Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

Monika Rued

Want to stay in a unique historic place? Historic Washington State Park has the perfect place. The Jailhouse Bed and Breakfast is a jailhouse that has been renovated with all the modern amenities. The original jail was completed in 1873. It was a brick, one-story building with four jail cells. It housed criminals for offenses such as burglary, forgery, assault, assault...

Jailhouse Bed and Breakfast at Historic Washington State Park

Visitor Finds 9-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Kevin Kinard from Maumelle, Ark., first visited Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park on a school field trip in second grade. Kinard has visited the Crater of Diamonds fairly regularly over the past several years, despite having never found a diamond. That changed Labor Day 2020 when he found a 9.07-carat diamond.

Kindard Friendship Diamond next to a quarter for scale

The One-Hour Diamond Search

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! While some people plan extended stays at the Crater, others make a quick stop to spend an hour or so searching for diamonds. A few minutes may be all it takes to find a diamond, but how do you make the most of your time when you don’t have a lot to spare? Here are a few essential experiences if your time at the park has a short...

Crater of Diamonds State Park Search Field

Photo Essay: An Eruptive History

At Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, visitors can search for real diamonds in a volcanic pipe. The volcanic rocks you can see and find here tell a complex and fascinating story.

Rounded, moss-covered boulders in a hardwood forest

Photo Essay: Wildlife of Rich Mountain

Traveling the Talimena Scenic Drive will lead you through breathtaking views of the Ouachita Mountains, including those you can see at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Located in western Arkansas on Rich Mountain, the park is 13 miles west of Mena along the winding and scenic drive. Here, you can have opportunities to explore nature and possibly see both common and unique...

Question mark butterfly with wings spread on green leaves

Hidden Wonders Scavenger Hunt

All around us are many “hidden wonders”—small animals, plants, and fungi—that may not be as engaging as deer or turkeys, but they are just as important to the ecosystem. You can download and print the Scavenger Hunt below. By carefully looking for the items on this list while you explore Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area, you can discover these hidden wonders and learn...

Photo Essay: Alligator Antics

Ivory Detter

Alligators can be observed during the warm months of the year at Millwood State Park in the southwestern region of Arkansas, and they are an important part of the aquatic habitat here. Follow along as we go on a virtual alligator spotting adventure! All of the alligators in the following pictures have made Millwood State Park their home.

The Delta as the 1815 Surveyors Experienced: Louisiana Purchase State Park

Ryan Smith

Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park, a small lesser-known park in the eastern part of Arkansas near Brinkley, protects the initial survey point for all lands acquired in the United States’ Louisiana Purchase. The park also provides you access to see a granite monument marking the location on an elevated boardwalk in a headwater swamp. This special site is not only a...

Granite monument in swamp with water at its base. Trees growing in background as far as viewer can see.

Two Visitors Find Large Diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Confirmation of two large diamonds found at Crater of Diamonds State Park made for a busy week last week at the park, one of the only places in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source.

Serendipity diamond next to quarter for scale

Photo Essay: Branches in Time