Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas Park Crater of Diamonds Historic Washington State Park Devil's Den Hobbs State Park Conservation Area DeGray Lake Resort Lake Dardanelle Mount Magazine Cossatot River Lake Fort Smith Millwood Moro Bay Logoly Prairie Grove Battlefield Withrow Springs Bull Shoals - White River Daisy Lake Catherine Mount Nebo White Oak Lake Cane Creek Davidsonville Jacksonport Lake Frierson Mississippi River Ozark Folk Center Petit Jean Pinnacle Mountain Village Creek Woolly Hollow Crowley's Ridge Delta Heritage Trail Hampson Museum Lake Charles Lake Chicot Lake Ouachita Powhatan Courthouse Queen Wilhelmina Lake Poinsett Louisiana Purchase Museum of Natural Resources Parkin Archeological Plum Bayou Mounds Region [X] Southwest Central [X] Northwest Upper Delta North Central Lower Delta Park Activity Diamond Digging Watchable Wildlife Hiking Mountain Biking Fishing Kayaking / Canoeing Boating / Marinas Swimming Climbing Geocaching Horseback Riding Backpacking Motorcycling Road Cycling Snorkeling / Scuba Diving Lake Tours Hang Gliding River Running Trail Type Day Hikes Mountain Biking Backpacking Barrier Free (ADA) Horseback Riding Kayaking/Water Trails Wilderness ATV Trail Difficulty Easy Moderate Strenuous Author Waymon Cox Monika Rued Arkansas State Parks Staff Meg Matthews Zoie Clift Chris Adams Tayler Markham Chris Pistole Billy Nations Megan Ayres Moore Sarah Reap Grady Spann Heather Johnson Ivory Detter Joe Jacobs Mystina Swaim Paul Butler Adam Leslie Don Simons Haley Johnson Heather Runyan Jason Parrie Josh Williams Kayla Gomance Kelly Farrell Kylee Cole Leita Spears Maggie Howard Matt Manos Robin Gabe Sasha Bowles Shelley Flanary Tara Gillanders Tim Scott Zachary Fisher Date Published September 2025 June 2025 February 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 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 September 2018 May 2018 March 2018 October 2017 September 2017 July 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 February 2016 Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 7 Next page Next › Creative Contraptions for Discovering Diamonds Mar 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Since the park has suspended mining equipment rentals during the pandemic, most visitors now bring their own tools from home or from one of the local businesses and individuals who rent and sell mining equipment. Buckets, shovels, and screens are the most common tools of the trade, but it's interesting to see other unique gear people bring to help them find diamonds. Plowing the Search Area Mar 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! We've had beautiful weather over the past few days, and hundreds of people have come to search for diamonds during early March spring breaks. After a wet start to winter, the weather has stayed dry long enough for us to plow part of the diamond search area for the first time this year. Each spring we get lots of questions about... 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: 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... More Than 80 Carats of Diamonds Discovered in Arkansas During Record-Breaking Year Jan 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! 2020 was a great year for diamond finds at the Crater. Despite the many changes brought on by COVID-19, more than 129,000 people visited the park in search of diamonds. Following is a recap of diamond finds for 2020, including some of the most memorable discoveries. What to Expect This Winter at the Crater of Diamonds State Park Dec 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Winter officially returned as of Monday, December 21, and will continue until March 20, 2021. With wide-ranging temperatures over the past couple of weeks, many of us are wondering what kind of winter we’ll have this year. Looking at previous winters and considering recent weather trends may give us a good idea of what to... Arkansas State Parks Adjusts Operations to Respond to Statewide COVID-19 Increase Dec 2020 ⁄ Meg Matthews Visitor information centers, museums, restaurants and two marinas at Arkansas State Parks will see a reduction of operating hours to efficiently manage available resources during the recent statewide increase in COVID-19 cases. Leave No Trace Nov 2020 You are welcome at Arkansas State Parks. We have one of the most pristine state park systems in the nation to enjoy. In order to protect and make sure your state parks are available for generations to come, it’s important to stay on designated trails, pick up after yourself and don’t litter (cigarette butts are litter), and recreate responsibly. Recreating responsibly has... Photo Essay: Black Gold In 1920s South Arkansas Nov 2020 The oil-rich town of Smackover is in the heart of the Arkansas oil fields. The 1920s south Arkansas oil boom brought danger and destruction, but also a sense of opportunity and change that has lasted through the generations. Today, one mile south of town is the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, which aims to connect people to the lasting cultural and economic impacts... Video: Devil's Den State Park CCC Interpretive Trail Virtual Guided Hike Nov 2020 ⁄ Mystina Swaim Devil’s Den State Park, nestled in Lee Creek Valley of the northwest Arkansas Ozarks, was selected as a state park site in the 1930s. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) used native materials to build the park’s rustic-style wood and stone structures that mirror the surrounding natural beauty. The park now stands as one of the most intact CCC sites in the U.S., with a... Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 7 Next page Next ›
Creative Contraptions for Discovering Diamonds Mar 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Since the park has suspended mining equipment rentals during the pandemic, most visitors now bring their own tools from home or from one of the local businesses and individuals who rent and sell mining equipment. Buckets, shovels, and screens are the most common tools of the trade, but it's interesting to see other unique gear people bring to help them find diamonds.
Plowing the Search Area Mar 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! We've had beautiful weather over the past few days, and hundreds of people have come to search for diamonds during early March spring breaks. After a wet start to winter, the weather has stayed dry long enough for us to plow part of the diamond search area for the first time this year. Each spring we get lots of questions about...
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: 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...
More Than 80 Carats of Diamonds Discovered in Arkansas During Record-Breaking Year Jan 2021 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! 2020 was a great year for diamond finds at the Crater. Despite the many changes brought on by COVID-19, more than 129,000 people visited the park in search of diamonds. Following is a recap of diamond finds for 2020, including some of the most memorable discoveries.
What to Expect This Winter at the Crater of Diamonds State Park Dec 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Winter officially returned as of Monday, December 21, and will continue until March 20, 2021. With wide-ranging temperatures over the past couple of weeks, many of us are wondering what kind of winter we’ll have this year. Looking at previous winters and considering recent weather trends may give us a good idea of what to...
Arkansas State Parks Adjusts Operations to Respond to Statewide COVID-19 Increase Dec 2020 ⁄ Meg Matthews Visitor information centers, museums, restaurants and two marinas at Arkansas State Parks will see a reduction of operating hours to efficiently manage available resources during the recent statewide increase in COVID-19 cases.
Leave No Trace Nov 2020 You are welcome at Arkansas State Parks. We have one of the most pristine state park systems in the nation to enjoy. In order to protect and make sure your state parks are available for generations to come, it’s important to stay on designated trails, pick up after yourself and don’t litter (cigarette butts are litter), and recreate responsibly. Recreating responsibly has...
Photo Essay: Black Gold In 1920s South Arkansas Nov 2020 The oil-rich town of Smackover is in the heart of the Arkansas oil fields. The 1920s south Arkansas oil boom brought danger and destruction, but also a sense of opportunity and change that has lasted through the generations. Today, one mile south of town is the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, which aims to connect people to the lasting cultural and economic impacts...
Video: Devil's Den State Park CCC Interpretive Trail Virtual Guided Hike Nov 2020 ⁄ Mystina Swaim Devil’s Den State Park, nestled in Lee Creek Valley of the northwest Arkansas Ozarks, was selected as a state park site in the 1930s. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) used native materials to build the park’s rustic-style wood and stone structures that mirror the surrounding natural beauty. The park now stands as one of the most intact CCC sites in the U.S., with a...
