Crater of Diamonds State Park Reviews

Great place to take a family. Very nice staff. Mrs. Cindy Lovejoy helped me in the gift shop and checked us into camping. Very professional making sure I knew where to go and my area near by. I still thank God above for the lady at search area Mrs. Mandy Bachman who recognized me in distress after getting to hot and walking so far. She made sure I took a ride with her and I was going to be okay.She was professional as well as she got a step stool out of the ride she was on, stood behind me to make sure I never fell getting in or out by taking my hand and helping me so much. She took me inside a office taking vitals, gave me ice packs, and let me get back to feeling normal then took me to my ride where my family was. She even sent ice packs with me. All places needs staff like Mrs. Cindy Lovejoy & Mrs. Mandy Bachmann. Thank you to both of these staff. However I do recommend to bring snacks and plenty to drink because the gift shop doesnt have much to offer food wise. I hope to bring my family back during the summer to have fun in the water park area and maybe even find a diamond! We will be back,no doubt. If this isnt on your bucket list, you need to add this place to it!

Shade available on extremely hot summer day.Interesting displays and videos. On weeks between summer and fall, water park open only on weekends. Fun time for little boys.

For the non-amateur geologists out there, it's neat to say despite you didn't find any diamonds, you found lots of various colored rocks to keep for your own. They have a real (amateur) geologist on staff to let you know what you found just before you leave the site. It gets hot out there, so come prepared. Well worth getting / bringing your own stuff to dig with. One of the locals recommended going just after a light rain. That way surface dirt can wash away and it's actually easier to get stuff through the screens. I don't think this place is worth visiting twice, but to say you once went digging for diamonds is a really unique thing.

Nice place to visit. We spent a day here, didn't get rich, but found some cool rocks. It was fun imagining that I could find a valuable diamond. It was a fun day diggin in the dirt, the wife was with me, she didn't do much digging, not long after arriving, she found shade and read a book. I definitely want to return and probably will this year or next.

Went on a sister trip to Hot Springs. We enjoy our trip to the Crater of Diamonds State Park. Will be going again!

37 acres of dust, dirt, muck, and mud. We spent 5 hours digging and shlepping dirt to the water tubs. We walked away with memories and a few cool rocks. #bucketlistcheck

This was an ok experience to do once. The admission for a state park is pretty steep. We knew we wouldn't find diamonds, and we didn't. The weather was mild, so it was fine, but I can't imagine being here in the hot weather. We rented tools, which is where the major trouble occurred. Someone stole a shovel from beside us while we were sifting at the water. There was zero sympathy for this and we were charged $20 for not retuning a small shovel. The person at the counter said if "someone had already turned it in, you wouldn't have to pay" and "we periodically make announcements not to take other people's stuff." OK... Basically they're creating an environment of encouraging swiping other people's stuff and odds are our shovel, which we've now paid for, was turned in at the end of the day. There's no way this doesn't happen all the time. All in all, we did it, but I wouldn't come back.

Recently my niece and I went to the Diamond Mine in Murfreesboro, Arkansas to try our luck digging for diamonds. We got there when it opened at 8a.m., too hot later in the day. We didn't find a diamond, but, we did find some beautiful jasper and quartz. It's a lot of fun. The water park is for little kids. They have a very nice staff who explain everything to you and a great gift shop. If you don't have your own tools and buckets, you can rent them. It's a fun time.

I was there in the area for the Eclipse. So it was super busy and took a good amount of time to get in and get rental equipment for those who didn't bring stuff with them. I would recommend having at least 4 hours there to dig through what you want to dig through but I could have spent all day there. I don't believe I found anything but I still have some stuff to go through and yes you can take stuff home with you as long as it has been sifted through and you are only taking concentrates. I believe 5 lb bucket max though. Take your family, kids, who ever and enjoy digging in the dirt maybe you will find something I missed.

You gotta be desperate or easily amused to really like digging around in the dirt for a less than lottery chance to come out ahead, while getting parboiled on a 90 deg. day. Most likely one would be smarter taking out buckets of dirt and selling it for fill, but, the park doesn't allow that. Or do some gardening. $10 a head to get in, and then rent some equipment. I guess it could be worse. Should've dispensed with the equipment rental, brought swim trunks, and gone into the water park section!!!

Hey we have a rock hound in our group so this stop was for him.
So diamonds are not like gold, but Silias I’m trying to fin it.
So if your cheap run to goodwill find a shovel or two, or swing by Home Depot and grab small hand held grubbing with 3 spikes on the end of it. If you really want to make a day of it, bring your pop up covers, small chairs, be ready to get dirty, bring a cooler of waters some snacks, a trash

One of the greatest times with my family! We have been planning this little trip for 2 years, and it was worth it. We read about some of the equipment needed and brought our own so we didn't have to rent. Typical equipment we had was a shovel, knee pads and buckets. We also brought folding chairs, canopy, ice chest with plenty of water and food (chips and sandwiches). We rented the 2 screens there for a low price with a high price deposit, returned to you if you return the equipment. Walked and searched along the top and also dug for at least 5 hours. The regulars and locals were quick to help in teaching how to dig, wet sluice and search for diamonds. Ate a picnic lunch at the picnic tables under the shaded trees. We found each a diamond and had a fun, priceless family time together. Looking forward to a repeat return visit regularly.

we camped in the campground for 5 nights and visited the crater and searched for diamonds for 4 days. the campground is beautiful and very well maintained. love state parks and this one is a top state park campground in our book. sites have plenty of room, good water pressure and the electricity is working as it should no surges or brown outs while we were here. the diamond mine is a nice experience even if you don't find anything. We did so makes it so much better.

I haven't been there yet. I am concerned about the bears and can you use the showers if you carcamping somewheres else???

Though interesting, and a bucket list item to many, this a hard way to get a diamond. LOL As the BS motto goes....Be prepared. The park establishment is very helpful and informative, a great place to take young minds to introduce a geological event, but keep expectations low, the topography will not inspire. Or, tell them kid there be diamonds afoot and let'em dig and slouch, makes great pictures.

I took my family, including 2 teens and one pre-teen. They were much more entertained than they thought they would be. It was a fun experience that allowed them to burn a little bit of that kid energy off. We spent about 3 hrs before the kids started to lag. When my son took the rocks he saved to be identified, we were rewarded by getting to see a man in line in front of us had actually found a decent sized diamond. It was a neat finish to the visit. Depending on the weather, bring clothes you can change out of. You CAN get very dirty if you are really into it.

The people in the visitor center were very rude about wearing a mask I’ve never been talked to like that by some rude kids I’ll never be back it wasn’t worth 10 dollars to dig in the dirt and find rocks very rude

Actually not a bad place, but extremely low odds you'll find anything, and it was waaayyyy too hot! (It was actually a "get it out of your system" experience according to my wife's friend who went with us.)

it was very cold when we went and wet sifting was horrible. the soil was very clayish and took awhile to clean up, we didnt find anything and after a few hours we were ready to go. we had way more fun and found lots of crystals at the twin creek crystal mine at Mt. Ida.

We had a great time here. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend wearing some sort of waterproof footwear. There is just so much property to dig through. It was fun, even on a wet and muddy day!

This was a cool little place. We were staying close by so we planned on stopping at this place as part of our road trip. We went with no expectations of finding a diamond, and just to have fun, as my son loves digging in the dirt. We took our own equipment, which included a shovel, a few gardening tools, some sifter screens, some buckets, an umbrella and ground stand, some padded gardening knee boards, gloves and a cooler full of water and food. We loaded all of this in our beach wagon and had no trouble getting it to where my son chose to dig. We were out for a few hours, found a lot of cool rocks he wanted to keep, and no diamonds. There are veins of amethyst running through the one corner but you’ll need a chisel and hammer to get those out, which we didn’t have. After we were done digging, we went to the pool area, where there was very few people initially. Life guards were great. By about 4 pm the pool got really crowded so we left. All in all it was a great visit and we will def go back if we get down that way again.

This was our destination, for a weekend trip. Brought our shovels, pick axe and soil sifter. Absolutely no success in locating any diamonds, but could not have asked for more in having a fine 3 hours or so digging with the grandson. This IS a fine park, beautiful forest (though be advised that the mining area is acres and acres of cleared ground being a former commercial surface diamond mining operation).

Tips for those even having a chance of finding a diamond and are willing to WORK for it.
We are experienced Indian artifact hunters from Texas where it’s legal on private property with the landowners permission and we move tins of dirt by hand. Same thing applies here, to have any chance at finding a diamond.
1. Don’t dig on the surface with those little garden hand shovels. There have been thousands of people look at that dirt. Take your own full sized large shovels and a pick and go down down down. Wear good leather gloves.
2. Make a screen out of 3/8” welded wire or hail screen (Tractor Supply) and 1 x 4’s about 18x 24”. Build it strong as you need to sift everything once you get under the top layer.
3. Take a pump up sprayer ($10 at Home Depot) filled with water (fill it back up at the park). Once you sift the dirt and BEFORE you throw it out spray it with the water! Most people throw the occasional diamond back in the dirt and don’t even know they are looking at one. You can’t tell when they are covered with dirt!
4. During a days dig you should go at least 3 feet deep, the deeper the better to get past the dirt others have looked at.
If your physically able to do this you have a fair shot of finding a diamond but even then It’s not a great shot but at least your not going through other people’s throw dirt!
Good luck, stay hydrated and dig / sift / spray, thats the key to FINDING!

Great experience for the whole family. We have been wanting to visit this park since the kids were little. On a cross country trip across US so timing finally worked out- kids are teens now and still were interested in going. We did some basic research before and knew we would need to rent equipment since we didn’t have room to carry our own on our trip. Rentable equipment was great, lots of information on how to find diamonds. We didn’t but still had a great time. Perfect social distancing activity. Lots of families out there trying to “get rich” . It’s hot in the field so go early. The water park was open and looked fun. We didn’t go but a perfect add on activity. We spent about 3 hours there.

Tips- join the Facebook group for Crater of Diamonds especially if you are a serious rock hound. Lots of good info on there from some very experienced people. They can tell you all you need to bring . If you are looking for just a fun experience then renting their equipment is just fine.

Bring water, sunscreen, small cooler for lunch also a sunshade if you are planning to be there a long time.
Plan to get dirty. It hadn’t rained in while but we still got dirty and muddy; you are digging in the dirt.

Have fun!

I read about Crater of Diamonds State Park in a National Geographic book when I was a little girl. So, finally, 30-some years later, I brought my family to look for diamonds.

My advice:

--Go with the right attitude. It is hot and humid in the summer in SW Arkansas. The fields are open with little shade. You will most likely not find a diamond. You will be dirty and have to carry heavy things. You will need to come with a full tummy or bring a lunch. You will need water.

--There are great blogs and videos to prep you, so take advantage of one. Some people do this regularly and have great advice. We wore hats and our hiking boots. It was a good choice as our shoes got really messy in the wet sifting area. Also, just rent equipment if you are not local. It was plenty for us.

My experience:

--We had a blast. Wet-sifting the dirt was actually really relaxing for me. My kids had great attitudes. My son got a little weary in the heat at the end. My daughter was super-enthusiastic. She loves nature. We found a geode and some fossilized volcanic ash. She was over the moon. I found a really cool rock with mineral coloring. It was neat just to be able to collect things from a park! We practice "take only pictures, leave only footprints," so we were excited for our souvenirs!

--We were able to distance from people, and even in the wet-sifting area, people were spread out. Everyone joked about finding "the big one," so it seemed like everyone had fun. Plus, come on, dreaming about finding a diamond is fun!

If you’re visiting Crater of Diamonds to mind for diamonds, rent your equipment somewhere other than the park. There are long lines to rent and return equipment. Also, bring a lunch for your party as there isn’t a restaurant or deli in the park.

This place is amazing!!!.. we diamond hunted for about an hour & a half..we found a few small diamonds..great adventure for everyone & for families.... If you don't have tools they have them there to rent & everything..great place..most definitely coming back..

This was an interesting day. We had fun. You can hunt for diamonds on the surface like we did or you can bring tools and dig for them. We were here on a rainy day and there so many different ,colorful rocks just laying around everywhere. Make no mistake , although it is fun, it will be a physical day too. We stayed about 4 hours and didn’t find any diamonds. You have to do this once just to experience the outdoors and be out in nature. I loved traveling the back roads from our hotel in Arkadelphia. Although, there were some nice looking hotels in Murfreesboro too.

I have wanted to take my kids here for years & we finally did it! I thought the kids would want to leave an hour into it, but they were troopers & stayed busy until closing time. It had rained significantly a few days prior, so the field was super muddy. 2/3 of my kids got their rubber boots stuck in the mud…actually, they were knee-deep in the mud. Contrary to what horrible scenario was playing inside my head about sinking into quicksand, nobody sank. They all made it out alive, though they had a few scratches. And they were covered in mud. It was great! We made some wonderful memories. I made a few rookie mistakes…first, I didn’t bring enough trowels. Second, even though I had the attitude of “we’re just playing in the dirt”, it turns out that I indeed went into full-on diamond hunter mode. I made the mistake of looking for diamonds in the dirt instead of just scooping up gravel. I also made the mistake of looking for diamonds after sifting the screens. I should have just scooped the middle circle out of if the screen & put the circle into the bucket to take home. I spent way too much valuable time inspecting rocks. I’m going back!!! It was awesome, though backbreaking.

My husband and I traveled with our daughter and her family to Crater of the Diamonds. I am partially handicapped but took a chair I could work from in the field. There were many people out there but plenty of room to dig in our small group. Even knowing the odds of discovering anything of value was minute, we enjoyed the experience. Some of our family preferred to dig while others rinsed the rocks at the station provided out there.using screens and tools we took with us rather than bought or rented in the gift shop. I think the activity was great learning for the youngsters as well as us grandparents.

ok, ok, I didn't dig up a Diamond, but I did have a blast looking for one. Somehow my Boyfriend slipped my engagement ring into my sifter, and proposed right there in front of everyone!!! Best day EVER! A few other people did find Diamonds that day, mine just didn't come from this location. lol
We want to return when it hasn't been raining for weeks...It was really muddy. Looking forward to dry sifting again sometime in the Spring.

What a fun place-- No diamonds but met folks from all over the USA. Lots of Jasper and yes people do find small (very small) diamonds regularly. Two big ones in the past e month. Beautiful setting and a water park for the kiddos if you don't want to dig for diamonds

I've wanted to go here for about 15 years and if you visit and understand that you are going to bake in the sun all day, play in the dirt and not find much you won't be disappointed. If you go thinking that you are going to find a 5 carat diamond and then you don't, you won't have the best time.

There isn't much shade, and the Arkansas sun is stronger than it is back in PA. The rental equipment is mediocre, and the wagon is so unstable that with the uneven terrain, it will likely tip over.

With that being said, the instructions by the staff on how to mine were beneficial, and I tried all three methods with surface mining and wet sifting being my preferred methods.

I did find several pieces of Jasper in various colors that I brought home for the kids to use as "worry stones," and I did find a piece of amethyst that was a beautiful surprise.

This is a place that we will come back to and bring the kids.

The park was really nice, enjoyed staying there. We had a fire and cooked on the grill. The crater diamond field is neat to dig in. Lots of work digging, sifting and looking for a diamond. Probably starting early before lots of people arrive is best, though there is lots of ground to spread out. Bring your own tools, shovels, sifter boxes and buckets is best. You can rent tools there also.

The Crater of Diamonds State Park is an exciting place full of rich history and, of course, finding lots of rough diamonds. The State Park is listed as the eighth largest reserve of diamonds in the world according to their website, and this park sets itself apart from anywhere else by allowing visitors to keep any diamonds that they find. Some lucky visitors have even found diamonds worth thousands of dollars.

This post will give you tips about the search area that are based on my firsthand experiences. It will allow you to develop a game plan of possible places to dig, as well as what indicators to look for before taking a trip to the famous Arkansas diamond mine.

So, let’s begin by identifying what type of indicator rocks that are mixed in with ordinary organic soil on the mine field. Minerals, such as Quartz crystals, calcite, magnetite, spinel, garnet, chromite, and diopside will be the main rocks you will want to look for while prospecting for diamonds. These rocks were created in a similar process during the heating and cooling process of the rock cycle.

