Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

Waymon Cox

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! On muddy days at the Crater, lots of people visit and leave with mud-caked shoes, tools, and kids. Visitors often don’t realize how muddy the search area becomes when it rains. Understanding how rain affects the diamond-bearing soil and how to navigate the muddy search area can be helpful when searching for diamonds.

mud puddle at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Petit Jean State Park Dr. T.W. Hardison Visitor Center

The Dr. T.W. Hardison Visitor Center welcomes visitors to Petit Jean State Park. The newly constructed building, which provides space for camper registration, interpretive exhibits, meetings, special events, and staff offices, is named for the man whose vision for Petit Jean State Park brought about its creation as the cornerstone in the system of Arkansas State Parks.

Petit Jean State Park Dr. T.W. Hardison Visitor Center Statue

Tips for Finding Diamonds on the Surface

Waymon Cox

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! One of the easiest ways to find diamonds here is surface searching. Many of the large diamonds people hear about in the news are found on the surface of the plowed search area. As a result, people often have the misconception that most of our diamonds are found this way. While several diamonds are found on top of the ground...

Diamond on surface at Crater of Diamonds State Park

7 Staycations at Arkansas State Parks

Arkansas State Parks Staff

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves lapping at the shore, birds chirping from tall pine trees, maybe even a boat motor quietly starting its day to bring joy to families spending the weekend away from it all. That’s the kind of wake-up you’ll receive when you staycation at an Arkansas State Park. We’ve chosen seven better-than-a-hotel locales you’re guaranteed to fall...

Paddleboarding at DeGray Lake State Park

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

Waymon Cox

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

Leita Spears

Historic Washington State Park in southwest Arkansas is well known as a historic village filled with preserved 19th-century homes and buildings. Besides these structures, you can also walk through town and explore a unique collection of living witnesses to the history of Washington: its many historic and champion trees.

Giant magnolia tree at Historic Washington State Park

Rivers as Transportation