- Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only park in the U.S. that allows you to dig for diamonds, and then keep them.
- On site, you’ll find other gems, such as agates, jaspers, garnets, and quartz.
- It is best to hunt for gems right after a rain.
Two hours southwest of Little Rock. Arkansas, is arguably the most unique state park in the U.S.—Crater of Diamonds State Park. This 911-acre park draws visitors from across the Natural State and beyond. You may be wondering why. What lies below the soil?
Crater of Diamonds was discovered by a local farmer, John Huddleston, in 1906. Over 35,000 diamonds were discovered from the rich soil. The largest diamond found in the United States was the 40-carat diamond.Uncle Sam.” Since 1972, visitors are able to dig for diamonds at the 37-acre property of the state park. Any gems, rocks, or minerals that you find—diamonds, or otherwise—are yours to keep.
The park has a variety of diamonds, mainly white, brown, and yellow. The Diamond Discovery Center in the park houses the “Hall of Fame” of diamond hunters, which displays the most impressive gems found at the park. In May 2025, Minnesotan visitors to the park found a 3,81-carat brown stone, the largest so far in this year. There are also other gems and stones that can be found in the park. These include garnets, agates, and quartz.
Waymon C. Cox, superintendent of the park, advises that if you are looking for treasure, it is best to go after rain.
Cox says that many of the largest diamonds in the park are found at the top of the earth. Rain falls on the search site, washing away dirt to reveal heavy minerals, diamonds, and rocks near the surface.
Admission to diamond hunting costs $15 for adults, and $7 for kids. The park rents out equipment to rock hunters, or they can bring their tools. Crater of Diamonds stocks shovels and screens as well as wagons, buckets, sarucas, (a bowl-shaped mesh screen), and sarucas. Lovejoy Diamond Screens, Murfreesboro Hardware and other local stores sell gem-hunting equipment. You can have it certified by park rangers if you find anything. However, Cox recommends not getting too caught up in the quest to find diamonds—there’s much to appreciate at the park.
Cox says that, while most guests won’t find diamonds on their first trip, they can still collect other beautiful and unique rocks and minerals.
Crater of Diamonds has a water park that is open seasonally if you are not interested in digging for diamonds. miles of hiking trailsIt is located in a very convenient location. prime stargazing City lights are not an issue. You can stay the night at the campground (especially if your plan is to mine for several days). There are 47 RV and tent sites with full hookups. Five more tent sites have basic hookups.
You’re guaranteed to have an amazing time at Crater Of Diamonds State park, no matter what kind of adventure you want to go on.