Search Area Conditions
The park staff plows the search area every now and again to make it easier to dig around in but searching in areas that have more effects of mineral displacement due to mother nature’s natural causes can increase your chances of achieving a diamond discovery day!

The best time to take a trip to the Arkansas diamond fields is after a heavy rainstorm, but keep in mind that you will get muddy during your visit so always wear the appropriate clothes and shoes while out in the search area.

If you choose to dig deep in search for diamonds, I recommend finding a good location by probing for underground gravel deposits first and work that area systematically. The book “How to Find Diamonds” has a great section on locating underground deposits using this method.

The Natural Geology of the Crater of Diamonds
According to local geological surveys, the center of the Kimberlite pipe located at the state park is halfway between the foot wash station located at the entrance of the search area and the north pavilion wash station.

From that location, imagine what a cup of milk looks like when bubbles are created on top of the cup by using a straw and some air. It has different domes extruding from it and has creases where the bubbles formed together. This same concept can be applied to the search area because when the magma cooled off billions of years ago it was left in the shape of the cup with bubbles on top of it

When visiting this state park, it seems necessary to provide a guide on basic public space etiquette. While sitting on a bench, we were unjustly confronted by a mother of two, who accused us of moving her belongings. Her son quickly corrected her, admitting he had moved them while she was away. Despite this, she offered only a half-hearted apology and walked away, displaying an arrogant and entitled attitude.

The park should clarify whether its benches and public spaces are reserved for certain individuals, as it appears some visitors believe people of color are not equally entitled to use these areas.

Beyond this unpleasant encounter, the park itself offers little of interest. The digging area yields nothing more than a few unremarkable stones, and I strongly recommend bringing your own tools rather than renting. The water park and pool were somewhat dirty, and the so-called museum was underwhelming. Given the exorbitant entry fee, the overall experience and treatment we received were highly disappointing.

We had a little bit of trouble with the reservation system. It’s new and so we had to pay every day. They were kind enough to offer a different site when ours was too slanted for the camper. The pricing of the online site is incorrect, as they only have AAA campsites. So it was a bit more than expected. The mining is $10 per adult per day and $6 per kid $12 or under. Equipment can be rented for approximately $12, but you have to put down deposit of $45. As long as you turn in your equipment you get your deposit back. Also they take animals.

Lots of fun, easy going environment. Good for families. The motor grader was there tilling soil that day. Makes you really want to find that diamond!!!

Great place to camp & have fun in the pool and DIG for Gold! Good fun for the whole family! Arkansas is a beautiful place to visit.

The mine field needs a few concrete paths for better accessibility for those who can't walk well and it definitely needs at least two more wash stations. The wash stations are so crowded.

Waited more than a decade to visit and so happy to have gotten the chance! Staff are very friendly. Parking lot is spacious. We brought our own supplies but there are tons of places to rent from on the short drive to the crater. Staff will also tell you about your finds and help you identify the things you discover. They do announce over the intercomm when they will do demonstrations as well.

Be prepared for a long day of digging! There were a lot of hard clumps that we didn’t anticipate. You can rent digging equipment. Most staff were welcoming, but it was hectic when renting equipment. You must pay a deposit and pay for the equipment. After use, you must get back in line to provide your credit card for the staff to issue a return of your deposit. It seems there could be a better way to manage flow for deposits.

Very beautiful park with wonderful staff! We thoroughly enjoyed our dig and would highly recommend it for families who enjoy the outdoors!

Have teen boys, thought this would be fun to get them out of the house. Cheap tickets and rental tools! If there is a chance of rain, wear rubber boots! It gets muddy very quickly and the mud cakes to your shoes making it feel like bricks on your feet. There is a wash station at the entrance to the search fields to clean your shoes and tools. This is a place you just have to commit to spending several hours playing in the dirt and be ok leaving empty handed. It's about the experience! Pack a lunch and drinks. Bring a beach umbrella to move as you move. Bring knee pads or a kneeling pad. You can bring in your collapsible wagon if you want to bring your own buckets, shovels, etc. Easier and cheaper to rent tools if you don't own the items already. There is a pool area located here but it was closed so not sure extra cost.

Not an experience I will soon forget. Can’t say I had a ton of fun but where else are you able to do this?

Park is located kind of in the middle of nowhere. Drove from Hot Springs and it took about an hour and a half. Almost a two hour drive from Little Rock and over an hour from Texarkana.

Went on a beautiful Saturday spring day with the temperature at about sixty degrees. Park was very crowded. If coming on a nice weekend day, get here early. Got here at 9 and had short wait for admission and tool rental. By 11, wait for admission tickets was out the visitors center door and wait for tool rental was at least a half hour wait.

We rented the advanced kit for $25 (plus $75 deposit) that included a shovel, bucket, two box sifters, and a circle sifter called a saruca.

You actually spend more time in the shade at the washing station than you do out in the field. Easy to shovel the material into the bucket. Then, you go to the washing station and sift the material you dumped in the bucket. Found lots of small pieces of jasper and calcite but no diamonds.

The field itself is extremely muddy and it can be hard to walk in spots. If bringing a wagon, make sure it has heavy duty wheels. Bring boots and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. If coming on a cold day, bring rubber gloves, which will keep your hands from going numb when wet sifting. There is a hose station where you can wash off your boots and tools that will be caked with mud.

Had two kids, 8 and 11, that got kind of bored after a while. Spending 1-2 hours digging and sifting is plenty. Admission for a family of four was $44 and tool rental was $25, so definitely not a cheap state park to visit

We went when it was dumping down rain, and didn’t find any diamonds, but when else can you tell the kids to please go play in the mud. Pointer: mud does not stick to Diamonds (or so I’m told). I would recommend bringing a wagon with big wheels, a bucket, and shovels, and make sure you don’t mind getting really dirty in the clothes you’re wearing.

Price is high to get in. Little kids will have fun for maybe an hour or 2. We dug all day and found a lot of nothing. This is definitely a place to skip on your trip unless you are super interested in finding common rocks.

Great time digging in the dirt looking for diamonds and other gems. Unfortunately just found common rocks BUT, they did come from the Volcano! Also stayed at the park campgrounds for two night and walked the trails in the woods. Except for the well placed tree I backed motorhome into (tree was not hurt) we had a great time, was kind of hot and humid while there though.

If you plan on making a day of it, bring an awning, cooler with drinks and snacks, folding chairs, shovels, your own sifters which you can purchase at the hardware store in town, and bags to collect your findings. You can rent the shovels, sifters, and chairs, but you should figure out what is cost effective for you. We found many crystals, no diamonds, but still had lots of fun!

I love the idea of this park. You can take your kids to dig in the dirt, and you can dig in the dirt like a kid. I had so much fun digging and sifting, picking up every clear stone I saw. No diamonds were obtained, but it was still an amazing experience! In case anyone wonders, using the stats provided by the park, the odds of finding a diamond are around 7 in 1000 and the diamonds found are typically .2 carats or less. There’s always a chance you can get lucky and find a big one, just don’t go there thinking it’s guaranteed 😂

While we had fun, it was a very hot June day, and there's not much shade in the diamond field. We also would have liked more help/direction. We were told that there would be a video to watch showing what to do and then we could rent equipment. The video wasn't running, and the staff weren't very helpful. Also there is nowhere to eat lunch, so bring food! There was a food truck that wasn't open and that's it. The water park doesn't allow food in it, either.

Third time visiting the park, but first time in the campsites.
The handicap RV site has level drive, walks, tent pad and sidewalk to the bath house.
50amp full hook up. With the Access Pass, it's half price.
45 is a beautifully shaded site with easy access.

The employees were amazing. I planed five days with excitement and curiosity and all that went with it. Because of lack of sleep, and not eating right I ended up getting half sick which also caused me to have anxiety which I did not know I even had because the arthritis in my ankle it started to show itself with all this they gave me a full refund. Yes, God willing I will go again. But next time I will have things more planned out. But the employees were amazing. I found three diamonds put all three diamonds in my shovel handle later to find out that the handle did not have a bottom to it you know my thoughts I'm a Christian so I can't write them. Again God willing I will go again and hopefully be able to stay longer and I'll know to put a homemade cap even if it's a cork duct tape I will not lose my diamonds next time. Charlotte Moppin of Flora, Indiana.

As long as you understand that the diamonds are not just laying around and not everybody will find one, it is a fun time.

My husband and I enjoyed a few hours at Crater of Diamonds, though we would have enjoyed it more on a day when the heat index was not in the triple digits. This is a fun and educational activity, I would do it again but would do it early in the day in cooler months. I didn't give 5 stars because the rented equipment needed to be replaced, with a loose handle on the shovel, and there were no wagons available to rent when we arrived at around noon. There is a nice gift shop, clean restrooms, a small water park/ splash pad and a food truck on the grounds

Didn’t know quite what to expect from this excursion. Well, we did it. Thought we were well prepared but we weren’t nearly as prepared as we thought. Didn’t expect to find anything and didn’t. Spent some time looking and learned a bit. If I were going to do it again I would bring a couple of extra items. I believe you have a better chance finding something if you “wet mine”. The park provides the water and tables but you might want rubber boots, rubber gloves, and a rubberized shop apron. These will keep you drier and clothes and shoes cleaner. I reconnend you bring your own bucket, shovel, and sifting screens. Also, a thin metal ruler or nail file is useful to pick out any stone that links interesting. Enjoy and good luck.

Dont come with expectation of finding a diamond. If it is your luck, then you may. Expect to hit stone, feel heat and play in mud if it rains. Out in the middle of nowhere, an experience to remember.

We were on a driving vacation and stopped by this attraction. To come "clean", we were unprepared for the experience (our fault, not theirs). We should've read the fine print (or maybe there needs to be "you will get muddy" caution flags. All that said, this is a very interesting site. It seems people come here often to search and sift for diamonds and other gems. If we return it will be with mud boots and an extra change of clothes. Give it a shot.

Not sure if I will do a trip to Crater of Diamonds, but I sent a letter for answers to my questions. It was personally handled by Cyndi Lovejoy, Gift Shop Manager, and Ken Petre, Arkansas Tourism. I love that they went above and beyond taking the time to give me great information. Thank you! Hopefully everyone will stay well and happy and we will be able to do our trip.

Mandy Bachman, Park attendant, was a God-send! She was enroute to a station, saw I was in distress and came to my rescue! This Park attendant was vigilant afterwards and again helped me and my daughter. Mandy greatly contributed to making this vacation with my adult children a big success.

This is a fun but hard working. If you think of vacation as being relaxing not this one. Lol. I would recommend bringing rain boot, rubber gloves, shovel, pail,pocket knife,tweezers,wagon,work gloves,camping chair,and energy. We had a great time.

Spent several hours here in late August 2018 digging for diamonds. Not much luck. Was one of those days where it was record heat and very little breeze. I would very much like to return when the temperature is better. This place offers you the chance to find diamonds, and every year many do. Even some spectacular finds. There are adjacent areas from the digs where you can picnic in the shade.

We camped in site 17 (recommend) in the C.O.D. campground. As covered in other reviews, the campground is beautiful, clean and well-maintained. We spent one entire day in the diamond search area. Yes, it's a dirty muddy affair and hard work, but we looked at it as another totally unique experience. We also knew our chances of finding a diamond were extremely small and if we did it would probably be a very tiny one. My son and I had a great time searching. I think that's the key: know what you're getting into and don't have unrealistic expectations of what you might discover beyond the experience itself.

Going to this park, as a hard core rockhound, has always been on my bucket list! And what a colossal let down! I did not come with grand expectations for finding the Hope diamond or any diamond, but the effort to see even if you found one, is A LOT! It is hard, dirty work with NO reward! There were hundreds of visitors to the park the day when we were there and I was told 3 people found .05 carat diamonds! That is smaller than a head on a match stick! Back breaking with no return! Day 2 we discovered Wegner Crystal Mine and came home with a bucket of crystals! I do NOT recommend going to look for diamonds because you will be sorely disappointed! Save your time, energy and money and don’t go!

Searching for diamonds went almost as we expected: we learned a ton from the locals and regulars and we went home with some colorful rocks but no shiny ones.

Two important tips that I've not seen in any other reviews: 1) If you build and bring your own screens you must use aluminum mesh. DO NOT use vinyl. Vinyl simply bends with the rocks and has no value in sifting! Also you should use 12 and 8 gauge wire mesh.

2) You will best benefit yourself by either building or buying a circular screen to wet sift. Everyone uses the square screens to separate the larger rocks in the first step but I learned from locals that while it is possible to correctly sift with the square screens it is much more difficult compared to using circular screens. I used the square screens and I was only able to correctly get the quartz into the center one time in 8 hours. The gentleman next to me was a regular. He used his own circular screen which was made out of a bicycle wheel which he purchased already made for $70. He nailed it every time he tried it! He had the beautiful white circles every time! That is were the diamonds are found. He told me the wheel was the smartest purchasing decision he's every made. He went through 22 buckets in 8 hours compared to my 5 buckets in 8 hours He did find a small diamond the previous day.

We had a cloudy day and the ground was wet. It wasn't terribly muddy though. The staff was helpful and we didn't have any issues.

The tourist we visited were lovely to chat with. We all had a great time visiting and learning from the locals.

My last two tips are simple: We took shovels, rakes, a wagon, a magnifying glass, tweezers, and several 5 gallon buckets. The only thing we didn't need were the rakes. We used everything else. You'll need the wagon to carry your 90 pound 5 gallon bucket when you leave to go home (a 5 gallon bucket full of the crater's dirt is surprisingly heavy). You'll need the tweezers and the magnifying glass to search your pebbles for diamonds. Obviously, you'll need shovels. We only took three 5 gallon buckets. We should have taken at least 6 of them. Don't be shy about taking a lot of buckets. We spoke with several people who take at least 10 each time.

Lastly, you will get soaked wet sifting! The regulars all used rubber gloves which reached their elbows, muck boots, and rubber aprons. At the closing bell they were all dry as could be whereas I didn't have a dry spot on me. You'd be wise to bring a change of clothes or where the above items. I know I will next time!!

You be fine if you go into this with the same logic as buying a lottery ticket; you aren't going to find a diamond...but what if? The park averages 600 diamonds being found each year. Only 258 have been found in 2018 so far. Now that we know what to do and more importantly what not to do, we'll be more prepared to finally find a jewel on our 2nd trip to the crater.

The gift shop was decent and had a lot of options for sale. There was a swimming pool there too but it was closed.

Great Family activity. I do suggest you watch some videos prior to going to the park so you know what you need to do. We don't think we found a diamond but had fun time. It is such a unique experience.

Fun experience to say you hunted for diamonds. Some people are very serious, but we went to enjoy this unique hobby. Didn't find anything except some cool rocks. We stayed for about an hour. It's a big, plowed area. You learn a lot while you are there. The history is very interesting! Glad we went once but probably won't repeat.

This place has an awesome gift shop & the nicest & knowledgeable employees.. it was a wet day, so lots of places to dig.no diamonds this time but was fun.. tip:be sure you know what you are looking for!

We were really excited about the possibility of finding a diamond in the rough at the crater of diamond state park.

We had the best time. The staff was very informative, friendly, and took the time to tell us about what we found. Yes ,it was hot and yes as miners , we worked but it was a great experience and we're going back soon. You can't go anywhere else on this earth and dig for a free diamond!It's fun just to have the opportunity.

This was a planned trip that I had been wanting to take for a while, I wished I lived closer so I could visit more. You can tell there are a lot of regulars that go there with all their supplies they have. The only thing I didn't like is there is no concession stand, there is a water/coke vending machine but no food. So take a lunch or a snack if you plan on being there a while. Two days after we left, I lady found a 3.24 carat diamond!

There are only 5 tent camp spots. I reserved our spot in advance - glad I did because it was full when we got there. Hot showers and clean bathrooms were great. We went to the diamond field the night we got there to check out the area and get a feel for what to do the next day. If you enter after 3 your admission is good for the next day as well. Definitely need tall rubber/muck boots. Between myself and my 11 and 14 year old we rented 2 shovels and one screen. We brought our own large kitty litter buckets from home. Two of us dug and one sifted. You can bring home sifted dirt to look for more diamonds later. We didn’t find any, but the day before we were there, a 1.52 carat diamond was found. Overall we had a blast. Expect to get dirty!!

