America The Beautiful – Arkansas’s Petit Jean State Park

Oct 1, 2024 | 0 comments

Petit Jean State Park is the grand dame of Arkansas’ thriving 52 state park system. Petit Jean Mountain has a history as romantic as its topography. In the early 1700s, a young French nobleman named Chavet petitioned the French king for permission to explore a portion of the Louisiana Territory. With a land grant in hand, Chavet refused his fiancée’s request to marry before he left for the New World. In desperation, she disguised herself as a cabin boy to work on his ship. The crew nicknamed her “Petit Jean,” French for Little John.

Unfortunately, she became ill and died. Before this, Chavet discovered her identity as Adrienne Dumont, the Paris debutante he assumed was waiting for his return to France. Indigenous Natives granted her wish to be buried on the east point of the mountain. Today, a small earthen mound designating her grave is a popular destination for tourists. Nearly a century after her death, an 1818 Quapaw Treaty map shows her influence in the original name of the Petit Jean River as Petit Jaune, meaning “Little Yellow.”

HISTORY OF THE PARK

The best place to get oriented to the layout and legacy of Petit Jean State Park is the Dr. T.W. Hardison Visitor Center on the shore of Lake Bailey. The facility is named after the doctor who led the creation of Arkansas’ first state park. It was established nearly a century ago. The multiuse space covers almost 12,000 square feet.What you’ll find inside is a multi-sensory, interactive introduction to the magic of Petit Jean Mountain and its people. It’s easy to get caught up in the beautiful bells and whistles of the exhibits. It’s even easier to forget that each relic once had a place and a purpose. Each stroke of paint on the rock shelter’s walls was made by a human hand. That hand belonged to a body with a beating heart. That person had a home.

THE LANDSCAPE

Geologists describe Petit Jean Mountain as an 8,800-acre erosional remnant resembling the shape of a bird’s head when outlined on a map. Most likely, this cosmic plateau of porous shale and sandstone compacted with crystals is the enduring remains from the mountain’s dance with a nearly constant wind from the south. The Native Illini Ugakhpa had a word for it: “Akansa,” transliterated to English as Arkansas, the state name. Petit Jean Mountain has a full complement of natural special effects.

THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

Beginning in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) started work on the rustic-style, native log and stone facilities in the park, including trails, roads, bridges, cabins, and the focal point of the park, historic Mather Lodge, which overlooks Cedar Creek Canyon. The park assigned V-CCC Company 1781, a group of World War I veterans, to work there from 1933 to 1938. Their first project was living quarters for the camp; next up was the lodge, cabins and the native stone dam for the formation of Lake Bailey. To this day, the lodge, pavilions and the Davies Bridge can be enjoyed by visitors. Mather Lodge is the only CCC-built lodge in Arkansas.

IN THE PARK

Explore Petit Jean State Park’s more than 20 miles of hiking trails to look for a series of small parallel canyons. People know these as the Seven Hollows (with waterfalls!) and the unusual Liesegang weathering. Liesegang are patterns that resemble tree rings across the layers of rock strata. Swiss scientist Hans Jenny (1904-1972) showed how vibrational frequencies consistently produce symmetrical geometric shapes across disciplines as diverse as engineering, medicine, agriculture and art. These patterns appear as fossils more than 300 million years old in the eroded areas of the mountain. Other highlights include the spectacular 95-foot Cedar Falls, Bear Cave, the Grotto, Natural Bridge and other formations like carpet rocks and turtle rocks. Interpreters lead programs and special events throughout the year showcasing the special nature of this park.

WHERE TO STAY

Petit Jean State Park
Historic Mather Lodge has 24 rooms. There are 33 cabins (several constructed by the CCC during the 1930s) along Cedar Creek Canyon Bluff. There’s a swimming pool, dining room and limited dog-friendly rooms. Campground includes 125 campsites for a variety of RV sizes. Other options include a group camp area and four Rent-A-Yurts. arkansasstateparks.com

NEARBY PLACES TO EXPLORE NATIVE HERITAGE

Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park in Scott, Ark.
One of the most extensive and largest Native American sites in the Mississippi River Valley. It includes 18 towering mounds constructed between 650-1050 A.D. Free admission. arkansasstateparks.com

Hot Springs National Park Fordyce Bathhouse Visitors Center in Hot Springs, Ark.
Experts believe the Tunica, Caddo, Quapaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, among others — peacefully gathered at the natural hot springs as much as 10,000 years ago. Two facilities on Bathhouse Row pipe the thermal springs directly into their systems. You can emerge in the healing waters and enjoy an authentic hot springs experience. nps.gov

Rebecca Joy Bingham originally published this article in Girl Camper Magazine.