Eagle Awareness Weekend

Petit Jean State Park

Join park interpreters at Petit Jean Jan. 10-11 for two days devoted to our national symbol, the bald eagle. A variety of programs are planned, including field trips to nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge to look for wintering eagles and other birds. The program is free.

The park is located on Petit Jean Mountain, known for the legend of Petit Jean, the story of a French girl who disguised herself as a boy and secretly accompanied her sweetheart, an early explorer, to the New World and to this mountain. Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas’s first state park, contains her gravesite.

Not only can you discover the legend of Petit Jean, but you can also see the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps in facilities mirroring the mountain’s rugged natural beauty.

The park has panoramic views, woodlands laced with streams and wildflowers and the spectacular Cedar Falls. Distinctive features include Cedar Creek Canyon and the Seven Hollows, Bear Cave, the Grotto and Natural Bridge, and whimsical formations called Turtle Rocks and Carpet Rocks.

For more information on Eagle Awareness Weekend and other park activities throughout the year, call 501-727-5441, email [email protected] or visit www.arkansasstateparks.com. To find attractions near Petit Jean State Park, visit the Attractions, Lodging and Dining page.

Bull Shoals-White River State Park 

Bull Shoals-White River State Park’s Eagle Awareness program on Jan. 9-10 includes activities such as lake tours, guided bird walks, guest speakers, live bird demonstrations, and live entertainment. Activities are free, except for the lake cruises. Each year, approximately 100 bald eagles visit the Bull Shoals area. For a schedule of events, contact the park at 870-445-3629, by email at [email protected].

In the Ozark Mountains of north central Arkansas, Bull Shoals-White River State Park stretches along the riverside and lakeshore where the White River and Bull Shoals Lake join at the Bull Shoals dam. The park visitor center is situated on a high point across the dam from the rest of the park’s facilities. Interpretive exhibits are featured throughout the lobby, gift shop, Johnboat Theater, and 1,720-square-foot exhibit hall filled with images of the river, lake and dam.

The park is a popular camping destination that features 103 campsites, one Rent-A-Camp, and three Rent-An-RVs. Park facilities include picnic areas, standard pavilions, playgrounds, hiking trails, and a multi-use trail. The park’s marina/store offers boat, motor, kayak and canoe rentals, in addition to supplies, equipment and gifts for sale.