This was so much fun! We made this a random stop to hunt for diamonds, but make sure you are ready to get dirty. If you have tools, bring them. If you have a lunch and water, bring that too. You can go in and out, but it can be quite a walk to where you are digging. Smart people brought wagons. You can rent most of these things and whether or not you find anything, the process is fun, and the other people are hilarious.

My great-grandfather was the night guard here in November 1959 when he was found shot in the head while asleep in the guard shack. Authorities first thought it a suicide, but the evidence suggested otherwise. The gun had been placed in his arthritic hand, and the bullet grazed his hand—as if he had woken just before the shot. Robbery wasn’t the motive; diamonds were still in his pockets. One man from New York City, a transient drawn to the area in search of diamonds, was questioned but later released. My great-grandfather was known to have some enemies from past disputes, and the case remains unsolved. For our family, this place isn’t just about treasure hunting—it’s a reminder of an unsolved mystery buried in the park’s history.

This place is hot hot hot!!! Don't be fooled there is NO Place in the shade to dig. You can not dig in any place that hasn't already been dug up. They do however turn the soil over once a week (I believe was their schedule) to increase your chances of finding a diamond. Using the slucing trough will help. My advice is to dig a bucket then sluce through it. My 2 daughters spent most of the time in the a/c in the car because it's so hot. Needless to say no diamonds were found. I brought my own equipment. You can find a 3 pack of sifters on Amazon for a decent price and that comes with 3 different hole diameters. Foldable pick shovels for like $5 each and 1 gallon buckets are a good way to go and easy to tote. You are allowed to take out 1 payload per person to sift through later, which we did but still no diamonds. It was fun for me but definitely not something everyone will enjoy since this IS an all day adventure. Bring lots of water and sunscreen. A beach umbrella would be really helpful,wish I thought of that when I went.

Great place with a lot of interesting history But, diamonds are really hard to find and take expertise. I saw one guy find a quarter carat diamond, but he really knew what he was doing. I found an amethyst and some agate and jasper. Bring small bags and tubes, not buckets, for your funds You will need a bucket to get dirt to sift/wash. The museum is really interesting and the campground is immaculate. Spent one full day here and that was really enough.

I thought this would be a different type of activity and it was. We took some of our own digging tools but we did not have to. Take plenty of water!!!!! It would be a better fall trip, but we had a good experience anyway. It was very hot.

Fun family experience hunting for treasures, even though we didn't have any luck. Nice, clean park. Large gift shop and museum. Knowledgable, helpful staff. Plenty of items available to rent if you didn't bring you own tools.

A very nice State Park with the only take home diamonds in the US. Camp Ground
was a pleasant place to stay for the 3 days were were there.

We were guided and then welcomed by all at the park...especially Cindi Lovejoy, who has repeatedly given us special attention, information and support. Thank you CINDI LOVEJOY! You made our trip so special. (We are hoping to come back in the Spring, if we can make the drive from AZ.)

My adventure was amazing. First God is in control of the weather Hot, He let's it be, Wet, He sends the rain. Cool, Oh thank you God. If you felll and got cut or bruised and or broke anything that's on you (watch where your going) I used my own tools. I lost three diamonds because I didn't have a cap on the end of my hollow hand size shovel. That was my fault. If you're old enough to carry a purse or handbag then your old enough to keep track of them. No one is going to break into any vehicles the parking lot is right there for everyone to see and if you have any valuables hide them somehow. Sorry, but if I've offended anyone Just grow up and take on your own responsibility don't blame the park. They are trying to help you have a fun, relaxing vacation/trip. I live in Flora, Indiana I saw God move His invisible hand more times than I can count! Could it have been a better trip sure but that's because I'm new at car camping, trips and vacations..Yes, I plan on going back. The whole camping area is ABSOLUTELY beautiful!!! To the park employees- Thank you !!!

We had fun but it was to hot out in the field for us! No shade so bring a canopy if you can't take the heat! Also a cooler with lots of water to stay hydrated,
Ice and snacks! We rented equipment but it's wise to bring your own. Shovel, wagon for hauling, buckets, screens, ect.... overall it was a good experience!

They demand cages to be paid each month, or the park will throw all your equipment in the trash. Every month it’s the same thing, I have to call to pay, yet nobody ever picks up the phone. It takes the front desk to transfer you to someone at the lower level. They act like we have nothing else to do, but call 50 times before they pick up the phone,

This place is a joke!! Don’t go!! The state salted this park with diamonds from the early mining days that they purchased with the land.

Go to six flags or go gamble. You’ll get richer.

I had seen this on Facebook reels in the past and when we had the opportunity in passing through Arkansas to stop, we did.
It was very interesting probably should stop and visit the museum and read up on what you’re looking for.
They charge admission and you can bring your own sifting equipment:, shovels, buckets, etc. if you don’t want to bring your own equipment, then they will rent it to you.
Marked it off our bucket list.
Don’t take my word for it try it for yourself.

Pet friendly beautiful park. One of the best parks in Arkansas. We rented the park equipment. I recommend a wagon and chairs to haul the buckets and shovels. It was a lot of fun!

We went early in the morning and brought our supplies for digging in the dirt. We found a spot and searched around for a few hours, with no luck. Seems like they always find a few every day, it you are lucky. Could be a lot of fun with kids who like to play in the dirt, but be aware they may get bored quickly. You need to do this if you're in the area, but more of a check the box thing than actually being a lot of fun. Still cool though.

I love coming to this park. Even though I still have not found a diamond there is still nice stones and Jasper to collect. It’s a great way to spend the day. The women who work in the shop are incredibly kind. I love that they have an area to wash all the mud off your shoes and tools. The mud here is very sticky. It’s interesting how when dirt changes all over the park. Some has lots of small pretty colored rocks, some looks super volcanic and another section is super white sand. The water stations makes sifting much easier. Big clean bathrooms was nice too.

As part of a family gathering, we (22 of ages from 1 thru 81) traveled to Crater of Diamonds State Park as an unusual family trip. We had researched it on line and came loaded with shovels and containers to store the dirt. We rented sieves there to filter out the rocks from the dirt. We rented screens very cheaply there at the park. We spent 2 hours filtering an washing the mud and clay from the small rocks but found mostly Jasper and Ash. It was hot (90+) and there was no shade (we had only one small umbrella). It was an experience that most of us did not want to do again. The pre-teens and teenagers got bored quickly and the adults had to do most of the digging and filtering. I would recommend that if you like digging in the dirt you take some sort of protection from the sun and go in cooler times of the year.

We booked our tickets in advance for the Crater, which I found to be helpful. You must bring your own equipment (shovels, sifter boxes, etc) at this time due to Covid. This was my third trip to the Crater, but the first for my two youngest children. We spent two days at the park and it was a great choice for all of us. Being able to be outside playing in the dirt and checking out the cool rocks (no diamonds for us but hey that's ok). I felt also this was a great option as there is plenty of room for social distancing but still being able to communicate with your fellow "digging" buddies.

Four of us made the trip to the mine and had fun! The rentals were easy to come by and for.four people one kit was enough. Highly recommend doing a surface walk as well in case larger gems are on top. Will be going back!

Hunting for diamonds was something we were really looking forward to when we planned our trip. We did. No diamonds. Not real easy either, but we had fun.
The State Park is nice with two hiking trails only. One is paved, but short and extremely easy. The sites are spacious but not cleaned or maintained well. Paved driveway with a paved area for the picnic table. However, when we arrived after a rain, the sight was extremely muddy. We were here a week and it rained again making our site a muddy,Filthy mess. The problem is that the sights require p-gravel and most all have been washed away. The areas that require the gravel are not graded so that the water can run off, so you get standing water for a day or two. Then just mud.
We travel in a 37' Motorhome and were in need of an oil change to maintain our warranty. We called multiple (at least 20) different locations along our planned route and no one could either do the work or had an available time to do it. On a whim, my wife called a local shop. Posey Tire and Lube just three miles away. They said they couldn't fit our rig in the shop but could just do it outside in the driveway. We showed up when they told us too and they went right to work. I observed everything they did. This was a very professional, Courteous business. They did a great job and had us in and out in about an hour. Total cost for our V10 oil change = $80.00. If you need something like this done while staying at this park, I highly recommend this business.
All in all, we grew tired of the area. Nothing to do but hunt for diamonds. Nearest Walmart 16 miles. This park also sits in a Dry County. Bring your own.
Once you've done this visit, once is enough.

Can you say Hot? It was 97 degrees here today and thankfully we started early and left before it got really hot out there. There's been no rain for 18 days so the ground was hard but they plow the ground regularly. The staff is helpful but I suggest watching YouTube for tutorials before you go. There's not much shade, so prepare ahead. There are rental tools and wagons at the site. We took our own buckets and hand tools. The water troughs are there to clean rocks and sift out everything. After Labor Day the water park is shut down and some of the food availability is no longer open. We took a cooler as there are several picnic tables to use in the shade.

This was a cheap experience for my family. $10 for adults $6 for children 6-12. 5 and under free. Super clean grounds. Friendly and helpful staff.

Wouldn't you know that the day after we left someone found a 9 carat diamond? I came away with a nice amount of colorful jasper, which is what I was looking for to polish. The lobby, gift shop is very nice. We were there two days in a row and I was glad we went the first day, even after all the travel, because it was a gorgeous day and pleasant to just walk around and pick things up. This year I brought a cat litter scoop with a telescoping metal handle and did very little bending over. It's not good for digging, but as it had been dry for a while, the ground was hard anyway. The next day it started by misting and then rained. We sheltered for a bit at one of the rinsing stations and then gave up for the day. Meanwhile, that 9 carat baby was being rinsed off. Heh!

Crater of Diamonds State Park was an interesting experience. There were all sorts of people there, we were just there to try it out and have some fun, but there are others who take it more seriously. Everyone we came in contact with was friendly, so that was good.
Our youngest child just wanted to play in the mud puddles, so I stayed with him while the teens and Dad worked on their wet sifting looking for diamonds. We found some nice rocks, but no diamonds, which was ok because we didn't really expect to.
I'm glad we went to experience it, but I wouldn't hurry back, and there isn't a whole lot else to do in this particular area of Arkansas as far as I could tell.
We spent the morning and afternoon at the park, but a half day would have been plenty for our family. The next day was spent shopping in town, checking out the local dam/lake, and hanging out at the rental house, which was nice. We had good weather while we were in the area, so we're grateful for that as well.
If you or your children have been curious to visit, I recommend it, just know that you will likely have time on your hands and research some other things to try out while you're in the area ahead of time, or plan a short visit here and fit in some other locations along the way.

Went to CoD yesterday. It. was. hot. Bring lotsa water. It would help to bring a wheelbarrow or cart to take your dirt to the sluice. Read up on strategies for finding diamonds and using the sluice. The staff are very friendly here and will answer all your questions. They are also very good at identifying various rocks you find. We didn't find anything worth keeping but had a decent time. Did I mention it was hot? Bring shade if you can as well for when you dig. You can also dry sift the dirt to find diamonds. Bring good shoes. NOT crocks or sandles. The ground is uneven and actually plowed up so walking can be difficult. ASK where the best place to dig is. You'd be surprised that it makes a difference. Although, no one will tell you in the beginning. You won't leave rich. But maybe you will :D Good Luck!

Unique idea for a state park: a diamond mine. However this place might be Arkansas biggest tourist trap. We were here during Spring Break, of course full with tons of families. Kids were having fun digging, but for us adults seems more like a place where they are getting your money not only for admission, but for rental equipment. Make sure to bring your own tools. Bring lunch and snacks too.

I found this on the web a few years ago and thought it sounded cool. So we decided to take a road trip. We brought a couple buckets, a few gardening tools, a stocked cooler and a beach umbrella. I might recommend a gardening pad or something you can sit on for a lil cushioning.
The ground was pretty dry and hard, I would recommend bringing a larger shovel, maybe even a pick if permitted to break up the hard dirt. We didn't find anything but it was fun. The umbrella definitely gave us some relief from the sun. It was a really nice experience.

I know this does not speak to the diamond mining experience itself but I have to sing praises for the staff. Everyone was very polite and helpful when we arrived. I had been out digging for about 4 hours, when we were packing up to leave I stood up and suddenly did not feel well. My daughters and I walked up to the visitors center. I am diabetic, my blood sugar had suddenly tanked. I was feeling dizzy, lightheaded and having difficult communicating. One of the staff members noticed I was having trouble. They got me seated, talked with me for a moment asking questions, brought me cold water, an ice pack and when I was able to alert them I am diabetic a young lady quickly brought me a glucose pack to bring my blood sugar back up. Someone continually stayed close by checking on me frequently to make sure I was doing well. I have to say the staff is absolutely amazing. I am so grateful for their care and quick response.

Crater of Diamonds is the only place in the United States open to the public for Diamond mining. My children are ages 12,9, and 21 months. The older kids had a blast searching for Diamonds and learned a lot!

Bring your buckets, shovels, wagon! You might just find a diamond! We didn’t, but we sure had a lot of fun trying. We rented boxes with different size screens (I forget what they’re called). Everyone is friendly and gave us tips to try to find a diamond. Last year, there were 300+ diamonds found here. There are lots of pretty stones even if you don’t find a diamond. From Memorial Day to Labor Day there’s a pool to cool off in. It was $10 a day and you can get tickets about a week in advance. We went 2 days in May, a Friday and a Saturday. On Saturday it was pretty busy, but there was lots of space to spread out. There weren’t very many people on Friday.

We traveled several hours to visit and had purchased a two day pass. We only used one day of it. As someone said it’s paying to go through someone else’s dirt and very unlikely you will find something. I walked the trails while my husband and child did the digging. Bring food with you as there are only snacks in the gift shop and the tiny food truck doesn’t have anything healthy on the menu.

We heard a lot about this place so I’m glad we did it once but we will not return.

I arrived here with a friend at 8 AM, we stayed until about 3 PM. We were able to rent a little wagon and some screen sifters for the rocks. We brought our own bucket for dirt, and shovels and little gardening tools, sunscreen, and some Ziploc baggies for the rocks we found. I wish I had worn some shoes that were easier to wash off; my shoes got pretty muddy. I found the most helpful tool to be a little three prong handheld rake, and a cushioned mat that I used to sit on. It was small, the type that people normally kneel on, next time I would bring a slightly bigger mat. There were nice covered stations with big basins of water where you could wash the dirt off of your rocks. There were covered areas where you could sit on nice park benches in the shade. And some water fountains. My friend and I searched all day, but we did not find any diamonds. :-( The staff that was very helpful, and you could take your rocks inside and they would identify the types of rock you found. I enjoyed not using my cell phone, and being outside in the sun. I was really surprised with how nice the facility was. I would really recommend visiting the State park. Lots of diamonds are found there, one of the staff members told me that about one in every 200 guests finds a diamond. Within a week of my day at the park, 5 to 7 diamonds had been found.

This place was good didn't find any diamonds but will go back again everyone is awesome there the have camping,rv parking hiking river walk picnic area need to visit get some adventure...

My husband, son and a friend wanted to dig for diamonds and had an interesting time doing just that. They found some interesting rocks and brought back some dirt to sift through. They learned quite a bit from some of the other people digging there and from the park employees. It was too warm for me to dig but I thoroughly enjoyed myself with all of the interesting things in the gift shop and then learning more it the small museum area. This is a beautiful park and seemed to have several things to do besides the digging. There was a neat waterpark next door to the main building. On the drive in, I saw a sign for a learning center among other buildings. There may or may not be a restaurant somewhere in the park. Our drive to and from it was very picturesque, curvy and interesting.

This is the reason we found ourselves in Murfreesboro. It's a unique park. If you are wise, you will watch several of the YouTube videos (there are dozens) about the park in preparation for a visit. It is a lot of work with almost no chance of a payoff...other than the experience. But you might be a lucky one and find something of value. We enjoyed three or four hours here, and there were lots of others enjoying the park too. Worth a visit and the kids can enjoy it too.

