Foliage map › Destinations › Arkansas › Petit Jean State Park
Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Petit Jean State Park area peaks around November 1, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 8.
- Typical peak
- November 1
- Best viewing
- Oct 30 – Nov 8
- Color starts
- Around Oct 20
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 14
- Elevation
- 1,000 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 1. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Petit Jean State Park on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Petit Jean State Park
Petit Jean Mountain rises nearly 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River Valley, and it inspired Arkansas’s first state park, established in 1923. The Cedar Falls Trail drops into Cedar Creek Canyon to the base of Cedar Falls, and the Cedar Falls Overlook looks across the canyon at the falls from the rim. The overlook at Petit Jean’s Grave looks out over the Arkansas River Valley, and from Stout’s Point you can see part of the route of the Trail of Tears along the river. Much of the park’s network of roads, trails, and buildings was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Scenic drive
Highway 154 climbs onto Petit Jean Mountain and runs through the park past the overlooks and trailheads, with wide views of the Arkansas River Valley from the top. Mount Magazine, the highest point in the state, is about 40 miles to the west.
If you arrive too early or too late
Nearby destinations
- NEARBY
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Petit Jean State Park?
In a typical year, fall color in the Petit Jean State Park area peaks around November 1, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 8. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Petit Jean State Park?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 10 days. Color starts to show around October 20, and most leaves are down by about November 14.
Is Petit Jean State Park early or late compared with the rest of Arkansas?
Petit Jean State Park peaks close to the middle of the Arkansas season, about Oct 30 on average across the 5 Arkansas destinations we track.
What trees color up around Petit Jean State Park?
The main fall color in this area comes from shagbark hickory, northern red oak, sassafras, and black gum. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.