Petit Jean – Cedar Falls Trail

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Petit Jean is a must see for the Central Arkansas area. The iconic Cedar Falls waterfall easily recognizable on so many Arkansas marketing photos. The trail is moderate and is a distance of 2 miles. Hiking time is about an hour and a half to two hours long although that can vary. It is heavily trafficked so go early in the morning if you want to avoid crowds.

The trail begins by Mather Lodge with a beautiful view of the valley. The first part of the trail, and the end because it is an out and back, is very steep. It has a lot of rocks and roots, so you have to be careful going down. Once you get to the bottom the trail is flat and easy to hike.

Along the way, there are fun places to stop and explore like a fallen tree. However the waterfall at the end is the main attraction. According to Arkansas State Parks, Cedar Falls is 95 feet and one of the tallest continually flowing waterfalls in the state. When there has been recent rain, the waterfall is really flowing and the creek fills up. The water has also been slow a few times I have gone so plan your trip carefully. Once, there was ice formed on the rocks close to the waterfall where it sprayed. It was really pretty.

The trail is dog friendly if they are on a leash. Again this is a very popular trail so plan your hike accordingly if you want fewer people on the trail.

The park is named after a French girl who legend has it “disguised herself as a cabin boy so she could secretly accompany her fiancé to the ‘New World.’ Petit Jean became fatally ill and requested to be buried here” (Arkansas State Parks).