt.

Petit Jean translates as “Little John” in French, but the Arkansas state park with that name is big enough for even the most adventurous travelers. We hiked some of the park’s more than 20 miles of trails and checked out all its special features. They include a pair of lakes, Rock House Cave, Bear Cave, Turtle Rocks, waterfalls, overlooks, stone bridge and the grave of the legendary Jean Petit.

Due to its beauty and well-maintained facilities, this park holds the current top position on our list of favorite state parks in Arkansas. We still have more to visit, but it’ll be tough to take away Petit Jean’s No. 1 ranking.

Linda hikes the Rock House Cave Trail, which she declared her favorite.

HIKING TRAILS

The promotional brochure for Petit Jean delivers a perfect line about the park’s recreation options: “But our trails are the real attraction.” Agree! We explored most of the eight trails and liked the scenery and variety. The trails include:

Bear Cave (.25 mile, easy)
Cedar Creek (1.25 miles, moderate)
Cedar Falls (2 miles, moderate/strenuous)
Rock House (.25 mile, easy)
CCC Hike and Bike (1.75 miles, easy)
Seven Hollows (4.5 miles, moderate)
Canyon (1 mile, easy)
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scout (12 miles, moderate/strenuous)

Linda finds the hiking to be a little rocky on the Cedar Creek Trail.

When we stopped at the visitor information center for trail information, the ranger helping us asked, “So, how far do you want to hike? Twenty miles?” We laughed and answered “no,” but it turns out he was serious and wanted us to try the entire package of trails. They’re easy to find and parking at or near the trailheads is available.

Before you go, visit the state park website for Petit Jean trail information. You’ll want to be prepared for the options. Do better than us and hike all eight.

Mather Lodge offers 24 guest rooms in a wooded setting high on a bluff overlooking the Arkansas River Valley.

LODGING

The Mather Lodge overlooks the Arkansas River Valley and has 24 guest rooms. The lodge includes a swimming pool, gift shop, conference room and full-service restaurant.

Visitors can rent historic stone cabins with fantastic views when staying at Petit Jean State Park.

Next to the lodge, the park offers 33 cabins for rent, with 21 of them having kitchens. Most of them feature an attractive rustic style, but they have modern amenities. The cabins and lodge are near the Cedar Falls Trail.

Lake Bailey provides campers with superb scenery.

CAMPING

The park has 125 campsites with water and electrical hookups. The sites are divided into four areas with a bathhouse in each. The campsites are located next to or near Lake Bailey.

A group camp area with a heated bathhouse can be reserved and is available for tent camping only. If you don’t own camping equipment, you might want to try the Rent-A-Camp and Rent-A-Tepee packages that include tent/tepee mats, canoe, camp stove and other camping gear. Call 501-727-5441 for information.

Arla shows concern about getting too close to the edge of the cliff at the overlook where Petit Jean’s grave resides.

ARLA’S SHOCKING MOMENT

The views from the overlook next to Petit Jean’s grave are stunning, but I did grow concerned when walking toward the edge of the rock formation at the side of the overlook. I suddenly found myself looking straight down a cliff at jagged rocks below. I immediately thought somebody could fall to her death here and, if I stumble, it will be me.

I quickly backed away from the edge and returned to the part of the overlook with the sturdy railings that I could grasp firmly while enjoying the scenery. It seemed the sensible approach, but Doug followed his usual risky routine of pretending that he’s a mountain goat and walked around oblivious to the danger. He thinks the laws of gravity don’t apply to him. Why? I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

Linda’s Takeaway

Petit Jean State Park has several beautiful trails to walk on and explore. Each trail was unique, but the one to Rock House Cave was my favorite. It wasn’t a strenuous trail to climb, but it was hard to walk on without wobbling around on the rocks.

As we hiked toward the Rock House Cave, Doug was amazed by the “Turtle Rocks.” He leaned over them several times and pointed out the structure of the rocks and how much they resemble ancient big turtles. Doug’s comments went on so long that I started to wonder if he understood that I knew how these turtle-shaped rocks came to be. So, I asked, “How did geologists discover that these rocks used to be turtles?”

Rocks that look like stone turtles border the Rock House Cave Trail.

Doug quickly put on his teacher’s hat (he’s a professor) and kindly, respectfully explained that the rocks aren’t actual turtle shells, but the resemblance is uncanny. I quickly confessed and told him I knew the rocks were never turtles. He smiled and laughed it off. For the record, I’ve never played a practical joke on anyone, but I enjoyed this one.

The view from the bluff where Petit Jean is buried includes the Arkansas River.

DOUG’S HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT

Here’s an abbreviated version of the legend of Petit Jean, which explains how the mountain and park received its name.

In the 1700s, a French nobleman Chavet received approval from the King of France to explore the New World. When he shared this news with his fiancée Adrienne Dumont, she asked that they be married immediately so she could accompany him. He refused, thinking that the journey would be too dangerous. Adrienne didn’t like that answer and disguised herself as a cabin boy and landed a job on the ship. The disguise worked, even fooling Chavet, and the other sailors. They called her “Petit Jean,” which is French for “Little John.”

Petit Jean’s grave is found four miles east of the park named in her honor.

Things went well on the expedition, with the explorers spending time on the mountain where the park is now located. However, on the evening before heading back to France, many of them became ill, including Petit Jean. The illness resulted in fever, convulsions, delirium and finally coma. When Petit Jean was being treated, her deception was revealed. She begged forgiveness from Chavet and expressed her dying wish to be buried on top of the mountain, which she loved. She died at sundown on the mountaintop and was buried there.

The sun reflects off Lake Roosevelt, which members of the Civilian Conservation Corps created during the Great Depression.

GEE WHIZ FACTS

Petit Jean is the oldest state park in Arkansas, with the initial land acquired for the park taking place on Sept. 10, 1923. It is one of the oldest state parks in the South.
The lakes at Petit Jean were created by 200 members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, with work beginning in July 1933. They also built a stone lodge, 20 cabins, an entrance building, picnic areas, shelters, roads and trails.
The park has been recognized as a national landmark for outstanding landscape architecture by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

PARTING SHOTS: TAKE YOUR PICK OF GREAT HIKES AND VIEWS

The views from the Palisades Overlook on Petit Jean Mountain Road remind park visitors that they are on the top of a mountain.

The Bear Cave Trail provides plenty of photo ops for a relatively short trail.

The Cedar Creek Overload Trail features sloped boardwalks with a series of switchbacks that reward walkers with an excellent view of the Cedar Creek Valley.

The overlook provides a long-range view of 95-foot Cedar Falls.

Doug crosses a rock bridge that spans Cedar Creek.

Doug gets as close to a cave as he dares on the Bear Cave Trail.

Linda searches for signs of wildlife on the Bear Cave Trail.

Linda and Arla tour the remnants of a historic building at the Stout’s Point overlook.