Welcome to Part Six of the Petit Jean State Park hiking series, Bear Cave Trail. Petit Jean is Arkansas’ first state park. It’s also one of my go-to spots when I want a spur-of-the-moment, close to home day hike. It’s great because there are so many options there. Whether you want waterfalls, vista views, caves, or cool rock formations, Petit Jean has it all. And if caves and cool rock formations are your thing, then Bear Cave Trail is a spot you must check out. It’s not really much of a hike. But it’s such a cool and interesting part of the park that I just couldn’t leave out of this series.
Directions
Petit Jean State Park is a few miles southwest of Morrilton right off Hwy 154. Or approx 6 miles north of Adona off Hwy 10 to Hwy 324/155 if you’re coming from the south. Google knows all about this one, so not much direction is needed here. Type the park in your phone map and it will get you there. Once there, stop by the visitor center and pick up a park and trail map. Driving south from the visitor center, go past the turn-off for Mather Lodge. The parking area for Bear Cave Trail will be just down the road and to the right. There is also a hiking trail from Mather Lodge that leads to Bear Cave.
What to Expect
As I mentioned, the Bear Cave Trail is not so much a hike as it is a cool area to explore. The area is actually a huge cluster of bluffs, gigantic boulders and rock formations. When I say gigantic…these rocks are probably 40 to 50 feet high, or more. There is a trail that goes all the way around them, and splits into several other trails that wind between all the boulders. One trail goes right down the middle with the rocks forming towering walls on each side, almost like a tunnel. It’s one of the more popular photo spots in the park.
A fun thing about the Bear Cave Trail is that you can climb on top of these giant rocks and look down into the network of trails below. There is also a pretty good view of Cedar Creek Canyon from there. If you look around, you can find some ways to climb up that aren’t too risky. On the side opposite the canyon, there are some rocks short enough to climb up. They lead to rocks that are a little higher, and then a little higher. Eventually you’ll find yourself on top of the really high ones. There are a few other ways that require climbing up through crevices between the rocks. They are a little more difficult, but doable. Either way, you want to leave this place in your own car and not an ambulance. So use caution and good judgement if you want to climb these rocks.
Plan Your Trip
Petit Jean State Park – Bear Cave Trail is fun but it’s not a destination that will take up your whole day. Plan on 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much you want to explore. It would be a good thing to do before hiking one of the other trails, like Cedar Falls or Cedar Creek. If you want to do any climbing I recommend good hiking or climbing shoes. At a minimum, tennis shoes, or hiking sandals.
Cell phone service is spotty throughout the park, but you’re never too far away from a cell signal. There are enough things to do in the park to fill a weekend, and plenty of options for spending the night. Definitely call ahead to check availability on the lodge or cabins. Camp sites are almost always available. But during busy times it’s probably a good idea to call ahead to check on those as well.
If you get a chance to visit, please remember this park gets a lot of visitors. Help take care of it by taking nothing but pictures, and leaving nothing but footprints. Here are some pics from the Cedar Creek Trail. These were taken long before I started this blog, so unfortunately I didn’t snap a lot of them. I’m sure I will add more eventually. I hope you like these. Thanks!
