Crater of Diamonds State Park

State: Arkansas. Destination type: state park built around a working, plowed diamond field. Location: Murfreesboro, Pike County. Park size is about 911 acres, with a roughly 37-acre search field open to the public. Became a state park in 1972 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is the only diamond-bearing site in the world where the public can dig and keep what they find, and visitors have turned up more than 37,000 diamonds since 1972.

Crater of Diamonds State Park centers on an eroded volcanic crater near Murfreesboro that happens to be the only spot on Earth where members of the public can search for genuine diamonds in their original volcanic source and keep whatever they find. The plowed 37-acre field looks like an ordinary farm field, but it sits atop an ancient volcanic pipe that occasionally pushed diamonds up from deep within the mantle. Families, hobbyists, and serious gem hunters spread out across the rows with shovels, screens, and buckets, sifting soil after rain in hopes of spotting a raw diamond's telltale oily shine among the gravel. A visitor center and Diamond Discovery Center explain the park's geology and offer free identification of whatever visitors turn up, whether it is a diamond, quartz, or one of the area's many other minerals. Beyond the search field, the park has short walking trails along the Little Missouri River, picnic areas, a campground, and a seasonal water park that makes it easy to turn a diamond hunt into a full day outdoors. Its combination of genuine geological rarity and a hands-on, keep-what-you-find experience makes it one of the more unusual state park destinations in the country.

The park sits at 209 State Park Rd in Murfreesboro, in Pike County in the southwestern part of Arkansas. It occupies 911 acres along the Little Missouri River, with the plowed diamond search field as its centerpiece. The area is rural, and the drive in passes through small towns and forested countryside rather than any major city, so visitors should plan for a fairly remote, standalone trip rather than a stop along a busier travel corridor.

Murfreesboro has a humid subtropical climate with hot, muggy summers and short, cool, wet winters. Average highs run from roughly the low 50s Fahrenheit in January up to the low-to-mid 90s in July and August, with lows dipping into the 30s in winter. Humidity stays fairly high year-round, and annual rainfall averages around 46 inches, spread fairly evenly across the seasons. Because rain is what exposes new diamonds at the surface, the area's frequent showers are actually part of the park's appeal rather than just something to plan around.

Spring and fall are generally considered the most comfortable times to visit, with milder temperatures than the height of summer and a good chance of the kind of rain showers that help wash diamonds to the surface. Visitors are commonly advised to search a couple of days after a good rain, once the ground has had a little time to dry, rather than in the middle of a downpour. Summer brings extended search-field hours and the seasonal water park, but also more heat and humidity, while winter is quieter with shorter hours and cooler, wetter conditions.

The site's diamond history began in 1906, when farmer and prospector John Wesley Huddleston found the first diamonds on his land, confirmed as genuine by a Little Rock jeweler; state geologist John Branner had already flagged unusual volcanic rock at the site back in 1889. Huddleston's discovery set off a small diamond rush, and rival ventures -- the Arkansas Diamond Company and the Ozark Diamond Mines Corporation -- spent the next few decades competing over the property amid financial trouble, lawsuits, and a general lack of success at large-scale commercial mining. A Bureau of Mines excavation during World War II processed hundreds of tons of ore for only a modest handful of diamonds, underscoring that the site was better suited to individual searching than industrial mining. In 1952 the rival operators partnered to open the field to paying tourists, and after further changes in ownership the State of Arkansas purchased the property from Texas-based owners in 1972, creating today's state park. The site earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Notable finds over the decades include the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, the largest diamond ever unearthed in the United States, found in 1924, and the Strawn-Wagner Diamond, found in 1990 and later cut and certified as a flawless stone. Diamonds, mostly white, brown, or yellow and usually under a carat, continue to turn up regularly; park materials note an average of roughly two diamonds found by visitors per day.

The main activity is simply searching the 37-acre plowed field for diamonds and other minerals using surface searching, dry sifting, or wet sifting, either with your own tools or rented ones. The Diamond Discovery Center offers demonstrations of these techniques and free identification of anything you find, so first-timers do not need prior experience. Beyond the field, the park has a handful of short trails, including a route along the Little Missouri River, a Prospector Trail, and a wildlife observation blind for those who want a break from digging. In warmer months the seasonal Diamond Springs Water Park adds a splash-pad-style attraction for kids, and the park's picnic areas and campground make it easy to turn the visit into an overnight stay.

