Luckily for today's visitors, a large chunk of Arkansas timberland, bordering the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests, was deemed too costly for timber harvests in 1921. The Seven Hollows Region was owned by the Fort Smith Lumber Company and the company physician, Dr. T.W. Hardison, headed up the effort to convey the land for park establishment. Other nearby landowners donated an additional 80 acres surrounding Cedar Falls and Cedar Creek canyonlands.
     Petit Jean State Park was established just in time to enlist the services of the newly formed V-CCC Company #1781, a group of World War I veterans that had joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC workers spent five years building park infrastructure and a large group of National Historic District buildings that are still in use today. This scenic view looks out over the park's Cedar Creek Valley and an area filled with adventure and challenging National Recreation Trails.