Southwest | Arkansas State Parks

More Than 99 Carats of Arkansas Diamonds Found in 2019

2019 was a great year for diamond finds at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Visitors from Arkansas, 36 other states, and one foreign country found 491 diamonds during the year, including 336 white gems, 73 brown, and 82 yellow. The total weight for all diamonds registered last year was 99.14 carats, 22 carats heavier than all diamonds found in 2018!

Diamond found at Crater of Diamonds State Park next to quarter for scale

Winter Forecast for Crater of Diamonds State Park

Dec 2019

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Waymon Cox

We’ve had lots of cold weather over the past few weeks, and many of us are wondering what kind of winter we’re in store for this year. Taking a look back at previous winters and considering more recent weather trends may give us a good idea of what to expect in the months to come.

Diamond Searching by Specific Gravity

Nov 2019

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Waymon Cox

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! When digging dirt to sift for diamonds at the park, finding certain other minerals can make your search more productive. Look for locations where running water has carved a path through the plowed dirt of the diamond search area. As water from runoff and other sources wash through the field, it picks up heavier materials and...

VISITOR FINDS 3.29-CARAT DIAMOND AT CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK

Oct 2019

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Waymon Cox

After summer-like heat gave way to cooler temperatures this week, 65-year-old Pat Choate and her husband John made the two-hour drive from their home in Jacksonville, Arkansas to search for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. Originally from the Murfreesboro area, the couple has visited Arkansas’s diamond site numerous times over the years and have...

Pat Choat's brown "Illusive Dream Diamond" next to a quarter

New Excavation Project Ongoing at Crater of Diamonds

Oct 2019

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Waymon Cox

A lot has happened at Crater of Diamonds State Park in the past few days, as a new trenching plan seeks to expose unsearched diamond-bearing material and create new opportunities for diamond finds in the park’s 37.5-acre search area.

Trench project at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Visitor Finds 3.72-Carat Yellow Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Aug 2019

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Waymon Cox

Sometimes, a small change can change your life. On Friday, August 16, 27-year-old Miranda Hollingshead of Bogata Texas, visited Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park for the first time. But according to Hollingshead, that wasn’t her original plan. “I was just going to pick up a transmission that day, but my siblings were in town and wanted to do something fun together.”...

Photo of Miranda Hollingshead's yellow diamond

Visitor Finds 2.12-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Jul 2019

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Waymon Cox

After spending about two hours searching for diamonds, Josh Lanik left Crater of Diamonds State Park with a brandy-colored gem weighing just over two carats.

Josh Larkin shows holds his brown diamond in the palm of his hand

Prospectors’ Gemboree at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Jul 2019

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Waymon Cox

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! On Saturday, June 15, more than 800 park guests visited the Crater to search for diamonds and celebrate diamond miners in Arkansas during the 9th Annual Prospectors’ Gemboree. Visitors of all ages enjoyed playing games and winning prizes during the day.

People holding a container on their head while their teammate tries to squirt water in it

Turtle Talk

Why did the
turtle cross the road? Join Park Interpreter Haley to find out! With the help of a three-toed box turtle, we will discuss the different turtle species found within Daisy State Park and how we can protect them.

Snorkeling Tour

Sign up early for this water adventure! We'll boat out to an island where we will snorkel along the shoreline and see fish, rocks, plants and more! Masks, fins, and snorkels are provided (you get to keep the snorkel), but feel free to bring your own equipment if you have it. Lifejackets are provided

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