Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

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: 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

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

Village Creek State Park Scavenger Hunt

Because Village Creek State Park is here to conserve the natural, cultural, and historical resources of Crowley’s Ridge, there is always something new for you to discover. Many of our guests come for specific reasons—camping, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding—but there are so many more things to do here. You can download and print this scavenger hunt, which reveals...

Even More Answers to Common Crater of Diamonds State Park Questions

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! First-time visitors often have a lot of questions for our staff. The following are a few of the more common inquiries we hear at the park, along with answers.

Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area Wildflower Walk

Wildflowers paint the landscape in magnificent splashes of color, all while working diligently behind the scenes to safeguard the very ecosystems they call home. The miles of hiking trails at Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area in southwest Arkansas not only give you amazing views of this National Wild and Scenic River, but also of the surrounding habitat that is home...

Yellow and Red wildflower at Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area

Logoly Nature Notes

Even brief observations of nature provide incredible insights and memorable moments at Logoly State Park. Use this sheet to focus your thoughts and unlock unexpected details. You can download and print this Nature Notes form to help you take notes, sketch specimens, and aid the park in community-based science.

Amid Change, Some Things Remain the Same at the Crater of Diamonds

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! We have all seen changes this year due to COVID-19, and many of us are still adjusting. Guidelines and restrictions—detailed on the park’s website at www.CraterofDiamondsStatePark.com--have been put in place to help protect our visitors and staff. With the many disruptions we have faced this year, however, it can be comforting...

Crater of Diamonds State Park Search Field with family searching for diamonds in the background

Photo Essay: Alligator Antics

Jul 2020