There's No Prettier Place Than Stout's Point On Arkansas' Petit Jean Mountain
By Carol Ann Carson|Published October 25, 2019
×
Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
Petit Jean Mountain has inspired visitors for well over 10,000 years. Not only was it a gathering place for Native Americans, the area also inspired the creation of Arkansas’ first state park in the 1920s. Petit Jean State Park captures so many facets of Arkansas nature between its waterfalls, caves, unique rock formations, and overlooks. Every acre of the park needs to be explored but for today let’s just drink in the views from Stout’s Point, the most famed overlook on the mountain.
The views from Petit Jean has inspired folks for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Hundreds of archaeological sites have found evidence of early Native American occupying the mountain dating back to well over 10,000 years ago. More concentrated history can be found in the Rock House Cave as well. The cave art is fascinating but one way to really connect to the mountain's history is by reaching Stout's Point.
The overlook feels timeless and never ceases to amaze.
Photos from misty mornings to clear afternoons all give a vibe that transcends time. The mountain sits 1,120 feet above the Arkansas River Valley which gives such an amazing vantage point over the river.
Advertisement
As with any important piece of Arkansas nature, the overlook has abandoned ruins to explore as well.
In addition to fabulous views, Stout's Point also features the grave site of the mountain's name sake. The story goes that in the 1700s, a young fiancée, Adrienne Dumont, couldn't bear the thought of her lover, Chavet, taking the treacherous voyage to the New World. She disguised herself as a cabin boy and became a popular crew member. No one (including her fiancé) suspected her deceit and the crew even gave her the nickname "Petit Jean." Unfortunately after arriving to Arkansas, Adrienne came down with a deadly fever. Her identity was revealed by the crew's doctor and Chavet was devastated. Her dying request was to be buried at the mountaintop the crew had recently discovered. Her marked "grave" can be visited to this day.
This point sits on the east side of the mountain. From the overlook you'll be able to spot the Arkansas River as well as Lock and Dam #9, Blue Point, and Ada Valley. Any time is the perfect time to visit but we highly recommend waking up early and catching the sunrise.
This is one overlook that every family member can enjoy.
Different trails access the overlook but the easiest option is to drive to the point. As with any overlook always use caution with younger children. The overlook has a fenced deck with seating and informative markers so it may be best to stick to that particular part of the point.
Stout's Point is just one of the areas to take in during your travels to the mountain.
The mountain really does have everything you could ever want in an Arkansas state park. For trip inspiration as well as camping information, be sure to visit the state park website.
Have you traversed to Stout’s Point yet? We would love to see your mountaintop photos in our Facebook group, Arkansas Nature Lovers. You should join for your chance to be featured (like Brennen Duffield today) and to discover why there’s nothing better than Arkansas’ stunning nature.
If you’d like to learn more history behind Petit Jean, you can read about the oldest state park here.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
