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Petit Jean State Parks
Arkansas State Parks Calendar of Events
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Nature Journals
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
There is a lot to explore at Crater of Diamonds State Park! Whether you are an entry level rock hound or are a wildflower wanderer, a nature journal can help you document your finds. Meet in the…
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Marsh Mystery
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
As the Arkansas River journeys through Lake Dardanelle, it continually shapes the land and creates opportunities for people like you. We have to be careful when enjoying these opportunities so that we…
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Talk Like A Sailor 101
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Have you ever wondered where some of the phrases we use came from? Surprisingly, many originated from steamboat lingo. Join a park interpreter and learn how these phrases may or may not have changed…
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Talking Turkey
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the National Bird of the United States to be a turkey? Or that a gobbling turkey can be heard from up to a mile away on a quiet day? Come to Cane Creek State…
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Winter Workshop Series - Stargazing 101
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Join a park interpreter for a special evening
under the stars at Petit Jean State Park. November is one of the best months
for stargazing, with crisp air and longer nights revealing some of…
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Dixie's Home Front
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
With their fathers, brothers, and husbands gone off to fight in the Civil War, Southern women had to do not only their own housework, but learn to take on the jobs of their male relatives, too! Join a…
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Creatures of the Night
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Lake Dardanelle State Park is home to many creatures. Discover some of Lake Dardanelle State Park’s nocturnal residents. Join a park interpreter at the amphitheater and learn what animals come out…
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Nightshift Hike
Saturday, November 22, 2025
/ 6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
When the sun goes down, the forest wakes up in a whole new way at Mount Magazine State Park. Join a park interpreter on a guided night hike to meet the wild creatures who rule the dark, from stealthy…
Heart Healthy
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Rock House Cave Hike
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.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
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Autumn Discovery Series - Nature's Recyclers
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Falling leaves don’t
just disappear, they fuel the forest. Join us to uncover how soil, fungi,
insects, and other recyclers turn autumn’s leaf litter into next spring’s
growth. Join a park interpreter…
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Forest Floor Friends
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Nestled under rocks, leaves and logs, the forest floor in Petit Jean State Park is a thriving community waiting to be discovered if you take the time to look closely. Join a park interpreter to do…
Heart Healthy
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Visitor Center Explorers
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Escape the weather and visit a park interpreter at the visitor center! Explore our sensory station with furs of local animals, learn about reptiles and turtles, and experience many other wonders that…
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Preserving the Legacy
Sunday, November 23, 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…
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All about Turkey!
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Learn all about the animal commonly associated with Thanksgiving: the turkey! Learn about this bird's habitat, diet, and behavior! Then, make a fun turkey-themed craft!
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Prospector Trail Guided Hike
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 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!…
Heart Healthy
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Cotton Ginning Demonstration
Sunday, November 23, 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…
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Bear Cave Hike
Sunday, November 23, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Join a park interpreter for an interesting walk among the giant sandstone boulders and slot canyons of the Bear Cave area. This is a relatively easy 1/4-mile hike that is great for the whole…
Heart Healthy
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Diamond Mining 101
Monday, November 24, 2025
/ 8:30 a.m. - 8:45 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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Diamond Mining 101
Monday, November 24, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 10:15 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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Eagle Tour
Tuesday, November 25, 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…
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