Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas Park Crater of Diamonds Historic Washington State Park DeGray Lake Resort Moro Bay Millwood Cossatot River Logoly Withrow Springs Cane Creek Daisy Delta Heritage Trail Hobbs State Park Conservation Area Lake Chicot Lake Fort Smith Louisiana Purchase Mississippi River White Oak Lake Bull Shoals - White River Davidsonville Devil's Den Jacksonport Lake Catherine Lake Dardanelle Lake Frierson Ozark Folk Center Village Creek Crowley's Ridge Lake Charles Lake Ouachita Mount Magazine Petit Jean Pinnacle Mountain Woolly Hollow Hampson Museum Lake Poinsett Mount Nebo Museum of Natural Resources Powhatan Courthouse Prairie Grove Battlefield Queen Wilhelmina Region Central Northwest Upper Delta North Central [X] Southwest [X] Lower Delta Park Activity Diamond Digging Watchable Wildlife Hiking Kayaking / Canoeing Fishing Mountain Biking Boating / Marinas Swimming Geocaching Climbing Horseback Riding Road Cycling Backpacking Motorcycling Snorkeling / Scuba Diving Lake Tours Hang Gliding River Running Trail Type Day Hikes Kayaking/Water Trails Mountain Biking Backpacking Barrier Free (ADA) Horseback Riding Wilderness ATV Trail Difficulty Easy Moderate Strenuous Author Waymon Cox Monika Rued Meg Matthews Arkansas State Parks Staff Chris Adams Tayler Markham Zoie Clift Billy Nations Paul Butler Ryan Smith Sarah Reap Grady Spann Ivory Detter Alex Hedegard Brian Whitson Cara Curtis Haley Johnson Heather Runyan Jason Parrie Joe Jacobs Josh Williams Kayla Gomance Kelly Farrell Leita Spears Maggie Howard Matt Manos Megan Ayres Moore Robin Gabe Seth Boone Shelley Flanary Tara Gillanders Date Published February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 January 2024 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 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 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 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 May 2018 March 2018 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 5 Next page Next › Colorful Minerals Found at the Crater of Diamonds Oct 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Each fall, changing leaves enhance the colors and natural beauty of our surroundings. For visitors to Crater of Diamonds State Park, colorful minerals can also add bursts of excitement for anyone exploring the park! Mineral colors are caused by certain elements, chemicals, defects, and processes. Though some come in a wide... Visitor Finds 4.38-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park Sep 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Noreen Wredberg of Granite Bay, Calif., found the 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground within an hour of searching. It’s the largest diamond found so far this year at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Find Mesmerizing Mimetoliths at Crater of Diamonds Sep 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Have you ever looked at clouds and imagined dogs, elephants, or dragons? Have you noticed faces or creatures in the knots and holes of a tree trunk? If so, you have experienced pareidolia, the ability to see meaningful shapes or patterns in everyday objects. Most of us experience pareidolia at some level. Certain rocks and... Get Back to Nature This Fall Sep 2021 ⁄ Arkansas State Parks Staff As bright mornings give way to chillier weather and the leaves start to turn to auburn, garnet and gold, you’ll feel the pull to get outside. Whether you want to spend an entire weekend living around nature’s beauty or want to feel the thrill of speed as you race down a Monument Trail, Arkansas State Parks has something for everyone this autumn. More Than Shade Trees at Crater of Diamonds Aug 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Most people who have visited the park recognize the search area as an open field with plowed rows about every five feet. Trees scattered throughout the field provide shade from the summer heat, but many of these also enhance the experiences of park visitors in other ways. A Visitor’s Viewpoint of Diamond Searching Aug 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! While our staff helps people prepare for diamond searching every day, a visitor’s advice can provide a fresh perspective. I recently spoke with James Armstead and his sister Willie Trice, of Kansas City, Mo., about their visit to Crater of Diamonds, their experiences here, and the guidance they would give other first-time park... Water Activities in Arkansas State Parks Jul 2021 ⁄ Arkansas State Parks Staff Summer is here, and that means it’s time to get out on the water. While Arkansas might be a landlocked state, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the rush of flowing water surround you on a hot day. Grab a paddle or fishing rod and don’t forget your SPF 50! 