
Discover Events

Petit Jean State Parks
Arkansas State Parks Calendar of Events
Park
Categories
Regions
The 10 Essentials Look and Learn Table
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Ever been caught unprepared on an outdoor adventure? Stop by the park interpreter's Look and Learn Table at the visitor center to learn about the ten essentials every adventurer should have. Discover…
Read more
Pedal and Picnic - Fall Bike Ride
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Join a park interpreter for a family-friendly bike ride along the CCC Hike and Bike Trail. We’ll start at the Old Visitor Center trailhead, ride to Mather Lodge with a stop at the Lower…
Heart Healthy
Read more

What's the Catch?
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Do fish have a sixth sense? Meet a park interpreter to discover how fish use their senses to navigate their underwater world. We will make a paper fish craft, all while uncovering the secret…
Read more
"Got Water?" Monument Trail Tabletop
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Water is essential to have available on
your outdoor adventures, whether hiking or biking the trails. Learn how to
figure out how much water you need to take on hikes or rides to avoid
dehydration.…
Read more
Camp Ouachita Historic Tour
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Join a park interpreter to learn about the rich history of Lake Sylvia and Camp Ouachita. Glimpse into the past by touring the old Girl Scouts cabins. Look into the future while exploring our newly…
Read more
Boy Scout Trail Adventure
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:30 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…
Heart Healthy
Read more

Preserving the Legacy
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Join a park interpreter for a special 2-hour open self-guided tour of the 1872 Courthouse Museum! Learn how Jacksonport became the county seat, what the building was used for after the county seat…
Read more
Cotton Ginning Demonstration
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
How many of us have heard of the cotton gin? You might even know the name of the man credited with inventing the machine. But do you actually know
what a cotton gin does and how it works? Join…
Read more
Birding 101
Sunday, November 30, 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…
Heart Healthy
Read more

Ceremonial Site Tour
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.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…
Heart Healthy
Read more

Eagle Watch Cruise
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 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,…
Read more
Rock House Cave Hike
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Meet a park interpreter to hike to the park's archeology site, Rock House Cave. We will view American Indian rock art and discover more about the windows into the past that these images provide. This…
Heart Healthy
Read more

Pelican Party
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Join a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitor center for a celebration of one of Lake Dardanelle State Park's most surprising seasonal visitors - the American white pelican!…
Read more
Crafty Tracks
Sunday, November 30, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Join a park interpreter to create your own animal track soap! We'll discuss different tracks you may find in the park and how to identify them. All supplies provided. No registration required.
Read more
What's for Lunch
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
/ 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
We have 8,000 gallons of aquariums, filled with many of the fish species found in Lake Dardanelle. Join park staff in the visitor center as they feed the fish live food. See for yourself, what’s for…
Read more
Game Scene Investigation: GSI
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
When you walk around in nature and you see a track, do you take the track at face value as just a footprint or do you look around to see what the big picture holds? Join a park interpreter in the…
Read more
Reptilian Riddles
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Many creatures call Lake Dardanelle State Park home. Many of these amazing creatures are reptiles. Join a park interpreter in the visitor center Orientation Room to discover some of the things that…
Read more
Eagle Tour
Thursday, December 04, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing our national symbol, the American bald eagle (weather permitting). Many other spectacular birds will…
Read more
Hike Along the Rim Trail
Friday, December 05, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Join a park interpreter to set off on a section of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scout Trail known as the Rim Trail. The walk offers scenic views of Cedar Creek’s lower canyon, as well as woodland…
Heart Healthy
Read more

Wetland Safari
Friday, December 05, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Lake Dardanelle State Park’s diverse habitat is home to a wide variety of creatures. Join a park interpreter at the visitor center Orientation Room to explore some of the players in this vital…
Read more