Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas Park Crater of Diamonds Lake Dardanelle Lake Ouachita Mississippi River Village Creek Region Southwest Upper Delta Central North Central Park Activity Diamond Digging Watchable Wildlife Boating / Marinas Trail Type Trail Difficulty Author Waymon Cox Cara Curtis Jenn Menge Kara Helton Megan Ayres Moore Date Published May 2025 April 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 [X] June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 [X] February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 September 2018 May 2018 March 2018 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 Discovering Lamproite at the Crater Jun 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Visitors to the Crater of Diamonds can find much more than diamonds here. One of the most common rocks found at the park is also one of the rarest to find beyond the borders of the crater. Lamproite is the volcanic material that erupted from the park’s diamond-bearing pipe around 100 million years ago. Four types of lamproite... Educator Lesson: Taste of the Land Mississippi River State Park Jun 2021 ⁄ Cara Curtis In this short video, join Park Interpreter Cara for a virtual experience using a cast-iron Dutch oven to create a squirrel and rice meal. By exploring the story of this regional comfort food, you’ll see that each ingredient reflects how past communities used the land that became Mississippi River State Park. While the food cooks, you’ll even travel to different locations... Looking Forward to Spring at the Crater Feb 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! With warmer temperatures in the forecast, it’s hard to believe we experienced record-breaking cold just last week. Ten inches of snow fell at the park, but not even that stopped a few hardy folks from trying their hardest to find a diamond. One visitor braved two of the coldest days to wet sift on the south end of the search... Video: Cruising Lake Dardanelle Feb 2021 ⁄ Megan Ayres Moore Exploring Lake Dardanelle by boat allows you to surround yourself in the beauty of the Arkansas River Valley, an area that a wide variety of wildlife depends on for survival. These waters are home to an array of aquatic species, with a multitude of other animals in the forests surrounding the lake, and skies overhead. Lake Dardanelle State Park sits along the shores of 34... Video: The West Drain Feb 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox One of Arkansas' most unique natural attractions is Crater of Diamonds State Park. Located in Murfreesboro, this site hosts thousands of visitors each year. A volcanic pipe erupted here around 100 million years ago, bringing diamonds to the surface. Today, park guests search for their own genuine diamonds in a 37.5-acre plowed field atop the volcanic crater. In addition to... Video: Purple Martins on Lake Ouachita Feb 2021 ⁄ Jenn Menge Part of our mission at Lake Ouachita State Park is to provide access to Lake Ouachita, which is filled with many wonderful natural resources. One of the most unique sights – a huge roost of purple martins – is only visible for a small portion of the year. From mid-July to mid-August, thousands of purple martins flock to a small island on the lake to gather and rest before... Photo Essay: Creek Crawl Feb 2021 ⁄ Kara Helton Located in northeast Arkansas on Crowley’s Ridge, Village Creek State Park encompasses nearly 7,000 acres with steep forested hills and creek-fed valleys. Part of our mission is to protect the park’s natural resources, and one way for park staff to do that is to monitor the biodiversity of our creeks. Since our creeks provide water to most of the park, when it is time to...
Discovering Lamproite at the Crater Jun 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Visitors to the Crater of Diamonds can find much more than diamonds here. One of the most common rocks found at the park is also one of the rarest to find beyond the borders of the crater. Lamproite is the volcanic material that erupted from the park’s diamond-bearing pipe around 100 million years ago. Four types of lamproite...
Educator Lesson: Taste of the Land Mississippi River State Park Jun 2021 ⁄ Cara Curtis In this short video, join Park Interpreter Cara for a virtual experience using a cast-iron Dutch oven to create a squirrel and rice meal. By exploring the story of this regional comfort food, you’ll see that each ingredient reflects how past communities used the land that became Mississippi River State Park. While the food cooks, you’ll even travel to different locations...
Looking Forward to Spring at the Crater Feb 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! With warmer temperatures in the forecast, it’s hard to believe we experienced record-breaking cold just last week. Ten inches of snow fell at the park, but not even that stopped a few hardy folks from trying their hardest to find a diamond. One visitor braved two of the coldest days to wet sift on the south end of the search...
Video: Cruising Lake Dardanelle Feb 2021 ⁄ Megan Ayres Moore Exploring Lake Dardanelle by boat allows you to surround yourself in the beauty of the Arkansas River Valley, an area that a wide variety of wildlife depends on for survival. These waters are home to an array of aquatic species, with a multitude of other animals in the forests surrounding the lake, and skies overhead. Lake Dardanelle State Park sits along the shores of 34...
Video: The West Drain Feb 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox One of Arkansas' most unique natural attractions is Crater of Diamonds State Park. Located in Murfreesboro, this site hosts thousands of visitors each year. A volcanic pipe erupted here around 100 million years ago, bringing diamonds to the surface. Today, park guests search for their own genuine diamonds in a 37.5-acre plowed field atop the volcanic crater. In addition to...
Video: Purple Martins on Lake Ouachita Feb 2021 ⁄ Jenn Menge Part of our mission at Lake Ouachita State Park is to provide access to Lake Ouachita, which is filled with many wonderful natural resources. One of the most unique sights – a huge roost of purple martins – is only visible for a small portion of the year. From mid-July to mid-August, thousands of purple martins flock to a small island on the lake to gather and rest before...
Photo Essay: Creek Crawl Feb 2021 ⁄ Kara Helton Located in northeast Arkansas on Crowley’s Ridge, Village Creek State Park encompasses nearly 7,000 acres with steep forested hills and creek-fed valleys. Part of our mission is to protect the park’s natural resources, and one way for park staff to do that is to monitor the biodiversity of our creeks. Since our creeks provide water to most of the park, when it is time to...
