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There is only one place in the world where the public can search for diamonds. It is the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Southwest Arkansas. The day before we got there a young girl found a 3.8-carat treasure on the 37-acre field that makes up the mine. We spent a hard working afternoon digging for diamonds, came up empty but had a blast.
The State Park is the only significant diamond deposit on the North American Continent. About 2 million years ago a massive volcano brought the diamonds to the surface. The park is an eroded volcanic pipe. Over 75,000 diamonds have been found at the Crater. The largest is named Uncle Sam and weighed in at 40.23 carats.
The Visitors Center has Park Rangers demonstrating the 3 most popular ways to mine for diamonds. You can rent any equipment you need at a reasonable price. The entry fee to the park is $7.00. You get to keep anything you find as well as leave with an unsearched bucket. They have experts to help you identify any of the rocks you find. Other semi-precious stones can be found. Amethyst, agate, jasper, quartz, calcite, and barite are just a few.
Diamond mining is a dirty job. Wear boots or overshoes and a hat for shade. Carry water for hydration. Carolynn tried the dry method and surfaced mined. Dirt does not stick to the diamonds so many times they are on top of the soil especially after a rain. Half of the diamonds found have been on the surface. I used the wet method and sifted the dirt using two screens and the sluice boxes provided. We were looking for a small well rounded crystal about the size of a kitchen match head. They will have an oily, slick outer surface. The color could be clear, white, yellow, and brown. It was work, but the fever just takes over.
We were there on a beautiful 70-degree day. There were a couple hundred people mining. This included a field trip of fifth graders from a local school. They were having fun while learning geology. They went home feeling like real treasure hunters.
The State Park is set up for RV’s. They have 47 AAA Campsites and 5 for tents. They have a small Diamond Springs Water Park, which on hot days is an oasis for everyone in the family. They offer group rates of 50% for groups of 15 or more. They are located 2 miles southeast of Murfreesboro on Arkansas Highway 301. The park includes a River Trail, which is an easy one-hour walk, and The Prospector Trail, which at 1.2 miles is a little tougher.
www.CraterofDiamondsStatePark.com
870-285-3113
Queen of Diamonds Inn
870-285-3105
November 2, 2022
