diff --git a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 44186494ecf8..ea15bb706691 100644
--- a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ list(PREPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake_modules")
 # vcpkg (ab)uses CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE to inject its logic into CMake
 if(ARROW_DEPENDENCY_SOURCE STREQUAL "VCPKG")
   include(Usevcpkg)
+elseif(ARROW_PACKAGE_KIND STREQUAL "vcpkg")
+  set(ARROW_VCPKG ON)
 endif()
 
 project(arrow VERSION "${ARROW_BASE_VERSION}")
diff --git a/cpp/cmake_modules/FindSnappyAlt.cmake b/cpp/cmake_modules/FindSnappyAlt.cmake
index d0a06f0997ad..89914a64469a 100644
--- a/cpp/cmake_modules/FindSnappyAlt.cmake
+++ b/cpp/cmake_modules/FindSnappyAlt.cmake
@@ -52,9 +52,12 @@ if(Snappy_FOUND)
       set(SnappyAlt_FOUND TRUE)
       return()
     else()
-      # The Conan's Snappy package always uses Snappy::snappy and it's
-      # an INTERFACE_LIBRARY.
-      get_target_property(Snappy Snappy::snappy TYPE)
+      # The Snappy packages in Conan and vcpkg always use
+      # Snappy::snappy.
+      #
+      # The Snappy package in Conan use an INTERFACE_LIBRARY for
+      # Snappy::snappy.
+      get_target_property(Snappy_TYPE Snappy::snappy TYPE)
       if(Snappy_TYPE STREQUAL "STATIC_LIBRARY" OR Snappy_TYPE STREQUAL
                                                   "INTERFACE_LIBRARY")
         set(Snappy_TARGET Snappy::snappy)