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... 5 Arkansas State Parks Summer Hot Spots May 2021 Summer isn’t just a season — it’s a state of mind. And Arkansas is the perfect place to explore that sun-kissed bliss of nights around a campfire, hair drying from a jump in the lake, making gooey s’mores feel. Explore 5 state parks to find where you should kick your heels up for the warm months. Visitor Finds Two-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park May 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox It’s thrilling when hard work pays off. For years, 26-year-old Christian Liden, of Poulsbo, Wash., has wanted to find the raw materials to make his own engagement ring. He started by panning for gold around his home state. After five years, he had accumulated enough for the ring. Liden recently embarked on a mining excursion that led him across the country to Arkansas’s... Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 5 Next page Next ›
Colorful Minerals Found at the Crater of Diamonds Oct 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Each fall, changing leaves enhance the colors and natural beauty of our surroundings. For visitors to Crater of Diamonds State Park, colorful minerals can also add bursts of excitement for anyone exploring the park! Mineral colors are caused by certain elements, chemicals, defects, and processes. Though some come in a wide...
Visitor Finds 4.38-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park Sep 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Noreen Wredberg of Granite Bay, Calif., found the 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground within an hour of searching. It’s the largest diamond found so far this year at Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Find Mesmerizing Mimetoliths at Crater of Diamonds Sep 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Have you ever looked at clouds and imagined dogs, elephants, or dragons? Have you noticed faces or creatures in the knots and holes of a tree trunk? If so, you have experienced pareidolia, the ability to see meaningful shapes or patterns in everyday objects. Most of us experience pareidolia at some level. Certain rocks and...
Get Back to Nature This Fall Sep 2021 ⁄ Arkansas State Parks Staff As bright mornings give way to chillier weather and the leaves start to turn to auburn, garnet and gold, you’ll feel the pull to get outside. Whether you want to spend an entire weekend living around nature’s beauty or want to feel the thrill of speed as you race down a Monument Trail, Arkansas State Parks has something for everyone this autumn.
More Than Shade Trees at Crater of Diamonds Aug 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Most people who have visited the park recognize the search area as an open field with plowed rows about every five feet. Trees scattered throughout the field provide shade from the summer heat, but many of these also enhance the experiences of park visitors in other ways.
A Visitor’s Viewpoint of Diamond Searching Aug 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! While our staff helps people prepare for diamond searching every day, a visitor’s advice can provide a fresh perspective. I recently spoke with James Armstead and his sister Willie Trice, of Kansas City, Mo., about their visit to Crater of Diamonds, their experiences here, and the guidance they would give other first-time park...
Water Activities in Arkansas State Parks Jul 2021 ⁄ Arkansas State Parks Staff Summer is here, and that means it’s time to get out on the water. While Arkansas might be a landlocked state, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the rush of flowing water surround you on a hot day. Grab a paddle or fishing rod and don’t forget your SPF 50!
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...
5 Arkansas State Parks Summer Hot Spots May 2021 Summer isn’t just a season — it’s a state of mind. And Arkansas is the perfect place to explore that sun-kissed bliss of nights around a campfire, hair drying from a jump in the lake, making gooey s’mores feel. Explore 5 state parks to find where you should kick your heels up for the warm months.
Visitor Finds Two-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park May 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox It’s thrilling when hard work pays off. For years, 26-year-old Christian Liden, of Poulsbo, Wash., has wanted to find the raw materials to make his own engagement ring. He started by panning for gold around his home state. After five years, he had accumulated enough for the ring. Liden recently embarked on a mining excursion that led him across the country to Arkansas’s...