Anybody else notice that a couple weeks after you spend the day digging in the dirt you hear on the news that someone found a good size diamond at the park? Seems to happen every time we go. This place is always fun if you don't expect too much. This time it was 100 degrees and sunny. The last time was 50 degrees and pouring rain. Same results both times! I recommend that you take your own supplies with you if you have them. Trowel, bucket, bottled water, proper attire, and maybe a small screen. You can take your own food, plus there is a nice little restaurant that is open for lunch on the property. This is a place you'll really dig! :)

One of a kind experience. Get dirty looking for gems in a field, have your findings identified for free and take them home. Tool rental available, we just looked on the surface.

When you need exercise & wish to have
some fun at the same time this is a good
outing for all ages. Many have found all kinds
of Diamonds thru the years here. The granddaughters like sifting, digging & scraping
in the dirt hoping the treasure hunt turns up
real diamonds. The older folk & younger liked
it a lot. No diamond this December for us though
several had been found in Dec. We left with a
commitment to return again not giving up. Interesting dig.

Had a great time!! Can't wait to go back!!! Prices are fair - facility's are clean and demonstrations are great.

We enjoyed our time at the park! We didn’t find any diamonds but we did find some “pretty” rocks. The equipment rental was reasonable and they had very nice park rangers telling you what type of rocks you found. The gift shop was good with a good selection of souvenirs.

A nice way to spend the day. You can't beat being outside and doing something together with the family. We didn't find anything but it was still worth it.

We had a great time! Bring all the digging tools! Wish we had brought long handled digging shovels! No diamonds were found but the kids each left with lots of “special rocks”. Very fun experience!

We want to return so we can do things differently. Want to take with us shovel, wagon, screens, etc. It is really fun. One can really enjoy being outside, meeting other people, and just possibly finding a diamond! The rv park was great too. Very flat parking spots with fire pits and tent spots. We are going back!😚

We had a lot of fun digging in the dirt. We didn't find a dimond but we found lots of jasper in several different colors. I look forward to tumbling them in my rock tumbler.

We had a great time. We found a lot of semi-precious stones. A hint: watch the video and check out the raw diamonds on display, then you'll know what you're looking for, we didn't until we were LEAVING the park. We still had a blast, and we're going back!

We went to the park hoping to find a diamond in the rough, but knowing that was unlikely. I am a rockhound and polish rocks myself. I found a bunch of cool rocks to bring home. My sweet husband put up with my nonsense. We had fun, and that was what it is all about!

It was very interesting and a bit more work than I thought. Didn't find anything valuable but we had fun trying.

Everyone was friendly and eager to help. If you forget or traveling everthing you need for you search for diamonds can be rented. Great time.

We drove an hour from Hot Springs to "dig for diamonds". Fortunately we opted not to rent tools and just look on the surface. We were not serious diggers but after paying to get into the park, did not want to pay more for needless items. The area was not filled with people as it was during the week. We were glad that we went to say that we did, but most of our group was ready to go after an hour.

Good family fun. We didn’t find any diamonds but had fun digging with the grandchildren. Wear your rain boots and clothes you can get dirty.

This is a beaitiful state park. We did not enjoy the diamond hunting, long story. The sites are great and very level. Easy to back in too. Will go againg for the park.

We visited Crater of Diamonds in route to Louisiana. It was a great time but unfortunately we did not give ourselves enough time. The diamond area closes at 4pm; we arrived at 2 thinking we would have plenty of time... we were sadly wrong. If you really want to find something cool I think you need to give it your time. Also to save some money come prepared with gloves, shovels, and buckets. You can rent sifters at the sight. Then plan on sifting, washing and hopefully hitting it big. We only walked away with some calcite, barite, and plenty of volcanic tuft... no college fund diamonds 😁

Great place for families, couples, and retirees. In fact, if you're 100% military disabled, the price is reduced by 50%

this place is great, it nice nature, and it is just fun to dig around with your family thinking you are going to find a big rock, of course only a few people do find a diamond , but is fun thinking you will find one. is nice day outdoors, brings in the cooperation, between the family, nice wholesome fun

Gift shop was great.Digging for diamonds was fun. Need to have a better access place for disabled people

This is a fun place for families. Although I didn’t find any diamonds, I did find some geodes, and was very excited about that opportunity to crack them open and see the gem inside!

Nice state park, unfortunately,I didn't find anything. It requires a lot of patience and work which I didn't have in me at the time. If you're going during the summer months, bring sunscreen, water and make sure you're full. I did this while I was hungry and that didn't go well for me. I only had enough energy for about an hour and left. $15 to enter and if you want to rent the basic equipment (shovel, bucket and something else) another $15 and they hold $45 until you bring it back. I may or may not visit it again, at least I checked it off my list

We travel from Indiana to Hot Springs once a year for around the last 10 years and always go to Crater of Diamonds during our visit. Though we have yet to find a diamond, we always have fun. I normally bring home some beautiful rocks but what has been the best part is talking to the people around you in the washing areas. We are all looking for the diamonds but you get to find out where they are from and what their stories are. I would highly recommend going even without the expectation of finding a diamond.

We went not expecting to find anything and had a fun time playing in the dirt. The rock inspectors were very cold and impersonal. We met a family while there and followed them into the store and we were going to buy a couple big bags of dirt for home but couldn't because they thought we were together. The workers in the gift shop were very rude

Fun afternoon, not too muddy a couple of days after a rain storm. Price of $10 per person is the total price per person, so not real expensive. Your are digging in clay type dirt so dress accordingly. There is no shade in the diamond digging field. Bring gloves, the most helpful type are heavy rubber gloves. We bought buckets with lids to so we could have a place to sit. Your can rent most of the tools you will need.

We also brought a picnic lunch, the Gift Shop sells snacks, but not anything that could be considered a meal.

Rest Rooms are quite decent, bottled water is available for purchase. Park Staff is friendly.

A fun experience! We enjoyed looking for diamonds and gems. It was also fun reading about all the finds that pervious people have discovered at the park. We got muddy but it was worth it!

Large open dirt Field exposed to the weather and sun. Expect to get dirty. They aren’t renting equipment at this time so bring your own. Nice visitor center with history of the mine and education on what your looking for.

This is the only place in North America that you can actually find a diamond and keep it. It is a MESSY trip--but lots of fun if you're prepared. The people at the State Park were VERY helpful and kind to the children. It is an "out of the way" place, but in my opinions-worthwhile for at least one trip. I would highly suggest a change of clothes. I would also recommend wearing comfortable clothes. It is an open field--muddy after a rain. You can find plenty of pretty rocks, even if you don't find a diamond. You really ought to give it a try. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but for a one time shot--a BIG YES!

I went with my adult daughter. We discovered that we are not the dig for diamonds type of people. However it was a great experience and have gone back. I think every time is a different abd exciting experience. Great for younger kids. Make sure you have plenty of sun screen and water to drink. It was hot for us.

A good experience. Cloudy day so wasn’t hot. Didn’t read the information which should be read before going to the field. Ground very hard so it hadn’t been plowed recently.
I want to return since I have more information. Only saw one place to eat in Murfreesboro.
All in all, bucket list check off

I didn’t find much in the way of Diamonds, but I did find Calcite, Amethyst, Mica, Jasper, and Quartz! This is a very fun place to go if you’re wanting to dig around for a couple of hours, and fairly priced as well.

Read my Google Review. After driving from Georgia halfway across the country and spending a lot of money on this family vacation, Ranger Matt Briley demanded that I had to follow my teenage son everywhere he went because he has Down syndrome. I know someone else he discriminated against by not allowing her to park in front to unload her child with Down syndrome in a wheelchair. They did not want her to wheel him across the field. Not disability-friendly at all. We spent thousands of dollars on tis family vacation only for Briley to restrict the movement of our family. We were mistreated and filed a Title III complaint against the park. My son is independent and our family vacation was not enjoyable. We drove halfway across the nation for this trip for my son's birthday. DO NOT VISIT HERE!!!

My husband had heard about this park years ago, so we decided to visit (with our 9 & 12 year olds) for a long holiday weekend. We paid our park entrance fee & made our way down to tool rentals. We paid approximately $80 for 2 large shovel/picks, a small shovel, a bucket, & wet sifters (we received $60 back when we returned the tools). We spent a few hours digging & sifting; found some pretty rocks, but no gemstones. (Lol). The boys didn’t complain at all, & they thought it was a neat experience! Some people there were quite serious about their digging areas & set up sunshade tents & brought their own tools. The park staff was friendly & helpful!

I am getting lots of calls for bookings at Little Shamrock Motel from people thinking the Crater of Diamonds field is open right now. it is not.... the site is confusing, I called them over the weekend, was told they do not know when the State will allow people onto the field...they says the 'park' is open however that is NOT the field, it is the walking trails ..

We visited Crater of Diamonds on 6/25/20 with 11 people total.

Here’s the feedback about our experience:
- visit the discovery center before you start digging. Check out the books in there that show what the diamonds look like - this would have been super helpful for us ahead of time instead of painstakingly cleaning every rock we found, thinking it was a diamond.
- we took a wheeled wagon and pop-up canopy. It was super hot and humid when we went and it was nice not to have to carry everything and we brought some shade with us.
- take plenty of water - the sun will take it out of you.
- take shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. It can be muddy in places.
- plastic shovels and buckets won’t do the trick; take metal shovels and sturdier buckets.
- knee pads are helpful if you like to squat and dig. We turned our buckets upside down and sat on them and that sufficed.
- sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.

After you’re done digging, cruise on over to The Feed Bin Cafe. The food was good and Morgan (the server) took great care of us.

My grown children and I went here for the weekend. We camped at the State Park and Spent a few hours in the Diamond Field. We did not find much but it was a much needed get away. The Bathrooms at the camp ground were clean and well maintained. The campsite was also well maintained. Our site was conveniently located to the bath house. We walked the train to the river. It was paved and enjoyable. My only negative was that the tent pad at the camp site had a foundation of rocks. I've never seen that. I am thankful that I included my heavy duty tarp so I could place it beneath my tent. Otherwise I am certain I would have had a tear in my tent floor. Also if you have only a sleeping pad and not an air mattress you would be very uncomfortable.

The RV park:
FHU (W/E/S) site cost $42/day the site was a mixture of concrete slab and gravel with nice tree canopy to cut down on the heat. Our (AAA) site came with a metal picnic table, fire pit/grill combo and BBQ grill. They had several trash areas that offered recycling. From the campground there is a easy 0.2 mile long gravel trail to the visitor center/digging area. There is also a handicap accessible 1.2 mile trail to view the river (though that is NOT where you would want to access the river for swimming) it was shaded and lovely. Additional car parking is available near the dump station if you are visiting with several vehicles. With our WiFi range extender we were able to pick up reasonable internet from our site (#30.) We had 1 bar of cell phone service in the RV park and 3 in the diamond field (Verizon, IPhones.) Due to COVID we stayed self contained and therefore cannot speak to the condition of the restrooms.

Diamond Digging:
Due to COVID there are no equipment rentals, stop on your way to town and buy a bucket, shovel (not a sand shovel) and a sifter (kitchen one is fine) or you can buy the items at the visitor center. They currently do not sell sifters; you would need to buy those in the town of Murfeesboro. The local hardware store sells them for $50 (rent for $30 if they have them) but we heard from a local about a guy who sells sets of sifters for $20 right outside of the park. He has signs in his yard and its a family owned business- we opted for our kitchen sifter but if you want the real deal check him out; his house is located across from a remarkable white picket fence when you are heading into Murfreesboro from the SP.

Crate of Diamonds sells 800 tickets daily for digging; the tickets that do not sell online are sold in person day of. Due to COVID only 15 people may enter the Visitor Center at a time; it was fun to learn and explore but if you have a large family keep in mind you may have to go in shifts. The visitor center has the history of the location, a gift shop and it’s also where you check in for the campground.

Actual diamond hunting: you pay your $10 fee, walk out into the field, pick a spot and start looking for diamonds. We chose to dig a hole, fill our bucket and sift through the material. We didn’t find any diamonds but we had a fun time. We spent about 4 hours hunting with a break for ice cream from the visitor center. If you are bringing little ones we’d strongly recommend bring some shade tent/umbrellas.

TIP: My favorite time of the day was the last hour the field was open. It was nearly empty, all the serious prospectors had gone home and we had the washing pavilions all to ourselves.

MUST BRING ITEMS: Sunscreen, water, digging device, sifting device, MORE WATER. Wear clothes that can get dirty/wet you will be digging in dirt all day. :)

Wow. We had a great experience sifting for sapphires in Montana and decided to route our trip through Murfreesboro to try Crater of Diamonds State Park. We rented equipment in town including a canopy (which probably saved us from heat stroke). Upon arrival, we lugged our equipment from the parking lot through the facility and into the field.

The field is hard clay. At our first location, the water pump was broken so we relocated. We worked at digging and sifting until the heat of the day did us in. We knew that the odds of finding a diamond were extremely low. What we did not appreciate was how unenjoyable the process was. Our guess is that most of the diamonds are found by regulars (who know the site) or by chance. There isn't much else to do in Murfreesboro. The park is the big thing as evidenced by the diamond/gem theme naming of local spots. It may be less miserable to dig, screen, and sift in the spring or fall, but we didn't have enough fun to tempt us to go back.

This is the
2nd time we have stayed at an AR State Park, and we found it very clean and enjoyed being there. The rates are very reasonable, the sites are large and well maintained. The rest rooms and showers were clean and there is plenty of hot water. The staff, from the visitors center, the park hosts and the rangers were all friendly and answered all our questions when ever we had some. We also found the prices for sites reasonable.

Always saw the signs driving on I-30. Finally got to make this “The “ destination. Had a great time. Can’t go wrong for $10. Make sure to bring gloves, kneeling pad, hat, sunscreen, and your childlike sense of adventure.

We had great day of digging up rocks lol didn't find a big or small diamond but had fun trying. Dotter did bring her lil dog which she claimed was going to dig but she just barked a lil and slept no help. Good family fun worth a try.

This was a lot of fun a little on the warm side though. Part of the field had not been plowed in awhile so it was kinda hard to dig for gravel in that area. So we moved to a different area. Spent two days here. Will be making a return trip oct 2020 when hopefully it is a little bit cooler.

Went as a family along was closed down and no rentals due to corana. But had a good time looking and digging. Never found a dimond.

Had a great time digging for diamonds. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beautiful park. We brought a shovel, sieve, and a few buckets. Rented a wagon. Didn’t find any diamonds on this trip but we did get some small crystals. We will be back!

Do some research on what you should take into the park before you drive there. We did not do that. So we had to go buy spades and rakes to be able to sift threw the dirt to see if we could find any gems. Other people who were pros at this brought mining supplies (like screens to sift the dirt) and went up to the washing station to use water to help pan. If the kids don't want to join in, there is a small swimming pool they can go to. Very interesting place to take kids. We will be better prepared next time we go.

If you like to dig and sift, then this is a park you shouldn’t pass up. Crater of Diamonds is the only diamond producing area in the US. I found no diamonds but lots of pretty rocks and quartz. The biggest kick I got was the kids running, playing, digging and just being kids! When my grandchild is a little older, we’ll make another trip. Maybe we’ll find a diamond next time.

I have had a friend who has wanted to come here for years. I finally broken down and said yes. We flew in, rent a car, got a room and "mined" for two days - well -I did one and she did two. We did not find diamond, but we found some really pretty stones. Do I have to do it again -no, but I can see how this would be a really fun activity for a family.
It costs $10 to get in and then renting the "gear" is another $12. The first day the woman at counter also gave us each a hand trowel - nice.
The park service does a demo as to how to "look and sift the dirt to look for diamonds. There is also a really great informative center - so you know what you are looking for. They really show you everything you need to know.
I would not go in hiking I was really going to find a diamond, but it is a runway to spend a day. I cannot imagine doing this on a really hot day. We had great weather when we went.

Where else can you be entertained for a whole day for $10? No, we didn't find anything of value. It rained the whole day. We did have fun though and prepared for tromping through the mud. Just don't go with high expectations of finding the huge diamond and have fun!

