Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

Chris Adams

Learn the history of this cabin that once housed the supervisors of the Royston plantation. Explore the saddlebag design, the art of chinking, and the contrast between frontier life and the grandeur of Greek Revival homes. Click the link to learn more.

Find two August birthstones at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Sarah Reap

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Rockhounds often have a special connection with their birthstones. The diamond search area at Crater of Diamonds State Park is a good place to find many birthstones, most notably diamonds—the birthstone for April—but also peridot and spinel, which are birthstones for August.

Find two August birthstones at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Arkansas State Parks: A Park for Everyone

Zoie Clift

Arkansas has one of the top state park systems in the nation and these destinations, which are open year-round and free to enter, can be found across the state in a range of landscapes.

A bicentennial year for Washington, Arkansas

Zoie Clift

This year is a bicentennial year for Washington, Arkansas.

The 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse at Historic Washington State Park.

Arizona man finds two-carat diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park

Waymon Cox

There is nothing better than memories made while spending quality time with family. For Will and Marshall Barnett, of Buckeye, AZ, a recent father-and-son trip to Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park resulted in the story of a lifetime and the second-largest diamond registered so far this year.

Arizona man finds two-carat diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds 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