Crater of Diamonds - State Park of the Week #4

Crater of Diamonds State Park
Location: SW Arkansas.  2 mi. S. of Murfreesboro.  108 mi. SW of Little Rock.
Area: 911 ac.
Major Attractions: Digging for diamonds!
Miles of Trail: 2.6
My Favorite Part: Attempting to get rich quick.  As a child it was finding cool rocks and playing in the dirt.
Getting There: From the website:
From Little Rock - Travel west on I-30 approximately 56 miles and take exit #73 at Arkadelphia, then go west on Ark. 51 for six miles, then follow Ark. 26 for approximately 34 miles to Murfreesboro. From the courthouse square in downtown Murfreesboro (North Washington Avenue), travel two miles southeast on Ark. 301 to the park.

From Texarkana - Go east on I-30 for 30 miles and take Exit #30 at Hope. Take U.S. 278 north and go 27 miles to Nashville. From Nashville, take Ark. 27 north and go 13 miles to Murfreesboro. From the courthouse square in downtown Murfreesboro (North Washington Avenue), travel two miles southeast on Ark. 301 to the park.
Website: http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com

Crater of Diamonds State Park sits on top of an old volcanic crater.  It is the only place in the world where the public can search for diamonds and keep whatever they find.  Of course, income from park entrance fees, the cafe, the water park, and equipment rentals probably eclipse whatever the state could make off the diamonds found at the site.  As a child, I enjoyed playing in the dirt and finding interesting rocks.  Grownups enjoy the thought of taking home a large, unique, and valuable diamond.  Only a small portion of the park's area is cleared for diamond hunting, leaving much of the park wooded.  There are 3 short trails at Crater of Diamonds that offer views of interesting geological features and the Little Missouri River.

The Diamond Field - By BigSkyRed via Flickr

View crater in a larger map