How to Elope at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas

Petit Jean State Park Elopements

Petit Jean State Park might just be the #1 destination for elopements in Arkansas. It’s one of the most versatile when it comes to scenery, and it’s easy to navigate! There’s cliffside overlooks with views of the Arkansas River and valley, unique rock formations and caves, a stunning 95′ waterfall you can hike down to, and a lake. Most scenic locations within the park are about a 10 to 15-minute car drive from each other, meaning you can adventure around to multiple of these during your elopement! Also, the majority of the locations are just a short and easy walk from the parking lot, which makes it a great area for those who aren’t looking to exert a lot of energy on elopement day.

I photographed my first intimate wedding/elopement back in 2015 at Petit Jean State Park. Learn everything you need to know about how to elope or host an intimate wedding in the park through over a decade-worth of information and experience I’ve gathered as an Arkansas elopement photographer!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Finding Vendors
• Petit Jean’s Special Use Permits
• Best Spots at Petit Jean
• What to do Here
• Where to Stay
• Where to Eat
• Best Time of Year to Elope
• Getting Your Marriage License
• Your Photographer, Planner, & Officiant

Finding Vendors For a Petit Jean Elopement

Hiring a photographer who specializes in elopements, and is familiar with Petit Jean State Park, is key to being able to easily put together the rest of the details of your elopement day. This photographer should be able to help you find your ideal location within the park, and help you build your itinerary for the day based on their knowledge of the area. Some elopement photographers, like myself, go as far as offering officiant services to help take one more thing off your to-do list! You also get a list from me of other vendor referrals so you can have an easier time booking things like florals and hair and makeup artists.

Petit Jean Elopement Permits & LNT

One of the most important things to know about how to elope at Petit Jean State Park is special use permit requirements, and the 7 principles of Leave No Trace (LNT).

Permits

Most locations within the park require a permit, if you fall under certain criteria, in order to host your ceremony there. To find out if you need to obtain a permit, you’ll need to contact the park and give them this info :

• The day you want to elope
• Where within the park you want to do your ceremony
• What time you plan to do your ceremony, and how long it’s expected to last
• How many people (including guests, vendors, and yourselves) will be present
• and any other info they ask you to provide

(If you’re unsure about what time or where to do your ceremony, ask your photographer so they can recommend the best options for you!)

Park Contact Info:

• 501-727-5441
• petitjean@arkansas.com.

Leave No Trace

It’s important to note that there are several rules to follow when you elope on lands that belong to park services, especially as a permit holder. Failure to follow rules can sometimes result in fines. These rules generally follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles. You can learn more about LNT here. Common rules you’ll see for park elopements:

1. You cannot set up chairs, an altar, or floral arrangements.
2. You can only have -X- amount of people occupying the area. (# varies by location)
3. Clean up any messes you make.
4. Do not be loud enough to disturb other park visitors.
5. You are not allowed to block off or shoo away other park visitors occupying the area you intend to have your ceremony at. Your permit does not serve as a private reservation.

Best Spots for Your Ceremony & Photos at Petit Jean

Petit Jean is jam-packed with beautiful photo spots for an elopement. It can be tough to narrow it down to your favorites when you plan your elopement here! Some of my favorites are:

• Stouts Point (scenic overlook of the Arkansas River)
• Bear Cave Trail (cave-like rock formations)
• Lake Bailey (small lake on the mountain)
• CCC Scenic Overlook (scenic overlook)
• Turtle Rocks and Rock House Cave (unique rock formations + a cave)
• Cedar Falls (95′ waterfall)
• Camp Mitchell (open-air chapel with overlook views)
• The Nest (outdoor overlook venue)

What to do During Your Petit Jean Elopement

There are several things you can do within Petit Jean State Park for adventure elopement activities to include in your itinerary. It makes it super easy to come up with how to elope at Petit Jean! Some of these ideas are:

• Rock climbing at Seven Hollows Trail
• Taking a canoe ride out on Lake Bailey
• Hiking down to Cedar Falls
• Having a picnic for cake and champagne at one of the scenic overlooks
• Watching sunset/sunrise at one of the overlooks
• Watching the moon rise over the Arkansas River after sunset (it has to be timed just right in the year!)
• Exploring the unique caves at Bear Cave Trail
• Exploring Rock House Cave to see ancient Native American drawings
• Cozying up in your cabin’s hot tub after a fun day of adventuring

Where to Stay for a Petit Jean Elopement

There are plentiful of places to stay directly on the mountain for your Petit Jean State Park elopement, but they can sometimes book up fast, especially in peak seasons like autumn. You can also look into the surrounding cities, like Morrilton, Conway, and Russellville, if you struggle to find something on the mountain. Accommodations within the park include:

• Mather Lodge; cabins & rooms
• Beaumont Cottages; A-frame cabins (a personal fave, listed on Airbnb)
• StAy A-Frame Cabin (listed on Airbnb)
• and others listed on Airbnb + VRBO

