Park A Day: Petit Jean

On June 3, 2004 Petit Jean was presented with a certificate of lifetime membership to the National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps. Petit Jean has the distinction of being Arkansas' first state park.

In 1907 the idea came about to create a park on the mountain and land was acquired in 1923. The park was dedicated in 1925, but most of the work that went into making the park what it is today was a result of the Civilian Conservation Corps work in 1933. I assume that's why this is the 75th anniversary and not the 83nd.

Petit Jean is the location of some of the greatest camp sites in Arkansas. I've camped a few times at Petit Jean, but I much prefer my nights in Mather Lodge. The accommodations and the view couldn't be much better.

Petit Jean is best visited in the spring, after a bit of a wet spell. If you go in the heat of summer, you probably won't get to see the cascading falls. Even in the dry season, you'll get to see Seven Hollows and recount the tale of the young French girl know as Petit Jean who died on the mountain. Her grave can be seen on the mountain. Some say her ghost haunts the mountain . . . at least that's what we always told campers around a fire to get a scare out of them. There's nothing scary about Petit Jean Mountain, save a few bats and snakes.

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