Petit Jean State Park is a day-hiking paradise about 65 miles northwest of Little Rock via I-40. A diverse system of over 20 miles of interconnecting trails winds through the forest and along Petit Jean Mountain overlooking the Arkansas River. Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows and Cedar Creek Trails are designated as National Recreation Trails because of their rich history and beauty. The park offers 126 individual campsites (including 37 pull-through sites) with full hook-ups.
Campground History
Adrienne Dumont was a young, beautiful French woman engaged to Chavert, a nobleman set to explore the New World in the early 1700s. Without her fiance's knowledge, she disguised herself as a cabin boy named Jean to won passage on his ship.They sailed up the Mississippi River, and then up the Arkansas River, where they stopped at the foot of a beautiful mountain for the summer. Sailors dubbed her Petit Jean (French for “Little John”).
Alas, a sad ending to this love story. The night before Chavert’s party was to set sail for home, Petit Jean became very ill. With death imminent, she confessed her deception to Chavert and begged his forgiveness. She asked to be taken to the mountaintop she loved, and with Chavert at her side, died there at sunset. Years later, a low mound of earth was found on the mountaintop - Petit Jean’s Grave. That has become the park’s main attraction.
Petit Jean State Park is Arkansas’ first state park. It sits atop a picturesque mountain 1,100 feet above the Arkansas River Valley in central Arkansas. Visitors to the park find a vast number of recreational and educational opportunities from camping, hiking and fishing to learning about the unique natural features and the early human history of the area.
Park website is: www.petitjeanstatepark.com or call 501/727-5441
ar state parks arkansas sp petit jean sp petit jean state park