Who doesn't like to dig in the dirt? At $10 a person for the day you can dig to your hearts content. Do not go when it is above 90 degrees as it is almost totally in the sun. We searched and searched and thought we found treasure just to be fooled once again. We only had Mica (shiny but no diamond) but we gave it our best shot. The regulars at this place do not play at this-they are professionals. If you want to rent a shovel will cost you $5 with add $10 deposit that you get back and of course you can buy the $8 starter kit with a little spade, magnifying glass and small vial for the small items. I would think this would be a great activity for children as well!

We had a blast playing in the dirt with the kids. We didn’t find diamonds this trip but still made great memories. You can come with no experience or equipment and get everything you need. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful but there was a few that had no interest in being there.

Enjoyed spending the days learning about the various stones, and how to search for them. No diamonds this trip, but fun nonetheless. Enjoyed watching families with children and hearing them shout "I've got one". Very few people the 2 days we were there. Guides to help identify what you've found. Lots of crystal quartz and other pretty rocks that could be used for jewelry. Arrived with a 40' motor home with car in tow and got a 70' campsite. Clean, quiet campground. Highly recommend. Summer could be hot. Sunscreen, hat, boots, small spade, 5 gal bucket are a good idea. Dress for the weather.

If you visit you have to think of it like a lottery ticket. Your chances of finding a diamond are low. I'm still glad we went because I always wondered about it. My daughter did find a nice agate. The workers were very good about identifying everything we found. If you want to find buckets of crystals check out Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines in nearby Mt Ida. It was amazing!

This is a great thing to do if you have a child or grandchild that likes digging in the dirt like we do. Kiki loved getting to dig and play in the dirt. The campsites look amazing and for our next trip here we will stay at one!

So we have it a shot. An hour's drive into the middle of nowhere for a plowed field and rented equipment. We dressed appropriately, brought water, and rented our tools. It was very...very..hot. sunscreen and a hat had no match when your digging and skimming. We gave it our best shot but found nothing. Didn't really think we'd find anything but it would have been awesome to find a baby one,even if it was crappy. I would recommend bringing an extra pair of shoes for when you leave, like flip flops or fresh socks and dry shoes. People get crazy and creative when panning in the trough and you have to rinse your shoes before you leave. Our shoes left soaked and we really tried not to get them wet. We called it quits after about 3 hours. I would also note, I don't feel this is a "family" activity. Some may disagree. However, after seeing and hearing so many children crying, whining to go home and get out of the sun, and fighting with siblings, parents yelling at their kids, kids playing in the dirty water trough where others need to get to pan...you can get the visual. It didn't seem fair to the kids or the parents who may have thought " this can be fun". Overall knowing now what we didn't know then, we wouldn't have gone here we'd have gone to the quartz mines. We were excited to dig and avid crystal collectors but this wasn't for us. Oh well, it was definitely an experience! Please give a thumbs up if this helped you in any way.

We stayed for 2 nights at the campground. These are great sites, 50amp full hook-up. Most looked fairly level and all were paved. There are only 2 small hikes at the park, both are 1.2 miles so they are short, but one has a nice view of the river and is 1/2 paved which is nice for people in a wheelchair. Park is dog friendly so long as they are on a leash and of course, please pick up after your dogs. The history of the park is unique and makes it worth a visit. My wife and teenage son enjoyed the diamond hunting, I enjoyed sitting in a chair watching them :). You can bring your own tools or rent them. Rental was cheap, about $12 for the day (you also put down a hefty deposit). My biggest recommendation is bring some muck or rain boots, can get muddy depending on the last rain and wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.

We didn't find any diamonds otherwise my butler would have been writing this. I will say it was a great time. I saw a lot of happy children. What child wouldn't want to dig in the dirt all day. We did find Jasper and quarts. We plan on returning next year.

The best advice I can give you is to come to the park prepared. We took lots of water, sunscreen, bug spray, shovels, buckets, gloves, trowels, hand rakes, sun umbrellas, tweezers, and small specimen containers. We wore wellies because it had rained the day before, but old boots or tennis shoes would be advised with dry conditions. We wore old clothing that we could throw away at the end of the day. We went back to our campsite for lunch or I’d have taken that with us as well. The only thing I wished we would have had was a wagon for hauling everything.

There are lots of options for renting items. We rented two sets of screens. Renting them is inexpensive, but the deposit is $20 per screen. It is given back to you as a refund, so if you use a credit card, you don’t get the money issued back right away. Take a picture of your receipt so if you lose it, you can get your refund back. You can buy screens from lots of places in town or make your own, but this is only cost effective if you plan to make a hobby of gem hunting. We’d recommend only getting screens after you’ve done a bit of digging and decide you want to dry sift or sluice. We really would only have needed one set for our group of five. There are small paper bags, if you’d like to put your collections in it available for free.

There are folks there at a table at the bottom of the building by the field to identify your finds. I’d recommend taking a picture of the items and writing down the names of what you’ve found, because I remembered like three names afterwards.

There is a museum and there are videos about hunting in 3 recommended methods (walking and looking for a metallic gleam, dry sifting, and wet sifting). You can see lots of signage about the park about famous diamond hunters and places the biggest diamonds have been found. There is a waterpark which wasn’t open when we were there in September, but this would be wonderful on a hot day of hunting for diamonds. And if you choose to do this, bring a swimsuit and towels in addition to the list above.

We watched lots of videos about how to hunt for diamonds before coming to the park to try to prepare for the day. But we really weren’t knowledgeable enough to search this first time. On a second visit, I’d know better. Our search for diamonds was a bust, but we did find a fairly large hunk of quartz, amethyst, and lots of jasper. We found some calcite, barite, and volcanic rock as well. To truly find a diamond, you need blind luck or really be an expert at hunting. There are folks there that are serious hunters. To be honest, the large chunk of quartz I found was only luck. It had rained and a piece was exposed from where we had dug earlier in the day.

And that leads me to the thing that this park is really missing. Someone that is willing to get out there in the fields with visitors and help by telling them what they are finding as they are working and talking to them about good methods to use when searching. There are people around to ask questions in the sluicing huts and by the rental area and for talks, but there’s no one out there in the trenches. We were fortunate, as when we were starting back to call it a day, we passed a man that found an amethyst vein and called us over to share with us. We would never have found it without his kindness and generosity.

To make the day enjoyable for the novice, I’d recommend coming prepared and making a day of it. Start by reading the information available throughout the buildings, watch the videos about how to search, and ask questions. From there, head out and start looking or digging. Dry and/or wet sift. When your group needs a break, have a snack or go for a swim. Then try a bit more. Take your things to be identified.

As a side note, you can come and go for the day as you please. You only need to bring in your receipt and show it at the desk to go through again.

We stayed at the campground. It has wonderful, spacious sites. It’s in a mostly wooded area. Many of the sites have a tent pad and a camper pad. We stayed at site 16 and it has full hookups. It is a really nice site, but two issues. One is that in the fall you will have acorn bombs falling on your camper and furry caterpillars are everywhere. I believe hickory tussuok caterpillars (not sure if they are native to Arkansas, but looks similar to ones we have at home). We found them in our chairs and one was even crawling in the car. My husband had one on his shirt. One of the kids had one crawling across his ankle and by the next morning his skin was rashed and bumpy. Not sure if they are everywhere in the campground or only in a particular tree by our campsite. This is a really beautiful campground and from driving past several in the area it is the nicest around.

Y’all are a garbage ass company! Wasn’t even there 11 minutes. Wouldn’t rent equipment due to time of closing. So went to get a refund or post date it for another day and was told couldn’t do it! I will definitely let everyone I know about how y’all do business and definitely wouldn’t recommend this place!

The camp grounds were amazingly well kept and very convenient. The park was fun and a lot of interesting things to learn about the park. The knly reason I didn't give it 5 stras was because of the water park. It's not very big and for what you pay I would think it should be incorporated in the park fee.

We didn’t find any rocks of value but we found jasper that made us happy. Bring a towel to sit on and an old toothbrush to clean rocks.

Crater of Diamonds State Park is very nice and extremely organized; I was quite impressed. The thing I struggled with is simply feeling like I didn't know what I was doing, but that is partially on me because they do offer demonstrations and videos. Overall it isn't my 1st choice of 'park activity' but I was still impressed.

The park is a decent place to waste some time. I didn't come here expecting to find much, it was only to let our 6 year old "treasure hunt" as she loves metal detecting and rock hounding so we thought she would like this. Honestly, the crowd reminds me of a casino crowd. A lot of out of shape people looking to hit it rich quick. That's not everyone, but that's a lot of the vibe I got. The few people we did interact with were very nice however. You can also spot the regulars as well. One lady was allowed an extremely annoying, yapping dog that wouldn't shut up. Later found out it had snapped at someone as well. I feel like this is one of those "one time is enough" places just to say you've been. The area outside of the park is actually very boring with little to do so this is really the only thing to come for. I'd recommend trying it out once at least though as it's still neat that you could potentially find your own little treasure.

The staff are all VERY nice and helpful. There are lots of tutorials on how to find diamonds and the equipment can be rented for very reasonable prices. Since I was a kid, I have always dreamt of treasure hunting. So, this is just what I was looking for. I haven't had any luck finding a diamond yet, but it's been super fun digging in the dirt and walking around the park. Today may be the day!!

This was a bucket-list item for me so I had to visit when I got the chance. We spent the entire day digging and sluicing, with only some semi-precious stones like citrine to show for it, but it was a lot of fun. I'd tried to plan ahead and bring some equipment (hard to do when flying), but there was really no need. The park will rent you everything you need at a very reasonable price -- $12 for a 5-gallon bucket, shovel, and a couple of screens, or a few bucks more for a wagon and more equipment. The setup was surprisingly good, with multiple sluice troughs and benches/tables to help you with your search. There were also rangers giving demos alongside explanatory films and displays.

And yes, people were finding diamonds. We left just before 4pm and the board was showing about half a dozen from today, ranging from 1 pt to 13 pts.

Go in with the idea that you'll be spending a day outdoors working together alongside your family, and you'll have a blast. Expect to become AR's next millionaire, and you probably will not.

We enjoyed the day at Crater of Diamonds but it was rainy and the ground was hard from where they had plowed. Plowing is supposed to be a good thing but not this time. Ground was hard and a lot of clay. You need to spend time going over HOW to find diamonds, too -- and don't expect to find any. I hoped to find other interesting rocks but didn't find much.

Nice shaded hiking trails and clean facilities. The mine is in the sun so take a pop-up canopy if possible. My kids enjoyed looking for the rocks. There is also a small cafe in the mining area. It's tricky to find so ask the staff if you don't see it.

We were really excited about this opportunity. While our hopes of "finding a diamond" was really low we were thinking of a more fun experience than looking for a needle in a haystack in a very depressed part of the nation.

This seems like more of a economic development activity for this poor community. If you have young kids they are going to be bored in 30 minutes. We talked to a guy who had been doing this diamond mining for over 3 years. He showed us his "best" diamond and it was like $250. He said he was lonely and just came there to kill time and had spent 10 times more in entrance fees alone.

Go if you want to go but keep your hopes low.

You can bring your own buckets, shovels and sieves or rent them there. There are stations where you can wash whatever you dig up and then sift through the gravel for the shiny stuff. People really do find white, yellow, and brown diamonds. It’s a fun fun way to spend a few hours. Even if you don’t find anything, the possibilities are enticing!

Made a quick stop on our way back home. Wish we could have stayed longer. Nice facilities and friendly staff!

We had great, mild weather for our visit. We were prepared with snacks and water to keep everyone fueled for the work of digging and sifting. The staff were veery friendly and helpful. All equipment needed is available to rent onsite for a reasonable cost. Would recommend old clothes and shoes because you will get dirty and wet. Would also recommend hand wipes and foldable wagon if you have one. It was a fun new experience for the family, even though we didn’t find any diamonds.

We love it going there with the kids and friends we definitely going back pretty soon place is very clean we love it

This place is awesome to visit if you or someone you know has an interest in Geology and/or History. The visitor center has interactive displays, pamphlets, and knowledgeable staff to help you discover how the Crater formed (it's a volcano!), Who discovered it, the different types of mining that has taken place over the decades, and the other types of rocks that can be found.
When you are ready, you can go down to the field and hunt for diamonds too! There are basic supplies available for rental or purchase to help you... The only thing that isn't available that I would highly recommend is an extra pair of shoes or mudboots... You will get muddy.
One more thing that I liked was that this place is pet friendly. Dogs are allowed to be with you, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Unfortunately, most of the hotels in town are not, so if you have a pet, you may want to book a room just outside of town.

If you want to futz around in the dirt in the sun, this is you place!! People really do find diamonds and other gemstones, but they are few and far between.
The area is easily the size of several football fields, but it is not flat. 3 or so times a year they plow the area with really deep plows. It can be rough to walk. It would be really interesting after a rain!
I’m glad we gave it a shot. We are done, but some folks come back many times.
The staff is excellent and the do have a person that will dial the treasure you find.

Just go do this! Bring kids! And camp out in their park (but not in the nearby privately-owned ‘teepee’ park, that place is nasty and run-down).

Lots of people apparently don't research anything. Plan ahead a bit and you can have a BLAST! Yes, only a few diamonds are found each week - but there are so many rocks you can dig out of the native soil and keep. If you don't bring your own equipment (wagon, buckets, spade, trowel, screens, baggies/vials, rake, food, umbrella, water) then you can rent - and sure, it's going to cost some money. But if you like getting down in the dirt and getting dirty, if you are a rock hound, do just a little planning ahead and have a good time! Brought back some fun stones, got wet and muddy, spent all of $25 total in digging costs. Less than a movie and snacks! All sorts of lodging only a few miles in any direction! Let out your inner kid and HAVE SOME FUN!

This is a great family place. Loved seeing kids digging in the dirt and wet shifting their finds. My husband and I saw Crater of Diamonds on Ariel America about a year ago and we had to go! Watched a ton of 'how to videos", loaded up our car and off we go. Because of the videos we were well prepared. We took our canvas beach wagon, a couple of 5 gallon buckets, shovels, beach umbrellas, old clothes and a cooler. We rented our screens from the park which were sufficient for beginners. They had just plowed a few days before we arrived, but the ground was very hard. We filled 2 - 5 gallon buckets of dirt and headed to water stations. We realized that pulling 2 - 5 gallon buckets gets heavy going up a hill. We then started just filling one 5 gallon bucket. Even though we didn't find any diamonds, we met a lot of friends who were willing to share their knowledge and techniques. One thing we would do differently is rent a cage in the field to store our stuff. That saves time and effort in carrying your equipment in and out of the park. Well worth the 12 hour drive from NC.

Okay it will look like a potato field. But you will find beautiful rocks and green sand. There are shovels to make where the most famous diamond where found. According to my kids, it is a lot of fun. Although we only stayed a couple of hours. It was also fun to talk to other miners!

Learn about diamonds and gems and have a chance to find your own! Interesting state park and the cost is reasonable. Expect to get dirty, put of the fun. Beautiful Ouachita mountains are nearby!

Visited in June 2020 with our 10 yo grandson. The State parks has spacious sites some with full hookup for our class C RV. Roads are paved. Entire park is treed with lots of shade that you will need depending on time of year. Paved trail for hiking with spots to watch for river otters. Be prepared for the wide open field with no shade for diamond digging. There was no staff available when we were there to identify our "potential diamonds" We had a short walk from our campground to the diamond field and got there shortly after opening and went to a shady spot. Due to covid the beautiful water park was closed which is the only negative about the park and prevents me from giving 5 stars.

What a great little. Campground. Covered in trees and some short walking trails. Very quiet and you feel like the park is in the middle of nowhere. In fact we have tmobile and got no signal the whole trip. Kind of nice to unplug.

My 17 and 19 year olds spent 2 full days hunting for diamonds. It became an obsession after my oldest found one early the first day. The park rangers were awesome. They really made the boys feel special when they found the stone. They weighed it, catalogued it, and registered it all for free. What a great experience!

You can spend all day here. There are a lot of people at this site. But there is plenty of space to dig. Staff is great. They find about 2 diamonds a day at this place.

If you like rock hounding, it's a must do. But once, is more than enough to say you've done it. Quartz crystal hunting close to Hot Springs is much more satisfying.

