Crater of Diamonds State Park
43 Crater Rd, Murfreesboro, AR
Murfreesboro, AR
A plowed field over an ancient volcano where anyone can hunt for real diamonds and keep whatever they dig, the only such place in the world.
Crater of Diamonds is one of the most unusual state parks anywhere, a plowed thirty-seven-acre field where visitors can hunt for real diamonds and keep whatever they find. It is the only diamond-bearing site in the world open to the public on a finders-keepers basis, sitting atop the eroded remains of an ancient volcanic pipe that carried diamonds up from deep in the earth.
People come from all over to dig, sift, and search the reddish soil, and every year some of them walk away with genuine gemstones, including a few large enough to make headlines. Even for the great majority who find nothing more than a good story, the experience of hunting for diamonds in an open field, tools in hand, is unlike anything else in the country.
What Guests Love
- The thrill of hunting for real diamonds you get to keep
- A genuinely one-of-a-kind experience found nowhere else on earth
- The simple, hands-in-the-dirt fun that kids and adults share equally
- The park staff who help identify finds and teach the search methods
Worth Knowing
- You keep any gem you find, but most visitors leave with stories rather than diamonds, so come for the fun
- The search field is an open plowed area with little shade, so bring sun protection, water, and old clothes
- The digging is easiest after a rain, which washes soil off the stones
- Bring or rent basic tools, and have finds checked at the park's identification station
Details
Murfreesboro, AR
Learn about Crater of Diamonds State Park
A volcano that carried diamonds
The diamonds here came from deep in the earth, brought up long ago by a volcanic eruption that punched through the crust and left behind a pipe of the rare rock that carries diamonds toward the surface. Over the ages the volcano eroded away, leaving its diamond-bearing throat exposed at ground level as a field of weathered, mineral-rich soil.
That geology is what makes the site so special. Diamonds form only under enormous heat and pressure far below the surface, and they reach the top only through rare volcanic events like the one that formed this crater. Here, the eroded remains of that ancient pipe lie open to anyone willing to search.
From private mine to public field
Diamonds were first discovered here in 1906 by a local farmer who noticed unusual crystals in his field. Over the following decades various companies tried to mine the site commercially, but the deposit proved too scattered to work at a profit, and the ventures failed one after another.
In time the land became a private tourist attraction where visitors paid to search, and in 1972 the state of Arkansas acquired it and made it a state park. The finders-keepers policy remained, and the park has since welcomed generations of diamond hunters to try their luck in the same soil that defeated the commercial miners.
Famous finds and the hunt
Thousands of diamonds are found in the field each year, most of them small, but the park has also produced some remarkable stones over the decades, including large gems that made national news. The largest diamond ever found in the United States was unearthed here, and lucky visitors still occasionally turn up sizable stones.
The search itself is simple and open to anyone. Some visitors walk the surface looking for stones after a rain washes the soil clean, while others dig and sift the earth through screens near the water. The park's staff run an identification station where finds are examined, and any diamond a visitor turns up is theirs to keep.
Seasons, tips, and the country around
The field is open in every season, but the digging is easiest and the surface hunting best after rain, which loosens the soil and rinses the dirt off the stones so they catch the light. Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather for a long day in the open field, while summer sun makes shade, water, and an early start essential.
The surrounding country of southwest Arkansas is quiet and scenic, with the Ouachita Mountains rising nearby and small towns, rivers, and lakes scattered through the pine forest. A diamond hunt makes a natural centerpiece for a trip into this less-traveled corner of the state, easily paired with a drive through the mountains.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro
About 3 miles north
A small county-seat town, the gateway to the diamond park, with rock shops and local cafes.
Lake Greeson
About 8 miles northwest
A clear Ouachita-country reservoir with fishing, boating, and swimming below Narrows Dam.
Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village
About 4 miles west
A private archaeological site and museum interpreting the region's ancient mound-building cultures.
Ouachita Mountains
About 20 miles north
Forested, east-west-running mountains laced with scenic drives, hiking, and clear rivers.