Summer in Full Swing at the Crater of Diamonds
By: Waymon CoxGreetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! This past Memorial Day Weekend marked the beginning of summer hours and activities at the Crater of Diamonds. From now through August 10, the park’s diamond search area will open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Visitor Center and Diamond Discovery Center will remain open an extra hour each day, so that guests can have their finds identified, buy a souvenir from the gift shop, visit the museum, or register for a campsite after the search area closes.
With hotter weather ahead, anyone visiting the park in the next few months should take care to minimize chances of heat-related illness and sunburn. One way is to dress for the weather. Wear breathable, loose-fitting clothing that blocks the sun and allows the skin to stay cool. Drink water regularly—before, while, and after diamond searching—to stay hydrated. The park sells bottled water, and visitors can also bring ice chests and water with them.
Summertime guests are encouraged to take short breaks to cool off at least once an hour. Visitors can rest under permanent sun shelters throughout the diamond search area or bring umbrellas or portable canopies for shade. Hats and sunscreen are also a necessity to help prevent sunburn, even on cloudy days.
The park’s restaurant and water park are also open to help guests cool off this summer. Kimberlite Café opens daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., serving lunch, snacks, ice cream, and more! Diamond Springs, the park’s mining-themed aquatic playground, opens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is a great place to cool off after a hot morning of diamond searching.
Whether you’re camping at the park, hiking our nature trails, or enjoying your own diamond searching adventure, we hope that all of our guests will have a fun and safe summer at Crater of Diamonds State Park!
Search area last plowed: May 17, 2019
Most recent significant rain: May 22, 2019
Diamond finds for the weeks of May 12 & 19, 2019 (100 points = 1 carat):
May 12 – Forest & Brian Page, Joliet, IL, 7 pt. white; Kenny & Melissa Oliver, Rosston, AR, 9 pt. white
May 13 – Justin Thomas, Clinton, AR, 4 pt. white; Steven Kelly, McAllen, TX, 10 pt. brown
May 15 – David Hinzie, White Bear Lake, MN, 31 pt. brown
May 17 – Jerry Anderson, Wymore, NE, 6 pt. white; Larry Taylor, Fayetteville, WV, 3 pt. white, 5 pt. brown, 19 pt. white
May 19 – Carrie Vichitvongsa, Van Buren, AR, 24 pt. brown
May 20 – Larry Taylor, Fayetteville, WV, 3 pt. white, 25 pt. white; Forest & Brian Page, Joliet, IL, 5 pt. white
May 21 – Marshall Floyd, Murfreesboro, AR, 1.59 ct. brown
May 22 – Alexa & James Perry, Springfield, MO, 11 pt. yellow; Larry Taylor, Fayetteville, WV, 7 pt. white
May 23 – Jennifer Bopp, Glenwood, AR, 8 pt. white
May 24 – Larry Taylor, Fayetteville, WV, 13 pt. yellow; Troy & Rebecca McDuffie & Norris, Reserve, LA, 1 pt. white, 2 pt. white
May 25 – Solomon Baughman, Elkins, AR, 6 pt. yellow; Troy Savage, Antlers, OK, 44 pt. yellow, 22 pt. white
Waymon Cox
Waymon Cox was a park interpreter at Crater of Diamonds State Park from 2008 until being promoted to assistant superintendent in 2022. Beginning in 2004 he worked as a clerk, seasonal park interpreter, and seasonal guide at Crater of Diamonds State Park and Historic Washington State Park. Waymon enjoys photography, writing, crocheting, and traveling around Arkansas with his family. He has found three of his own diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park and helps thousands of park visitors learn how to search for their own diamonds each year.
