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Petit Jean State Parks
Arkansas State Parks Calendar of Events
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Opt Outside Canoe Float
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Opt outside this year! Rather than going shopping or seeing a movie after the Thanksgiving holiday, opt outside this year with the ones you love for a blissful float along the Maumelle River. A Park…
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A.M. Power Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Work up a sweat with the park interpreter on the Harris Creek Trail! All hikers are welcome, but this 3.5-mile round trip hike is at a swift pace. Bring plenty of water and a snack. This trail is…
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Diamond Mining 101
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Meet a park interpreter in the Diamond Discovery Center to learn the tricks of the trade at this demonstration of diamond searching methods!
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Opt Outside Battlefield Tour
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Lives were forever changed here on December 7, 1862. Join us for a 1-mile walk along the ridgeline where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove. Meet at the Borden…
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Hike to the Big Bluff Overlook
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Enjoy the sights, sounds, and scenery of Bull Shoals-White River State Park on a guided hike to the Big Bluff overlook. This hike will be moderately strenuous. Bring water and wear sturdy…
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Opt Outside: Tunstall Trail Nature Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Come on out to Jacksonport State Park on Green Friday and avoid the shopping
crowds! This is a perfect opportunity to walk off that Thanksgiving
dinner and enjoy nature at the same time. We will walk…
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Shaddox Hollow Nature Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Join a park interpreter and start a
family tradition on Opt Outside Day, a day that encourages people to spend
Black Friday outdoors instead of shopping. We’ll enjoy being in nature with
family and…
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Opt Outside: Keys to the Kingfisher
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Join the thousands of people across the country that every year choose to avoid the holiday shopping and instead #OptOutside on Green Friday to hit the trails! Meet a park interpreter as we meander…
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Bear-ly Believable!
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 12 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Throughout the spring and summer seasons, Arkansas' black bear populations have been eating everything they can find to prepare for hibernation in the winter months. Join a park interpreter to learn…
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Opt Outside Historic House Tour
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
The families who settled here long before the Civil War share many of the same values and traditions we hold today. Explore the similarities and differences between our ways of life on this guided…
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Prospector Trail Guided Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Join a park interpreter at the Prospector trailhead, on the northwest side of the diamond search area, and experience Crater of Diamonds State Park like miners and geologists of the past!…
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Quiet Hour Hike for Adults
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
The holidays can often be hectic and what
you need is to slow down and relax. Join a park interpreter who will lead you
on an easy, 1/2-mile hike through the forest. At the end of the hike, we’ll…
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Beginner Birding
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Bull Shoals-White River State Park is a great place to begin your birdwatching journey! Discover field guides and other methods of bird identification. A park interpreter will also provide tips for…
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Chunkey Champions
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Before the days of baseball, a different type of game dominated the United States. Join Park Interpreter Megan to learn about the indigenous game of Chunkey and then play the game for yourself. Do you…
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Eagle Watch Cruise
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Looking for an adventure? Join a park interpreter for a
guided eagle-watching cruise on DeGray Lake. We will spend the hour searching
for wintering bald eagles, ospreys, loons, herons, grebes, ducks,…
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Opt Outside: Tunstall Trail Nature Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Come on out to Jacksonport State Park on Green Friday and avoid the shopping
crowds! This is a perfect opportunity to walk off that Thanksgiving
dinner and enjoy nature at the same time. We will walk…
Read more
Opt Outside Battlefield Tour
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Lives were forever changed here on December 7, 1862. Join us for a 1-mile walk along the ridgeline where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove. Meet at the Borden…
Read more
Watercolor Wonders
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Water is powerful! From shaping the landscape to shaping the activities we enjoy here, water has the power to shape life at Village Creek State Park. Join a park interpreter outside the visitor center…
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Sunset Cruise
Friday, November 28, 2025
/ 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Bundle up and enjoy a relaxing and scenic
cruise on DeGray Lake! Discover the history of the lake, wildlife, view rock
outcrops, and unique islands. Seating is limited—reservations can be…
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