It was fun to do.
I would not do this again but the experience was good.
We did not find a big diamant :)

Was here in June 2018 with my family and friends of the family. Very cool way to spend the day. Ages from 5 years old to 45 years old and we all had a blast. Be warned the is little to no shade and it gets stupid hot down there. Take with you; water, food, hats, sunscreen, bug spray. Optional as you can rent this there; buckets, shovels, gloves.
Good time and we will all be back......Just in the fall/winter.

This is the second time we've gone in about 15 years. It looked just the same as it did 15 years ago. Again we came when it was just too hot. The breeze and temperature was very nice under the pavilion that covered the troughs of water to sift through your rock and dirt. Got to meet some very nice people as we dug and sifted. Make sure you keep an eye on your rented items though, someone stole our shovel and that put a damper on our experience. Park people said they wouldn't charge us for the loss of the shovel but they did. Looking to see if we get a refund soon.

1500 people allowed in per day. 1500 can and will bring their dogs with them. Barking and fighting all day. I drove 6 hrs to bring my kids for a relaxing peaceful day of digging and wasted it here. 1 in every 256 is your odds of finding a diamond. 2 were found the day before we went.

We had a blast looking for diamonds. There had been a lot of rain before we got there and while we were there. We had our mud boots with us on a recommendation of a fried who had also been there in wet weather. We didn't find any diamonds but had a great and fun time looking for them.... It is a huge place and plenty of room to spread out!

We came to Arkansas to see the state park and dig. It had just rained so it was muddy but we were prepared with mud boots. The ground was easy to dig. I recommend bringing a camping chair for when you need a rest. We had a picnic and stayed 5 hours. Weather was perfect. We rented 2 shovels, a bucket, and screens. It was more than enough for us with 2 small kids.
If you are a new, I’d suggest digging close to a wash station so you don’t have to take your bucket as far.

This park is awesome. If you really expect to find a diamond with an 8 dollar fee than yes spare yourself. If it was a profitable diamond mine it would be private. So go for fun and a unique experience. An experience that might possibly lead to a diamond. The real rip offs are lotteries and casinos. My theory in life is material wealth is tangible, good memories are what make you feel warm and fuzzy. Good memories are what bring you comfort on your death bed. That diamond won’t mean a thing.

Very nice State Park Campground, large sites, well kept, clean. My only complaint was the laundry room. The equipment is all very old. Three washers and one was broken, 3 dryers and 2 were broken. There is no change machine, no soap dispensers and the place was a bit on the dirty side. Looked like it hadn't seen a broom in a looong time. It is a bit off the beaten path, but if I was anywhere near it again, I would definitely stay there. The Diamond Crater/Field. It was a very interesting thing to do and let's face it, how many times do you get to go digging for diamonds in the US. It's an enormous field, plowed over a couple of times a year with some shade buildings, and sluice buildings. We rented a basic kit which consisted of a shovel, pail and screens. Unfortunately, we didn't find any diamonds but we did get a bag of very pretty stones, i.e. calcite, agate, jasper, volcanic ash, etc. For $10, you can't go wrong, and it's an adventure that just might pay off.

Spacious sites - appears to be new with all of them having full hookups - Senior discount was 25% even if you live out of Arkansas

We had a lot of fun but got rained out - torrential rains. Lots of people all ages. Go for the fun of it and don’t expect to find a Diamond just be happy if you do. Rental equipment was great and all you need. Wear a hat, take water to drink and dig dig dig.

A very nice and clean park to camp in. Shady, woodsy spots are not all jammed close together. Bath houses are kept very clean. All staff we encountered were very professional, pleasant, and friendly. Visiting from out of state. Highly recommended!

The woman at the diamond test desk was super rude. Made me and my daughter wait for 5 minutes like we weren’t there. Then before she looked at our rock she said it’s glass. Then she glanced at it and said it’s glass and put it in this bucket. I told her I was taking it with me and she said “ you can tell people what ever you want” . I would not recommend this place to anyone.

As long as you go in knowing that you will probably not find anything, this is a fun experience!!! My son (5 years old) is a rock hound and had fun filling a bucket with “pay dirt”. We then went to a wash station and sifted in the gravel to find treasure. He picked out with his tweezers any rocks that he liked. He walked away with a small glass vial full of different minerals (no diamonds). I brought to the mine a wagon, gloves, trowels, tweezers, a small glass vial, and small buckets. We rented the sifting screens from the state park. While we were there it was very cold and raining so we weren’t able to stay long. My son could have stayed longer!

The park visitor center is very nice. It has some shirts and merchandise to purchase. There is also a small information area that tells you about the mine.

This is a very unique experience but, to get the most out of it, you will want spend a little time researching the park. For example, you can beat the morning rush buy visiting the park after 3pm the prior day. Tickets purchased after 3pm are good for the next day.

We were lucky enough to go right after a huge thunderstorm passed through the area. We were unlucky in that it was part of a cold front that took the temperatures into the 40s. Even with our mud boots and coats, it became cold fast as you work in the water troughs to sift the stones from your digs.

My suggestion would be to go to the Crater's website - they have good tips on how to find diamonds but, more importantly, they set your expectations for the site - it is literally a plowed field. Second thing would be to watch some videos of how the process works. They do offer demonstrations on site but the videos can give you that extra edge. Also, call to see what features are opened. We happened to go right as Covid was breaking out and they were not renting equipment. We were lucky as we found this out when we went to get our tickets the night before our dig so we had time to go into town and buy the sifting screens (most shops sell a set of two screens (medium and fine) for about $30).

I was hooked after a little bit but the cold and our desire to hit up another mine closer to Hot Springs had us moving on after about two hours.

Took the kids for a day( well a total of 5 hours) it was extremely hot 115° F but we had a good time. Brought centers home to go through. We brought our own gear so that we wouldn’t have to rent as well as snacks, WATER and a wagon!

Hey we have a rock hound in our family so this stop was for him. What didn't know because it had been years since I had been there as a kid, is that have a pool now! Had I checked her first we would have known that portably, but I didn't, so we really just came to learned some geology, dig around and create some family fun memories.
So if you're cheap like me run to goodwill find a shovel or two, or swing by Home Depot and grab some small hand held gardening tools and have some fun. Or if you more aggressive, take a shovels some buckets, and old screen, or you can rent stuff there. If you really want to make a day of it, bring all of those things plus pop sports covers for your own shade, sun screen, some camp style chairs, be ready to get dirty, bring a cooler of waters some snacks, and have some fun. It really just depend how into you are. We were on our way to Tennessee so this was a fun pit stop. Someday maybe we would make it a destination stop. Lots to do in the area. Hope you have fun, take some sun screen if you're going in the summer, and yes they do have a pool there now, so if it is a destination spot for you and you have kids, don't forget your swim suit.

We took the grand kids with us to hunt for diamonds. We had previously watched on you tube how to wash and sift the dirt and gravel. They got quite and education on how to do it, with hands on experience at Diamond State park. Well worth the trip even if you don't find any diamonds. Oh take lots of bottled water and don't worry about the kids getting dirty. They have a station to hose the kids down so you can recognize them again. Have fun and enjoy.

I was excited to travel to Crater of Diamonds State Park, but was surprise how poor the amount of excitement you can get looking for diamonds. I was expecting to find good material worth taking home with me. I only found few minerals; however, I would reccomend anyone who is traveling to the Crater of Diamonds State Park to pack supplies for digging for diamonds. the rental costs are quite expensive

We thought we were prepared but boy were we wrong. You'll get soaked. Wear rubber boots, clothes that you don't care about getting wet. Take a change of clothes and dry shoes. Didn't find anything, but we only stayed two hours.

We had a fun experience visiting the Crater of Diamonds today but didn't find any diamonds. Lots of pretty rocks and prices were reasonable.

We spent the morning looking for diamonds in the crater. I am glad we brought our own shovels and buckets. We flew in to Little Rock and stayed in hot springs. I was able to pack two plastic buckets, 6 ($1 from Walmart) strong shovels, and 1 (also $1) cultivator. We rented two of the screen sets for $50 ($40 refund when you return). You are able to pick anywhere to dig. Some people brought elaborate screens, pick axes, large shovels, and wagons. We found jasper, Calcite, and ash. Nothing of value but the time spent was fun. Seems like a good time to go is right after a plowing of the field. 5 diamonds were found the day before we got there. We also went to Ka Do Ha nearby and they also have a plowed field to look in. We found prettier stuff there (Mainly looking for arrowheads) but it is a much smaller place.

I was able to visit this place and have a bit of success finding something. Although it wasn’t a diamond, I found a few pieces of calcite and called it a day. It’s nice to see the board of when diamonds are found. I left my mark at the spot where I found the calcite.

We had wanted to stop here in July 2019 but could not get an RV site for 2 consecutive days. Glad we didn't as I suspect it would have been really hot at the campground and unbearably hot in the diamond search area as there is very little shade in that area. I suspect some searchers bring portable shade structures to cover their search area. Anyway, we ended up visiting this park in the third week of September and while it was warm, it was tolerable.

Definitely check a road map when driving to this park and do not rely solely on the GPS. Although I used the official park address as my destination, my GPS kept trying to send me onto several dirt roads in the vicinity of the park that barely looked passable. Definitely double check route and stay on the paved roads.

We only visually searched for diamonds on the surface of the diamond search area but there were definitely others who were quite intent and serious. To each their own. My wife and I definitely had fun searching for, but not finding any, diamonds and looking for and collecting some unique rocks.

The campsites were well maintained and all appeared to be full service - water, electric and sewer. Seniors get a discount on the campground fee. The percentage discount all depends on the day of the week. The discount could not be claimed on the online reservation website, which was otherwise very easy to navigate. The Ranger at the Park Visitor Center gladly adjusted the campground fee at the time of check-in.

Our site, #34, was a back in, nearly level front to rear, and requiring only one layer of leveling blocks on the left side. The bath house closest to our site was clean and decently maintained. The only complaint is that the floor in front of the bench in the men's non-handicapped shower had a pronounced depression that collected water. Thus, you would be standing in a puddle of water while trying to undress or while drying and dressing.

Overall. we had a great and very enjoyable stay.

Take work clothes and water proof boots to maximize your enjoyment. A complete change of clothes to avoid getting the interior your vehicle filthy is a must. Take drinking water with you into the grounds. A very different family experience, but enjoyable.

Reasonably priced, nicely laid out, helpful staff, and clean restrooms. Didn't find any diamonds at the site but are taking home buckets of gravel to continue our search at home. Bring your tools from home or just rent them from the park, the prices are very reasonable. There is even a clean washing station so you can rinse off your tools and shoes so can leave the mud and dirt at the park!

This was an activity my BIL wanted to do on a recent vacation and my sister indulged the whim......he does all the driving so he deserves it. We were not very well prepared to dig in the mud (it had rained the might before) for we all just brought our most beat up sneekers to throw away. The conditions pretty much did it for myself and my sister and we gingerly made our way to a cleaning station with benches to wait till my BIL tired of the activity. I think if the soil was dry, we may have had a bit more fun. Also, we didn't rent equipment and that seems like a necessity in order to do this activity justice. Some people really come decked out and prepared to do some serious digging. We met one guy who says he comes every day. At $10 a pop, I figure he must find it worth his while (hard to believe) or he has a rather expensive hobby.

If I lived in the area, l would try this activity again and come better prepared. Under the right conditions, I could find this activity rather relaxing.

Plan to be out here several hours. October was great weather as no shade, but pack a lunch and water. There was a food truck but it wasn’t open. Good restroom facilities. Wear clothes to get dirty and read all the tips for digging before getting started. We didn’t find any gemstones, just regular rocks so that was a little disappointing.

We have been wanted to do this trip for a while and we were not disappointed at all, great fun for us all we loved it Even though we did not find any diamonds we did create memories for life. As we were leaving they were interviewing a lady who did find a diamond exciting to see.

We stayed at the campground for 1 night only as a storm has shortened our trip. I wish I could have stayed here longer. The staff are so sweet. The campground is clean, lots of privacy and just has a great feel.

The Crater of Diamonds was fun for all the kids. If planning a visit, bring lots of water, sun screen, wear a hat, and old clothes. The dig field is very hot, no shade anywhere!!
The waterpark was a added plus, but not for older persons.

Had a blast visiting the park and hunting for diamonds. Found several other types of stones but did not come home with a diamond. That is okay because I came home with a ton of great memories. Which are worth so much more.

This was a bucket list trip. My husband and grandson were in dirt heaven lol.. Fun family trip . Very nice park.

Fun, but hard work. Autumn and early spring would be better times to go. Early June was too hot. The visitors' center was the most interesting part of the whole experience.

We didn't let the rain stop us from visiting & searching for hidden treasures. Unfortunately, we didn't find any diamonds, but had an interesting experience that we won't forget.

The kids loved digging in the dirt. My four year old loves rocks, she was excited about the jasper and lava rock she was able to take home. We didn't find a diamond. Traveling with a 4 and 2 year old, I had no hope for finding one. We plan to return when the kids are older and trying again.

We have visited Crater of Diamond's State Park twice now and enjoyed it both times. It is hot, dirty, and involves lots of walking in rough terrain so make sure you're okay with this before visiting. We chose to camp in the primitive sites both visits. There is a water spigot within a few yards of the camp sites and the bath house is visible and short distance as well. On the other side of the camp ground there is a second bath house with a reasonably priced laundry facility and a play ground for the kids. The diamond mine is not an easy walk from the campsites. I recommend you walk or ride a bike. We choose to bring our own digging equipment so driving works best for us. There is a large parking lot with free parking right next to the mine. There is also a cute little water park available next to the diamond mine open seasonally, and a well stocked gift shop inside the mine entrance. You have the option of attending free mining classes as well. There is firewood available for sale at the mine entrance, make sure you buy yours early in the day. Twice we went to purchase some for our evening fire and they had sold out. Also be sure to bring flip flops for the bathhouses. The floors are disgusting. They get cleaned daily but several people are washing dirt and mud off of themselves several times a day. The staff has always been friendly and informative. My only complaint is the water park closes at 6. In the dead of summer with a lot of daylight left, 6 seems early for a highly desirable destination spot for travelers.

Such a fun outing with friends. The weather was great and we dug and dug for diamonds. We found out that we have fun together and all is good.

After a day of walking around and looking, we found a bunch of very small diamonds that were probably not worth much. Leaving the place the rangers asked everyone if you wanted them to look at what you found to ID the stones. We let them look at everything and we’re told that none of them were diamonds. I had done a bit of research before and knew that what I was looking at had a few real diamonds. They then offered to dispose of what we found. I thought it was very suspicious since some of them were easily Identified as diamonds. We said NO and that we wanted to take them home. As I stood and watched, they were taking a good bit of stones from others that didn’t know better and they gave them up to the rangers. We went home to New Orleans and had a jeweler look at them. No less than 1/3 of the very small stones were diamonds. If you go DO NOT Let them take what you find. Sadly they are scamming people out of the few little diamonds that are found. Other than that it was a terrific place to take the kids and we all had fun.

I'm not going to lie. You will get dirty! We stayed all day, took a five gallon bucket of gravel cores home to dry out and sort and we had a great day outside, working together. No complaints. I would suggest watching some YouTube videos about technique before you go diamond mining but it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. Enjoy and plan to get dirty, because you will!

It is one of those places you want to visit just to say you have experienced looking for diamonds, but most people just end up playing in the dirt and finding no diamonds. The ground is super muddy when it rains and gets very hard after the sun bakes it making it a lot of work to sift through it.

We traveled to Crater of Diamonds State Park in August with our two children (ages 6 and 9). It was summer, so we knew it would be hot, but if I had it to do over, I would go in cooler weather. There is no shade available in the diamond-hunting areas, so I would suggest bringing umbrellas for shade. They rent out everything you need to hunt for diamonds. The deposits are pricey, but you do get them back when you return the equipment (although it does take some time for the credit to show up on your card). They have picnic tables, so you can bring your lunch in coolers. I would suggest wipes because everything gets covered in dust. I personally loved looking for diamonds, but my kids were over it rather quickly. Overall, I am glad we did it.

This was a really neat experience. We had no idea what to expect, but we went with comfortable clothes and sneakers. I’d recommend clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and boots! We did some dry and wet sifting. It was a really hot day and we forgot water, but there was a fountain under the pavilion! I suggest renting a wagon and the tools to make your life easier. We did not find a diamond, but came home with a fun story and some volcanic rocks!

