Great Southern Waterfalls #1 - Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas

Cedar Falls in Arkansas

This is Part #1 of a special fall series on great waterfalls you can see across the South! I will update this page with links as I add others.

#1 on our list of Great Southern Waterfalls is Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, Arkansas.

Ninety feet in height, Cedar Falls is formed by the sudden drop of Cedar Creek from the top of Petit Jean Mountain into Cedar Canyon. One of the best waterfalls to see in Arkansas because it flows year-round, Cedar Falls is one of the reasons that Petit Jean was made the first Arkansas state park when the land was acquired by the state in 1921.

The falls can be viewed from overlooks on both sides of the canyon, or the more energetic can follow a hiking trail down into Cedar Canyon and to the bottom of the magnificent waterfall.The hike provides a stunning view accompanied by the thundering sound of the waterfall hitting the rocks at the bottom of the canyon.

Another view of Cedar Falls

The waterfall is the centerpiece of the state park, which is one of the most beautiful in the South. Covering 2,568 acres, Petit Jean State Park offers a remarkable collection of natural and historic points of interest.

In addition to Cedar Falls, there are rock formations, caves with prehistoric Indian art, magnificent views, a pre-Civil War pioneer cabin and even Petit Jean's Grave, the place where legend holds a young French girl was buried when she died of sickness after stowing away aboard a ship during Colonial times to come to America in search of her true love.  Her ghost is said to haunt the mountain.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/petitjean1.

Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park - Magnificent Arkansas Waterfall

Cedar Falls at Petit Jean Mountain

One of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Natural State, Cedar Falls plunges 90 feet into Cedar Creek Canyon at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, Arkansas.

Fed by Cedar Creek, which flows from the top of Petit Jean Mountain and over the waterfall into a beautiful canyon surrounded by towering pluffs and natural rock palisades, Cedar Falls is perhaps the best known waterfall in Arkansas. A centerpiece of the state's oldest state parks, the falls have been photographed by untold thousands of visitors over the decades since Petit Jean State Park was created.

The area around the waterfall is unique because the impetus to preserve it came not from the state or federal government, but from a group of logging company executives who met there in 1907 to inspect the area's timber potential. After spending a weekend exploring the area and marveling at its stunning beauty, they unanimously agreed that its trees should be allowed to continue their natural growth and that the remarkable setting should be preserved for future generations.

View from Petit Jean Mountain

It would take many years for this dream to be realized. The U.S. Government turned down the land as a national park because the tract was not then considered large enough for park purposes. The effort to donate the land for public use then turned to the Arkansas State Legislature. After negotiating some red tape, the state acquisition of its first state park lands took place in 1921.

The development of Petit Jean State Park, particularly the area around Cedar Falls, was carried out largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Company 1781 was assigned to the park and spent the years from 1933 to 1938 building trails, roads, bridges, pavilions, cabins and the beautiful stone Mather Lodge (currently closed for renovation).

Ancient Indian Art

The park today preserves 2,568 acres of stunning mountain scenery. In addition to Cedar Falls and the spectacular canyon, there is a mountain top scenic drive, stunning overlooks, fishing lake, picnic area, miles of hiking trails and the fascinating Rock House Cave, where prehistoric art left by ancient Native Americans can still be seen.

The park is also famed for its legend of Petit Jean, which tells the story of a young French girl who followed her lover to the new world and died at the foot of the mountain. You can learn about the story of Petit Jean's ghost and more about the park and its attractions by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/petitjean1.

Petit Jean State Park - Arkansas

While many Southern waterfalls dry to a trickle (if that) during late summer, one spectacular place to see one that runs year round is at beautiful Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, Arkansas.

Located between Little Rock and Russellville, Petit Jean Mountain is home to a fascinating history and some of the most striking scenery in the Natural State. Taking its name from the story of a French girl who followed her love to America during colonial times and supposedly still haunted by her ghost, the mountain was once the property of the Fort Smith Lumber Company. In 1907, however, a group of executives from the company came on a business trip to explore the timber resources of the mountain. So stunned was the group by the natural beauty of Petit Jean Mountain that a decision was quickly reached that it should be preserved for future generations.

In fact, it was the timber company itself that launched a major lobbying effort to have the mountain and its spectacular scenery preserved as a park. They hoped it would become a national park, but the National Park Service felt at the time that the tract was too small. The director of the park service recommended, however, that the company consider donating the land to the state of Arkansas.

The wheels of government turned slowly, but in 1923 both houses of the Arkansas State Legislature voted unanimously to accept the first 80 acre tract (surrounding magnificent Cedar Falls) to become the state's first state park.

The Great Depression intervened for the good of the park and in 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps began work at the site. Trails, overlooks, bridges, cabins, a lake, picnic areas and the magnificent stone Mather Lodge were built by the Depression era workers and Petit Jean today is recognized as an outstanding example of CCC work. In fact, the mountain preserves three National Historic Districts.

Petit Jean State Park now encompasses 2,568 acres including spectacular natural scenery, the ruins of an early resort, the alleged grave of Petit Jean, unique natural formations, ancient Native American cave paintings and a number of structures built during the Great Depression by the CCC.

Among the undeniable highlights of the park is Cedar Falls. One of the tallest waterfalls east of the Rockies, Cedar Falls can be viewed from platforms at the top of the canyon or by hiking a strenuous trail to the bottom for a view of the waterfall from the bottom up. It flows year round and is one of the most remarkable sights in the South.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/petitjean1.