Where to Eat After Your Elopement

There’s only a couple places on the mountain, and they can close pretty early sometimes. You can travel down to Morrilton for the next nearest options. Or Russellville and Conway are bigger cities about 45 minutes from the park – both have a bit more variety if you want to get out for a nice date night. Here’s some places to check out:

• Mather Lodge Restaurant (within the park)
• Petit Jean Coffeehouse (within the park)
• Yesterday’s Bar & Grill (Morrilton)
• Colton’s Steak House (Morrilton)
• Plenty of fast food and other options in Morrilton
• Pasta Grill; Italian (Conway & Russellville)
• Mike’s Place; Cajun (Conway; my personal favorite for a nice date!)
• Rock N Roll Sushi (Conway)
• Umami; sushi and hibachi (Conway)
• Xen Thai and Ramen (Conway; my favorite ‘hole in the wall’ restaurant)

Best Time to Elope at Petit Jean State Park

The best time to elope at Petit Jean is generally mid April to mid June, and mid September to mid November. Petit Jean can be a great place to elope most anytime of year, though! If you can, try eloping on a Monday-Thursday when most people are working or in school. The park can get busy during weekends when the weather is nice.

Spring Weather (March-May):

March: Early March it’s likely to still be chilly and the trees will still be bare. We see warmer temps around the 70s °F and foliage growing back usually by mid to late March.

April: Trees can sometimes still be pretty bare in early April. By mid April the greenery should be fully back. Temps will start to warm up more by mid/late April, with some days possibly in the high 80s to low 90s °F.

May: It could already be hitting 100° with intense humidity a few times in the month, but the average is generally in the 80s. A sunrise elopement may be advised just in case of hot days.

Summer Weather (June-August):

June: This is going to be the more tolerable month to elope in the summer. The odds of days being under 90°F are better, especially earlier in the month. June is a stormy month, so that means lots of rain – this can be a good time for a waterfall elopement at Cedar Falls! Eloping at sunrise is advised to beat the mid-day heat.

July & August: This is going to be a hot and humid timeframe to elope. Temps can average 90-115°, which can be unsafe conditions to be in after a short period of time. If you choose to elope, it’s strongly advised to do it at sunrise.

Fall Weather (September-November):

September: It’s still going to be pretty hot like the summer, with temps still hitting in the 90s °F frequently.

October: By mid to late October we finally begin to see temps drop to more comfortable levels in the 70s °F. Late October is when we also begin to see color change in the trees.

November: The trees usually go bare by mid November. Temps will start to cool in November, usually in the high 40s to 50s °F. (Check out Lacey + Ryan’s Petit Jean elopement that was featured with Wandering Weddings for an idea of what those fall colors are like early in the month!)

Winter Weather (December-February):

December: It’s usually only mildly chilly (low 50s to upper 60s °F.). Trees will be bare, but otherwise the weather usually feels on the chilly/comfortable side.

January: January can sometimes bring winter storms of snow and ice – making road conditions difficult or impossible, especially trying to get your car up a mountain. These snow storms usually only happen once every year or two and last a few days to maybe a week, but are still a risk of southern winters. Be advised when planning an elopement this time of year! Temps are usually in the mid 30s to mid 40s °F, but during those cold snaps they can get close to 0°.

February: February can be another risky month for poor weather on the roads, but the risk greatly decreases as the month progresses. Temps may still be chilly at the beginning of the month, but you can start to see days in the upper 50s to even the mid 70s by mid to late February.

Getting Your Arkansas Marriage License

Obtaining a marriage license in Arkansas is quick and easy:

• Licenses are issued at any county courthouse in Arkansas Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm (closed on major holidays)
• You can leave the courthouse with your license the same day you apply.
• You can obtain your license at any conveniently located courthouse in Arkansas and use it anywhere within the state, just return it to the same courthouse you got it from within 60 days. The nearest courthouse to Petit Jean is the Conway Co Courthouse located about 20 minutes away in Morrilton.
• The fee for your license is $60 (cash or card only)
• Both you and your partner must be present to apply for the license, and must be 18 years or older.
• You both must provide identification, such as drivers license or passport.
• You must return the completed license to the same courthouse you got it from during their open hours.

*Requirements for obtaining your marriage license might vary by courthouse. Call the courthouse you plan to use to ensure you are prepared. Some may want you to also provide your birth certificate, and/or social security card, and some might be cash only.

Your Petit Jean Elopement Photographer

I hope you found all of this information I’ve sourced in my 10 years as an Arkansas elopement photographer as helpful! Petit Jean is an elopement destination that definitely won’t disappoint you. It’s a personal favorite of mine that’s loaded with beautiful scenery and is so easy to navigate. Reach out and we can start planning your dream elopement here!