I went on a weekend to celebrate my friend’s amazing achievements. We attended , we expedited and we had so much FUN! The park wasn’t too busy. The park staff were outstanding! One of the friendly and helpful ladies at the front registers, was kind enough to exchange my 25 cents of 2 dimes & a nickel for a nice shiney Quarter so that I could provide my Mom a stretched souvenir penny! Thank you!
I coukf go on & on but I only have a limited amount of words for this review!
LOVED IT! ENJOYED IT! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

There were lots of people the day we were there but the field is 37 acres so there is plenty of room for everyone. We are not patient people so the sifting through the dirt was really not our thing but at least we can say we did it. Lots of other people came better prepared and seemed to bring the supplies and chairs to make a day of it.

Great place to take the family and have fun. We went and really enjoyed it, rain cut our stay short, but had we had more time we would have really had a lot of fun. We got caught in a torrential downpour and were 100% soaked and it rained almost the entire rest of the day. We stayed for almost 2 hours after the rain started to see if it would let up, but it just wasn't stopping so we left. We plan on going back next time we are down in the area.

We took our dogs and dug around for a while. It was too hot that day, but we are definitely going back at some point!

We did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked due to the ground being wet from the weather a few days before but what we did experience was quite fun.

Great trip no diamond this time...i,'ll be back....thanks crater of diamonds field for the experience

We didn't strike it rich other than the memories we made. We are already planning the next trip. The staff was awesome and very friendly.

I traveled with friends and being with them, questing for diamonds all day was awesome. It was also very hot, a lot of work and there's no way to stay clean.

Although nobody from our group found a diamond, we had a lot of fun digging for them. We did witness a man and his two young children find a diamond, which was pretty cool.

There are also a few trails off of the mining areas, we did two trails and they were scenic and serene. The trails are very easy....any age can navigate through them.

Murfreesboro is a dry county

Helpful tips:
Take rain boots, it is very muddy
Bring gloves
Sun Hat
Sun block
plenty of H2o
snacks
Pop up tent for shade (if you can)
BYOB

Enjoy!

Just what we needed, get away, get outside, and sift for diamonds. I've been considering this park for 2 years, and since our cruise was cancelled, we went to Arkansas. Our luck was great weather, but no diamonds yet; we did bring a bucket of our sifted gravels home to have another "look"!

Loved the family trip.. Would have been had it not been for the nasty local motel and rude owner. Would recommend the crater of diamonds.

Being a State Park, the area is well groomed.
The park has plenty of parking as well as an RV park located near the entrance.
Tools can rented as well as wagons to carry around your belongings.
Just need to stay positive and keep digging.

We went to Murfreesboro to dig for diamonds in Crater of Diamonds Park. Although we did not find any diamonds, we found some pretty rocks to take home. It was a hot day to dig but we enjoyed the experience. We had a nice picnic in the camping area that was very clean. There were numerous rock shops with the most awesome and amazing rocks, crystals, etc., for purchase. We stayed at the Yellow Diamond Inn which was a pleasant, clean, quaint place with a pool. We ate at the local Mexican food place that had a polite wait staff who served tasty, large meal portions. A very memorable trip.

The campground was so clean and quiet. The staff was so helpful and polite. Check out the history and read to see what you are looking for and what you might find before you go is our suggestion. Good clean (or muddy) family fun dependent on the day.

Also, the camp hosts were GREAT!

Be prepared...uneven terrain, mud, clay and dirt oh my. Wear boots with good foot and ankle support, bring a cart to lug dirt to wet sift, shovel, gloves, apron and screens of different grades. If you use gold panning kits, cut off the plastic bottom pieces to make you your centers or buy the square screens. There are no port o john in the mining field but are available at the main pavilion. There is limited snack and beverages at the pavilion with a small gift shop. Opened at 8 and closed at 4. We found rocks. Just rocks but it was an adventure! Processing clay is very difficult. Not only time consuming but will imbed in your screens. Found more potential items surface searching. But got nothing. Brought some dirt home to go through so we will see. You will be sore! Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

We enjoyed being able to dig and loved how spread out we could be. Staff were polite and helpful. Didn't find any diamonds but found many fun rocks and agate.

I'd always wanted to go to Crater of Diamonds. Unfortunately the week we were in Arkansas was a very rainy one. The fields were very muddy with lots of water filled holes. We wore old shoes but really needed boots. After an hour, we were ready to leave. Too expensive at $15 per adult.

We had a great time digging we didn't find diamonds but we found some pretty rocks. We brought a big umbrella and ice chest and that was perfect because you are in the direct sun. We brought tools to dig with as well. The staff were kind and helpful. Wish they would've had more than 4 handicap parking spots at the park part because we had the inlaws with us. We compromised and dropped them off at the front and went and parked so they didn't have do walk too far. They did have a couple handicap spots at the water park entrance but that was farther away from the park entrance so that didn't help. This is fun for all ages and interesting to try. It really was a neat experience and I would've given 5 stars if they could accommodate handicap parking better.

We were so unprepared for our trip! We had thought we would find a spot, dig and sift through the dirt to look for diamonds and other pretty rocks. We were not prepared for the amount of mud or how difficult it was to walk between the rows. WEAR rain boots, shrimp boots or anything that are made for mud and water! Also watch videos on how to sift properly!
Things to know: There are no bathrooms outside the buildings. So if you're covered in mud, it's a long walk back to the main building. There are a lot of people there looking for serious diamonds instead of having fun. Don't let them spoil your day. Bring lunch because there's no restaurant or snack bar. Just have fun!

What a strange place, with a great history of diamond finds. Basically, if you find anything, you keep it.
We didn't know what actually to do on this our first visit and the Arkansas heat and humidity was cruel.

I think it's worth doing research and looking at YouTube to see what you do and how you seek the gemstones.
Other than that, you really need to watch that sun on a hot day.

Now we know, we will most certainly return again.

We went today after a big rainstorm. The sun came out and it was a scorcher! The park was nice but more and more people started arriving as it got later in the day. The search area is spread out but after we set up our things to start searching for diamonds ( and dammed up a running water source to search for diamonds in our water ) three people came literally on top of us and heard one say “oh look here’s water” and started searching literally within an arms length next to us. I thought they could have moved a little distance away from us and not on top of us but it is what it is ! That’s my only complaint as people need to not set up searching literally, on top of others as there was plenty of places to search for diamonds at this park. Common curtesy isn’t common apparently.

Our family, consisting of 6 adults and 7 children, ages 10-2 went diamond hunting for a couple of hours. Need to have digging tools, such as a trowel apiece, buckets, a way to carry water and snacks, and the strength to walk in uneven terrain, and screens for sifting the dirt. Also, be prepared for being outside in heat, rain, or whatever the weather brings. We really had a good time, and the children all enjoyed the digging process. Would like to go again.

This was a fun place to visit. We had no clue what we were doing but a couple of regulars showed us the ropes on how to water sift our dig. Definitely need to go on a cool day. There is not much shade. Overall, good fun day!

Crater of Diamonds 💎 on Labor Weekend

What a way to kick off your Labor Day weekend by the labor itself laboring shifting the rocks through tons and tons of mud, dirt, sand and pretty rocks a while in hopes for that gorgeous stone one searches for... the Diamond 💎

You may already know some really cool fun facts to learn about the crater of diamonds being the eighth largest diamond state park - It’s located in The Natural State Arkansas- I hope I worded that right but between the 4 hour drive and some time spent in the sun needless to say my day trip was a journey filled with mud, sweat and laughter including a long car ride indeed

TIPS:hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, hydration is the key and either a big hat or a large umbrella or something to cool yourself in the shade to create some shade because it can get really hot out there-personally I went through at least 3 to 4 bottles of waters for the duration of one hour and 30 minutes- or if you don’t have a hat/umbrella you might just want to consider taking breaks you can always walk back to your vehicle and turn your AC on to cool down or sit at one of the picnic table areas or cooler with visit to water park-A wagon if you have a wagon you can place various items in there and move it from one location to the next

The state park listed amongst kid friendly kid activities/options to take your kid and it definitely lives up to that! I took a lot of my toddler for this day trip and he certainly enjoyed all of the dirt the mud and especially those pretty rocks.

Just FYI no I did not find a diamond during this trip however I did find some other interesting little rocks -there was a table with two specialists that informed me what those rocks were -they identified the rocks on the spot and then afterwords place those rocks in a little to go bag so my son can start his rock collection

To add a pure sense of serenity to the drive I saw a rainbow 🌈 in the highway 🛣 while heading back home

My husband and I had a great time at the park. We were returning home from two weeks in FL and always stop for a new adventure along the way. This year it was Crater of Diamonds. We had done our homework, so were prepared for the conditions and the heat for sure! (Sadly, some were not and we did assist some with water. Not sure what they're thinking.) Anyhoo, while we did not find any diamonds, we found some absolutely gorgeous stones. The rental equipment was very reasonably priced and in great condition for use as well. I would recommend being there at 8:00 am if you want to rent a wagon. They go fast! That's what we did the second day, and it helped a lot with the cooler, etc. It's great that bags of ice are sold on site as well. Makes it nice to replenish your supply. Simple gardening tools and folding shovels work great if you have those; and a wagon of sorts. The staff was amazing! We found everyone we encountered over two days to be very helpful and friendly. I have seen negative comments spattered in these reviews regarding park staff, but we just never saw it. We saw patience and people who seem to enjoy what they were doing. Tired at the end of the day, but who isn't? Never rude, unfriendly or disrespectful in any way that was ever observed. Rant over. Really just felt a need to put this out there. We had a weekend commitment cancel next month. My husband and I, along with our adult daughter (who's very excited) will be returning to CDSP to see about finding a diamond then. We cannot wait!! I would seriously recommend, to anyone considering this adventure, the following: 1. You must have plenty of water. I mean PLENTY. ( We usually freeze at least 1/2 our bottles of water going into hot areas.They serve as ice and stay cold a lot longer.) Heat exhaustion/Stroke isn't fun. 2. Be prepared to get dirty so dress appropriately. Flip flops are probably not the best choice of footwear. 3. Be prepared for an adventure like no other! Where else can you sit and play in the dirt for hours? We love the outdoors! :)

We had a great time. We will go early in the morning next time so we have more time to search. Pets are allowed if leashed.

Let me state first off that if you are expecting to walk in and boom there is a diamond on the side of the path, lower that a touch. Surface finds are possible but go into it with the open mind that you are going to get dirty and you are going to have to work at it a bit. I was in heaven because I love rocks and dirt and the chance to find other fancy things besides a diamond was what I went in for. Go early. Pack a snack or lunch and water. Rent a wagon, it is worth it. Plan for the whole day and honestly this could have and probably should have been a multiple day spot. Wear clothes you do not mind getting dirty and if it has rained recently, wear shoes you also do not mind getting dirty.

It's a nice campground and the actity (mining) is a fun thing to do. took the trail to the lake, it was pleasant. People are friendly and helpful.

This wasn't an activity I was super excited about, but I knew the four kids would. They got hungry & bored soon. I could see adults enjoying this more to pass the time & spend a day being busy. I would probably go when it was slightly warmer outside because the wash water was FREEZING. Definitely an experience I won't forget! Still have our sludge in a bucket in the garage lol.

We likely would never have gone had there not been a pandemic. We took a 3000 mile road trip and wound up here! I had not expected much, and it delivered! That being said, I do not mean it ion a bad way. We had made this the point of the trip, we bought a cart, shovel, a pick ax (which is the #1 tool) buckets, chairs, cooler, umbrella, we were prepared, and it made the day great! We started early, had great weather, and we dug down to gravel (even brought a 5 gallon home) we dug for hours and then went to the wash station, they are busy, but easily accessible, everyone is friendly. The height is perfect for a 6' guy to bend over and kill his back! perfect height for a 10 year old! If you plan on going, go early, or buy your tickets online 2 days before. When the "online sales" are sold out, they still have walk ups available until about 10AM. We had planned on going on a Tuesday, seen that they were being sold out and bought tickets for Wednesday (because on Monday, all Tuesdays were sold out) We went Tuesday morning and asked to use our Wednesday tickets, the young man was OK with it, but the older heavyset miserable lady came over and trumped that. So we paid again, effectively paying $21.50 each, but hey, we got to dig! A callout to the Rangers! especially the poor guy that has to turn people away, you guys are really nice! And finally, if you are turned away, don't fret, drive about an hour north to Mt Ida and dig for crystals (not as valuable, but you will fill buckets!)

They are racist here do not advise you to camp at the campground if you are African-American are you will be profiled. Also this is a dry town.

This was a fun experience with my husband. Staff was helpful with rules and shared knowledge of each type of rocks we found. Unfortunately you must bring all your own tools due to Covid restrictions.

We went in October and it was pretty chilly. It was hard to wet sift because the water was so cold. Would have been nice if we brough rubber gloves. There was a very knowledgeable local person there answering questions for us. My son has been wanting to visit for a long time. Even though we came up empty handed, we can mark if off the bucket list.

This is one of the most unbelievable and enjoyable experiences in the Hot Springs area - an hour away. My granddaughter is a "rock hound" and had a fabulous day. The weather was perfect until around lunch when it warmed up considerably. Folks had tents and umbrellas to shield them from the sun as they searched for diamonds. Being the grandmother, I chose a pleasant place at a picnic table in the shade - plenty of seating. It was such an exciting day - she found lots of things she could identify but no diamonds. It is best to go the day after a heavy rain. The cost is only $15 per person. You can carry your own equipment of rent it there for a nominal fee. Highly recommend!!

Arkansas has some great state parks and this is one of them. For a minimal fee you can go dig for diamonds and other gems and you get to keep what you find. Excellent for family - and a water park is co-located.

While we didn't find any diamonds (and to be fair, we really didn't know what we were looking for), we thoroughly enjoyed this state park. We saw abandoned mining equipment & beautiful rock features on the Prospector's Trail (inside the fee area). The Little Missouri River Trail has a paved section with 2 different workout stations along the way (outdoor fitness centers!) and an unpaved section. We did not see any wildlife on the Wildlife Observation Blind Trail, but we enjoyed just sitting in the covered pavilion for about half an hour, just enjoying the sights & sounds around us. Altogether a lovely experience! The campground itself is among the best I've ever seen. It's laid out nicely & has well-thought-out & well maintained spaces for both RVs & tents. I can't express how pleased we have been with the Arkansas State Parks system & how much we enjoyed THIS property in particular.

Pet friendly diamond digging adventure that was more work than we realized. Get there early as lots of people show up throughout the day. You can rent equipment & get most of your deposit back when you return it. Bring gloves, knee pads, & a wagon, the buckets are heavy.

Playing in the dirt with no expectations of finding anything. A very relaxing 2.5 hrs just being a kid again will do it again when in the area again.

Beautiful day of digging in the dirt. Listened to a Ranger giving instructions on how to. Rented equipment and enjoyed the day with family and pets.

Went two days - had so much fun! We will definitely go back once the weather cools down a bit :) be sure to bring or rent a wagon. It is much easier to pull them in a wagon as opposed to lugging them around by hand. Bring hats, water and sunscreen especially for the little ones. If you are working in the water troughs, you'll get soaking wet and dirty but as our RV park host said "if you don't come back wet and dirty you're doing it wrong" :)

This was a great fun family outing. A great way to disconnect and just enjoy some outdoor fun together. We did not find anything of financial value but the day was priceless. The staff here are very helpful and friendly. The entire park is very nice with interesting history.

There's definitely a crater, there are supposedly diamonds. It was a fun day in the dirt and we got some pretty rocks, but no diamonds. If you are looking for a fun day in the dirt, its a good place to go. If you want a diamond, you are probably better off buying one. If its a hot day, bring your own shade as there is little shade. The employees were helpful and nice and they will look at what you found to help you identify your rocks.

The only publicly accessible diamond mine in the world, where regular people find raw diamonds nearly every day of the year. It's an incredible experience.

You have to really want to go here to enjoy it. I recommend picking a day with temperatures in the 60's or 70's, max. There isn't much shade. There is some provided, but the digging area is obviously in the middle of an open field. It's a lot of work to walk around the field, dig the ground, pull the wagon, and wash the dirt looking for a possible diamond. Just be aware of what you are signing up for!

