
Discover Events

Petit Jean State Parks
Arkansas State Parks Calendar of Events
Lake Cruise
Wednesday, May 07, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sign up in advance for a relaxing cruise on Bull Shoals Lake. Sit back and enjoy the breezes as we explore this fascinating Ozark region and learn how the construction of the dam shaped both the…
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Scenic Lake Tour
Thursday, May 08, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Lake Ouachita's immense size, pristine shoreline, and numerous islands offer breathtaking scenery that is unparalleled in the state. Enjoy a tour with a park interpreter as you explore the wildlife,…
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Beginner Mothing Hike
Thursday, May 08, 2025
/ 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
These commonly overlooked pollinators shine at night. Enjoy a day of activities with the family; building, exploring, and discovering the habitat and adaptations that allow moths to perform these…
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Nature Journaling
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Soldiers’ written observations and drawings provide historians with first-hand descriptions of what the landscape, people, and community looked like in 1862. Today, we will use our senses to describe…
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Music to Your Ears: A Ukulele Highpoint Hike
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Perseverance of life at Mount Magazine State Park should be music to your ears! Let a park interpreter share some original ukulele songs on the way up to Arkansas' highpoint that highlight…
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Birding 101
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Meet a park interpreter to learn the basics of birding then
put your new skills to the test. We will look and listen for birds during a 0.5-mile walk on the Arboretum Trail. Wear sturdy shoes, bring…
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Birds, Flowers, and Canyon Walls
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Bring
your binoculars, if you have them, and join a park interpreter at the
breezeway of historic Mather Lodge. We are making a short hike to the Cedar
Falls Overlook, looking for spring wildflowers…
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Lake Cruise
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Explore the wonders of Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River aboard the state park tour boat (weather permitting). Enjoy abundant wildlife, amazing history, and astounding views of the river valley…
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Spring Snapshots
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
You can share special moments on the trail this spring at Lake Frierson State Park. Join the park interpreter on a hike along the 0.5-mile Dogwood Lane Trail for the Spring Snapshot challenge!…
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Chinquapin Chat
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Join a park interpreter at the Ozark Chinquapin Grove, located along the Caddo Bend Service Road, to explore our nursery of young trees being reintroduced to Lake Ouachita State Park. Learn about the…
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"Sense"-able Hike
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
When is the last time you stopped to watch a bird land in a tree? What about stopped to smell a cedar tree? Join a park interpreter to spend time outdoors and use all of your senses on…
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Boy Scout Trail Adventure
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Join a park interpreter for a hike to one of the most scenic and hidden overlooks in the park. Along the way we will explore a rock glade, identify different plants, and admire the beauty of Cedar…
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Delta Woodlands Trail Hike
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
At Lake Chicot State Park, explore a remnant of nature that was once a much bigger part of the greater Arkansas Delta region by hiking the Delta Woodlands Trail. This short, paved, 1-mile…
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Lake Chicot Sunset Tour
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
All aboard to experience a magical Delta sunset from the water! Along the way, discover what makes Lake Chicot unique and important to the state of Arkansas. Space is limited to 10 participants and…
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Sunset Stroll
Friday, May 09, 2025
/ 7:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Meet a park interpreter to take a short stroll to the CCC Overlook where you can watch the sunset from one of the most scenic locations in the park. Bring a flashlight for the walk back to…
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Daybreak Diamond Tour
Saturday, May 10, 2025
/ 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.
Join a park interpreter in the Diamond Discovery Center, lower level to walk through the search area and learn about the best places to search for diamonds. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of past…
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Birding Basics
Saturday, May 10, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Birding is a great way to tune in to the sounds and sights of Lake Frierson State Park. Join the park interpreter to learn more about birding and how you can get started with this fun hobby. After…
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Inching Along the Trail
Saturday, May 10, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
The little things can lead you to big adventures at Lake
Ouachita State Park! Join a park interpreter in a hunt for natural objects one
inch or smaller in size as we hike along the 1-mile red loop of…
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Cedar Falls Overlook Stroll
Saturday, May 10, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Join a park interpreter for this easy, handicap accessible, 1/4-mile stroll. We will talk about some of the things that make Petit Jean State Park a special place, as well as enjoy the view of Cedar…
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Archeological Site Tram Tour
Saturday, May 10, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
The Plum Bayou Mounds site is
one of the largest and most impressive archeological sites in the Lower Mississippi River
Valley. Occupied
by American
Indians from about 650 to 1050 AD, this site is…
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