Inside the park, the Visitor Center displays real uncut diamonds found on site along with exhibits on the area's geology and mining history, while the adjacent Diamond Discovery Center focuses on hands-on identification and search techniques. The 37-acre search field itself is the main draw and effectively the park's signature landmark. Walking trails along the Little Missouri River and around the Wildlife Observation Blind offer a quieter, scenery-focused counterpoint to the diamond field, and the seasonal Diamond Springs Water Park is worth a stop for families traveling with young children in summer.

The park is reached primarily by car; there is no scheduled public transit directly serving the site. The nearest airport is Texarkana Regional Airport, roughly 44 miles away and about an hour's drive. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock is farther out, around 96 miles and roughly a two-hour drive, but offers considerably more flight options. From either airport, or from Little Rock generally, visitors drive via state highways to Murfreesboro and then follow signs to the park entrance on State Park Road.

As of research, the diamond search area was open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round, with extended evening hours in the peak of summer, and the Visitor Center, gift shop, and Diamond Discovery Center kept slightly longer hours, roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., also with summer extensions. The park is typically closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Confirm current hours on the official website before your visit, since seasonal schedules can shift.

As of research, admission to the diamond search area was $15 for visitors 12 and older, $7 for children 6 to 11, and free for children under 6, with separate fees for the seasonal water park and for tool rentals. Check the official site for current pricing before you go, since fees are periodically adjusted.

Most visitors spend a few hours to a full day searching the field, especially once travel time to this fairly remote park is factored in; serious diamond hunters and families combining the visit with camping or the water park often plan for closer to a full day.

The park itself has a campground with dozens of Class AAA sites offering hookups, plus walk-in tent sites, so camping on-site is a popular option for a longer visit. In and around Murfreesboro, small independent motels and inns serve visitors, including options just a mile or so from the park entrance that market themselves specifically to diamond hunters, along with a couple of budget-friendly, family- and pet-friendly motels a few miles out. Because Murfreesboro is a small town, lodging choices are limited compared to a larger city, so booking ahead during busy seasons is worthwhile.

Dining options directly around the park are limited, since Murfreesboro is a small town rather than a tourism hub with a wide restaurant scene. Visitors typically find a handful of casual local diners, bars, and downtown eateries within a short drive of the park, enough for a meal but not a wide variety. Packing snacks, drinks, and a cooler lunch for the day in the field is a common strategy, especially since digging can take up most of a visit.

Lake Greeson, a scenic Corps of Engineers reservoir, lies within a roughly ten-mile radius and is a popular add-on for boating or fishing. The park's own trails and river frontage offer additional nearby scenery without leaving the property. Other major Arkansas state parks and natural landmarks, including Lake Ouachita, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and Devil's Den State Park, are all reachable with a couple of hours' drive for visitors building a longer Arkansas road trip.

There is no passenger rail or scheduled bus service to the park, so a personal or rental vehicle is effectively required. Texarkana Regional Airport is the closest commercial airport at roughly 44 miles away, while Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, about 96 miles away, offers a larger range of flights for those willing to drive a bit further.

Sun exposure is one of the bigger everyday risks, since the search field is open and unshaded, so sunscreen and a hat are worth planning for even on overcast days. After rain the field can get muddy and slippery, so visitors are advised to move slowly and watch their footing, especially with digging tools in hand. Only hand tools are allowed in the search area -- battery-operated and motorized digging equipment is prohibited -- which also helps keep the activity relatively low-risk. Keep an eye on children around digging tools and open holes in the field.

Old clothes and shoes you do not mind getting muddy, gloves, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen are all commonly recommended. Bring your own shovel, screen, and containers if you have them, or budget for a rental kit at the Diamond Discovery Center. A cooler with water and snacks, a change of clothes for afterward, and a sealed container to carry home any finds round out a typical packing list.

Many repeat visitors recommend timing a trip for a couple of days after a good rain, when fresh diamonds are more likely to have washed up to the surface, and arriving near opening time both to beat the heat and to get a good spot in the field. If you do not want to buy equipment, rental kits and individual tools are available on-site, and the Diamond Discovery Center will identify anything you find for free, so it is easy to visit without any prior gem-hunting experience. Because the surrounding town is small, it is worth fueling up and picking up any extra food or supplies before you arrive, and pairing the trip with camping in the park or a stop at nearby Lake Greeson can help justify the drive to this somewhat out-of-the-way park.

For any emergency, dial 911, the nationwide emergency number in the United States. For non-emergency park questions, the park's own phone line, 870-285-3113, is listed on the official Arkansas State Parks site.

Arkansas State Parks -- Crater of Diamonds State Park: https://www.arkansas.com/state-parks/parks/crater-diamonds-state-park

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.