This is probably the nicest camp where we have ever stayed. The scenery is dense woods with plenty of room between the RV spaces. Electric, water and sewer worked just as it should. The place is remarkably clean and well attended. The shower house was spotless and worked like a champ. Nice and quiet at night. We enjoyed walking the trails with our dog. If there is anything not positive to say about it is the camp hosts need to keep their own dogs on leashes just like everyone else. No dog is completely predictable. Rules is rules even if you are the "host". If we lived closer we would probably be there frequently.

Give us tools! And don't say you can rent tools when you can't! Don't go on an overcast, cloudy day either.you cant see the glint of a diamond

This was a fun outing on our way through Arkansas. You walk inside the visitor center to pay and then through the doors to get to the field. Everyone in the visitor center was friendly. There was no ranger when we went. You could watch a video to give you tips on how to find a diamond. You could also rent equipment before going out to the field. It had been very wet the days leading up to our arrival. There is no way I would have gone without rubber boots!! I had a little garden chair to sit on and we brought shovels and garden trowels. If you are going to lean over and dig, I would suggest bringing something to sit on. We rented a screen and a big bucket. If you have a big bucket, like one from Home Depot, bring it with you. Bring trash bags to put your muddy shoes and clothes in too. My number one recommendation is to know what the diamonds really look like in the dirt! There are so many rocks that it is difficult to figure out. There is someone to look at the rocks and identify them, but you have to cross back over the field and stand in line. It is tedious work. I would have stayed longer but the kids were bored after a couple hours.

We got to the Crater of Diamonds and first the cost was more then what was posted online. Then we found a place to mine for diamonds in a freshly plowed area. I tripped over a freshly plowed area(found out later I broke my tail bone) then my 7 year old son slide on the walk path and busted his face and skinned his arms. So me and him hiked back to our vehicle for bandaids, at this point none of us have started to dig. In the short time we were down there maybe 10 minutes someone broke into my van. While we were getting. Bandaids my wife text me that my 13 year old son had now fallen and needed bandaids for cuts on his knees and legs. I grab the bandaids and start heading back when this freak storm front blows in and people were leaving the field quickly talking about hail and tornados but I see my wife and son just waiting on me to get back, so at the risk of getting caught in the storm I grabbed my younger son and ran out to where my wife was and quickly throw everything in the wagon and made it back to the entrance as it started to pour. I went to the cash register which had no refund signs, I figured that was for the poor sports that get upset that they didn’t find a diamond so I asked the same person that checked me in just 20 minutes earlier, “hey my whole family got hurt, this freak storm blew in and we didn’t even get to dig is it possible to get a refund” to which she replied with what I expected “no refunds” no humanity or compassion for the situation with my boys in tears and all of us bloody and cut, and yes my tailbone is still broken so I got a reminder of this wanderful place. This is not a family friendly place and definitely not friendly to people from out of state, my advise stay clear of this place.

Place was busier than we thought even though we got there early in the morning to take advantage of some shade on such a hot day mid-90s. Prices are reasonable to get in and for rental equipment. We got the deluxe pkg. for $15 + entrance fees. We spent a half day digging, sifting, and looking around. No diamonds, but not surprised. Rather unlikely but the thrill is the opportunity and the hunt. Video or employees demonstrate the how to. Nice exhibits on history and diamonds and visitor center. Good family activity for cooler weather. The wash station was rather silted up. You will get dirty or muddy.

Friend and I stopped here as we were touring Arkansas. We didn't go dig anything but sure enjoyed the Visitor Center and all the history of the place. Quite interesting. My friend wanted to see it more than me. I'm not much into rocks.

We bought a few buckets at the Dollar General the night before for about $2. We were on a long road trip, so we didn’t want to pack a bunch of stuff for one day. We arrived a few minutes after opening. We rented 2 shovels and 3 sets of sifters for 5 of us. That was plenty. It was a hot day, but under the awnings in the water areas, it felt pretty good. We really didn’t know what we were doing even after a few YouTube videos, so we took dirt from many areas. We used the paper bags they provided for free, but I saw several people with plastic baggies and other containers. We also used one of our buckets to take back the bigger looking cool rocks. We were done 3.5 hours later. There are water bottle refill stations by the water sifting stations which was nice. There are also some people who would identify your rocks. We didn’t find anything very special. We also got pretty dirty but did have a fun time.

It's a big land of tilled dirt. There are 3 options for "digging" at different prices, mostly for the equipment. If you have shovels, sifting pans, picks or hoes, and other similar equipment bring them with you. Something to sit on, a hat or sun cover, lots of water to drink and wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty. Expect to spend a couple hours there as time passes while you're digging for your fortune. It's mostly rocks and glittery dirt but the kids enjoy it.

Nice facility, friendly staff, easy equipment rental. Hubby and I went on a whim to check this place out. It’s truly as simple as digging for rocks. Didn’t come up with a diamond but had a great time. Just wish it stayed open longer, the day went fast! Will definitely come back!

I think we just gave up easy. We are from a northern state and it was very hot and humid to us. We weren't very patient about finding diamonds. If this is something you're interested in make sure you are ready for the weather and ready to work.

We wanted to go here, found nothing but kinda expected that. Had a few nice chats and it was a fun day out and something to do. Plenty of room to spread accept at the water areas. It had rained the night before so very muddy but all in all a fun side trip

Enjoyed the adventure. Fun in a different kind of way. Be ready to get dirty. Lots of rocks. Very nice visitor center.

Drove the 1 hour to Crater Diamond State Park from DeGray Lake SP Lodge.

Checked in. Got our gear. And started our ‘hunt’ at the far side of the field. As it was already about 90-degrees at 9 am my son said we should go to the Washing Tables under the pavilion. Smart move as it was much cooler. But I now needed to get more sarucas. So off to the truck to get my wallet and rent gear.
This was so better than dry digging in the hot, dusty fields.

We didn't find anything during our 4-5 hours of hunting. Some agate. Lots of calcite. No diamonds. No other rare minerals.

Parking: free, paved lot
Store: Excellent merch
Gear: Available for rent
Food / Drinks: Unsure
Success: Nope

Would recommend: Yes
Would re-patronize: Possibly

Crater of Diamonds State Park has easy entry access, great parking, nice visitor center. You can even bring your own mining equipment! We brought some garden tools, sifters, pans and ziplock bags. I will say, it was VERY HOT! Prepare before hand, drink plenty of water and catch a break in the near by shady tree line. FYI, if you want to use the water park and cafe, their season runs Memorial Day to Labor Day. I had a great time! We found quartz, jasper and I believe I found a small diamond! The on-site state park rep wasn’t sure, so I’m going with Diamond! $10 per person and you are allowed to take up to 5 gallons of ore out of the park. We will go back(when it’s cooler)!

Well kept park, nice facilities and helpful staff all made this a fun side trip on our Hot Springs vacation. It's not one of those 'every oyster is guaranteed a pearl' things - so don't come in expecting to find much - but take your time and enjoy family, friends and a rather unique thing to do.

You'll be sitting in toiled dirt so plan dust, gravel and rocks in your shoes and on your person. Also - you'll be able to rent the tools to do the more unique searching techniques, but you can also just use a small hand spade or even your bare hands to search the surface.

Definitely take the time to watch the videos and learn a few hints. There was a nice trail to hike for a break from the sun - complete with HUGE orb weaver spiders that were really intriguing.

It was a fun day trip for us. I'd recommend it, especially for families with children, or big kids that like a throw back to the days of Tonka Trucks and sandboxes. :)

Checked this off of our bucket list. It was a fun experience, even though we didn't find any diamonds. We dug and rinsed gravel for about 3 hours. Luckily we had rain gear (waterproof jackets, pants and boots) along with waterproof gloves (purchased online - Waterproof Work Gloves, Double Coating Non-Slip Hand Protective Safety Gloves). We went in October - the weather was nice - temperature was in the low 60's and it was not raining, but the water to rinse the gravel was really cold. You will get wet.

Fun and different adventure. It was super hot today so we only dig for a couple of hours. We can away with some pretty rocks and quartz but it was still enjoyable. Do your research on what tools you will need and take plenty to drink if you go when it’s hot. The visitor center has a little info on the history and what you are looking for.

Having read about this location years ago, I decided it was on my Bucket List. Finally made it here. The park facility is beautiful and well maintained. The actual "mine" area is a large plowed field. (Which I new from previous research) The field had not been plowed recently so the ground was very hard. The exhibits in the gift shop/park facility are very informative and interesting.

The park was fun. It is a great fun to spend time with family. The park is set up for there to be lots of room for lots for people but when we entered in the AM it was comfortable amount of people and by 2pm when we left it was uncomfortably crowded so if large groups aren’t your thing your not gonna like it. We had a good time digging and just spending time outside. The drive in Arkansas is mostly small roads lol but it is a beautiful area and the staff was friendly. I would go again sometime in the future if I’m in the area again. The fee is $10 but it only covers the entrance fee all other items are overly priced rental equipment. Most people came in well equipped and we were just making memories so our small buckets and small amount of equipment was ideal for us. There was animals in the park so be aware if you have issues with that, they belonged to the visitors not the park. We have no issues with that but some may. Overall it was a great way to make great memories on our road trip.

My adult daughter and myself spent a Saturday looking for diamonds. None were found, but we had a blast. For $10 you can did to your hearts content. We rented a set of tools from the park which was very easy. I wish I had know about this place when the kids were younger. My boys would of loved playing in the dirt.

Actually, this trip was for four adults ages 51 -73, myself, my wife, my sister and my mother. Our first vacation anywhere together, actually.
We had so much fun digging and sluicing. We found lots of pretty quartz, but we’re not sure if there are any diamonds in our haul.
My sister did get a little too hot in the sun, but Mandy Bachman, a young lady working for the park, came to our rescue. Thank you again, Mandy!
We’re going again today, but we’re going to be better prepared.

It is a big field of dirt and rocks, so don’t expect much more than that, but if you enjoy digging in the dirt, looking for treasures, and are okay with getting a little dirty and possibly wet at the washing stations, then give it a try!

I enjoy playing in the dirt and looking for treasures, so for me, it was fun. They allow one bucket of sifted gravel to be taken home per person. I did this rather than try to look through everything there. I have found all sorts of random rocks and minerals. (Unsure if I have a diamond or anything of value, but fun nonetheless!)

I did hear several kiddos and adults complaining of being hungry and thirsty mid day. Bring a cooler and snacks! Also, they close at 4:00! Some did not realize this and had only just arrived not long before closing.

Suggestions to bring: Sunglasses, shoes and clothes you can get dirty and wet, snacks, drinks, if hot- shade covering, enough buckets to separate your rocks. (Sifted, not yet sifted, keeping pile, etc) Gloves, chairs, or something to sit on the ground with, shovels, magnifying glass, wagon for pulling all of your items. You can rent sifters there or there are people nearby selling them in town!

I’ve come across a wonderful assortment of diamonds, and I can only imagine the joy they could bring!
I love these diamonds I found!

This Arkansas State Park is the only place in the world where one can dig for real diamonds and keep their finds, which sometimes include those diamonds, but more often include a variety of semi-precious stones. We came away with some lovely quartz, jasper, and others which we haven't washed and identified. Open space available requires some serious work, moving rocks, digging dirt, and generally getting down and dirty. Take your kids, let them do the hard part, and everyone will have a ball. Bring your own shovels, picks and buckets, or rent them at the park. $10 admission per person, equipment rental for complete outfit is also $10
We lloved the experience, even if we didn't strike it rich.

This was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be. This trip was planned on account of my son who loves dirt and treasure hunting. This seemed like the perfect way to celebrate his 10th birthday.

We stayed in a cabin near the south side of lake greeson. It was not too far from the mine and dining. The cabin had sifting gear (as several do). That helped with some of the expense for the mining.

We knew it would be hot but wanted to make the diamond springs water park part of our experience. I was pleased to see that the water park was next to the mining area. The water park is not open after Labor Day so if you want both, you have to endure the heat (but it wasn’t that bad for us). Also note that the water park might not be open on weekdays during the late part of summer. I will do a separate review for the actual water park but the reason for 4 stars is because of the water park.

Here’s some tips and tidbits:

If you have a young family, plan to go to the water park if you can. It really helped to top off a hot day. It is not very deep water and perfect for toddlers and young children. We visited the last weekend of August and it was not very crowded at all. I dressed my kids in swimsuits and swim shirts that would help protect them from the sun. Perfect for hosing off and already dressed for end of day water fun. Hats and sunglasses will make a world of difference. Also wear shoes that can get muddy and wet. I wore rain boots because I didn’t want dirt on my feet. With the littles, keen water sandals worked best. One of mine had crocs and ended up going barefoot. Keens (or alike) will protect the souls of their feet while allowing them to get wet etc. i would opt against rain boots for very young as the inside of the boots will likely get wet from falling in a mud puddle or rinsing off at the rinse station. I would also take a drawstring bag or Fanny/ crossbody belt to keep your phone in and any valuables. Take ziplocks also.

There are some grassy areas in the shade just before getting to the mining field…take a picnic blanket so you can set up camp and have a station to take breaks. My kids would roam the field and knew where to come for a rest or a drink/snack. Umbrellas helped to break up the sun when in the field or walking and surface hunting. Take a small ice chest with drinks and snacks. Take a wagon if you can or rent one…it’ll help to pull all the needed gear. However, if you rent a wagon, you won’t be able to leave the area with it so you will have to carry your ice chest and any gear you brought from the parking lot to the entry site of the mine. Freeze water bottles to help keep cool. Take cooling towels to keep in ice chests. Take a towel to help wipe off a sweaty face. Take tonka trucks or other toys to occupy your young kids. They won’t dig the whole time. Take some body soap to help wash off the dirt at the rinse station. The rinse station has several water hoses and is spacious for getting your kids and gear cleaned.

Mining gear: buckets to get dirt to sift through or to keep water in for hand rinsing. Need shovels (big and small), sifters, garden tools. You can rent all of this at the site. They will charge you a deposit so they can ensure it is returned. Get a plan to keep up with the gear so you can get your deposit back- it is hefty. I rented 4 shovels and a bucket. My deposit was $80. Kids will tend to dig and leave shovels and they are hard to spot so that could be a challenge. Some neon flagging tape would help to keep track of your items. I’ll bring that next time for mine.

We didn’t find a diamond but we did find lots of pretty quartz and rocks. We met some locals that definitely knew what they were doing and had a process they followed. They said over the course of 10 years, they had found over 140 diamonds. They also had a friend who recently found a 6 carat diamond and picked it up because they thought it was a piece of glass and it might cut someone’s foot. I think it’s worth mentioning that there are found diamonds that don’t get reported and recorded. The chance that you will find one is pretty rare but it is very possible if you know what to look for and how to mine. I didn’t go with the expectation to find one….rather for my son to have a great time treasure hunting and for all of my kids to play in the dirt. I could watch them all from our picnic blanket. I would also recommend to dress them in bright colors.

Keep mind of the hours and note the water park may have different hours. The mining area closed before the water park.

Well this was on my bucket list for a long time. Very interesting, but very exhausting after 8 hours of washing clay for gravel, for two days. I am a senior in my 70's, but there were many seniors doing the same thing. You will get dirty, wet, but meet the most wonderful people while sluicing. Diamonds are found, but we did not find any. I think most are very tiny and get washed away. There are white, yellow, black, and the rare red diamonds. We dug on the West end where the clay is not so heavy on the first day. Then we went to the East end and the clay is heavy and hard to wash. You will definitely need a collapsible wagon, big shovel, waterproof apron, gloves, pails, small rake, etc. They do sell screens, etc. Only $10 a day per person. Totally enjoyed the experience, but if I had a choice again, I would go to the Ron Coleman crystal mine and dig for crystals for two days. You do find crystals.

Wonderful park, clean restrooms, friendly staff, wifi, and washing machines and dryers. The visitors center and digging ground are first rate

Fun stop to find a diamond. After a couple of hours in the hot sun, I was done. Lol. Couldn’t find a diamond. So, I bought a beautiful blue opal silver ring.