Crater of Diamonds State Park Guide: Real Diamonds in Arkansas (2025)

Your Complete Guide to Camping, Hiking, and Diamond Hunting

Traveling across the south can be a bit of a long, boring drive. Anyone who has done I-10 can vouch for this. But if you head just a little farther north and pass through Texarkana, you’re only an hour or so away from one of the coolest state parks around.

Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas just off of Highway 301. This unique stop is the only place around where you can hunt your own diamonds. THAT’S RIGHT! You can find your OWN diamonds!

Some of our friends found this location in 2024 and it caught our interest, because, well, why not?

Camping at Crater of Diamonds State Park

We booked a few days in the campground inside the state park. We did not know about the discounts they ran until we were there. They offer veteran discounts on camping and day use to veterans from any state, and ask you at check-in. There are no discounts to dig at the site though.

Campground Amenities and Features

The campground was spacious. Large, level parking pads. A patio for the picnic table. A large pad for tents if you needed to kick the kids out. All the sites had plenty of tree cover, but that also means a tough time seeing the sky for Starlink to run.

Hiking Trail and Outdoor Activities

From the campground there is a 1.25-mile hiking trail with information signs and also some exercise equipment. The turnaround point on this trail was at the river. There is no river access from this location—it is a pretty good drop-off from the trail to the water at the bank. This trail also houses a few geocaches to find, some requiring a bit more of a reach than others.

Diamond Hunting: What You Need to Know

Alright, I know you haven’t read this far to listen about the campground. The diamond fields is where the fun is at.

Visitor Center and Ticket Prices

When you enter the visitors center, you can study up on the mining in the area. This gives a good history over the past hundred or so years. The same place we checked in for camping sells the tickets to the diamond dig. The cost for the dig is $15 per person. This is per person per day and is NOT included in the camping fees.

Equipment Rental and the Diamond Search Area

Walking down the ramp you get a view of the digging area that stretches for a couple acres [37.5 acres total]. Before stepping off into the dirt, you can rent all the gear you need to go on the hunt. They do have kits you can rent, along with à la carte for different items. Make sure you check the displays so you know what the rocks are that you will be looking for. I took a picture to reference back to while out in the field.

Once you have got more equipment than you know what to do with, head on out to the field. We were told that diamonds like to hang out near the black rocks.

How to Find Diamonds: Three Methods

Method 1: Dry Sifting for Diamonds

Steps to finding diamonds (dry edition):

• Step 1: Dig dirt and put in bucket
• Step 2: Move dirt from bucket into sifting boxes
• Step 3: Shake—a lot
• Step 4: Inspect and pick your rocks

Method 2: Surface Hunting

First option: Forgo all the gear, look at your feet, walk around, and try to find some shiny stone that is smooth and lacking in dirt.

Method 3: Wet Sifting (Most Fun!)

Second option: Take all that gear you rented, dig your dirt, head to the water troughs and get to cleaning. This is what our youngest and I did the first day. After digging through some of the soil, and heading to the water troughs, we got our arms (and shirts, and shoes, and feet) wet sifting through all the dirt. This method is by far the most fun, but also the messiest. Make sure you wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to do this effectively. When my YT video is completed it will be here [YT Link to our experience]. With our best effort for new guys, we found exactly ZERO diamonds in our haul.

Our Diamond Hunting Experience

This was a great experience that allowed us to have a bit of diamond fever. I had no luck finding anything, and when headed out I found out about their point system. A point for the diamonds is about the size of a grain of sand. But you can find larger diamonds out there. Apparently, it was just not my day to find the rocks.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much does it cost to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park?

Entry Fee: $15 per adult (age 13+), $7 for children ages 6-12, FREE for children 5 and under. This is a daily fee, so if you’re camping and want to dig on multiple days, you’ll need to purchase admission for each day.

Equipment Rental Options:

• Basic Starter Kit: $10-15 rental fee + $35-85 refundable deposit (includes bucket, shovel, and screen set)
• Individual items: $3-8 each + deposits
• Deposits are fully refundable when you return equipment the same day

Important Note on Deposits: If you pay your deposit in cash, you’ll get your deposit back the same day. If you pay with a credit or debit card, it may take a few days for the deposit refund to appear on your account.

Pro tip: Bring your own equipment to save money! Many visitors bring shovels, buckets, and homemade screens from home.

Can you keep the diamonds you find?

Yes! This is one of the most exciting aspects of Crater of Diamonds State Park. You can keep any and all diamonds you find, along with any other rocks, minerals, or gemstones. The park’s “finders keepers” policy means everything you discover is yours to take home. However, you cannot remove unsifted soil from the park. You may take up to 5 gallons of sifted gravel per person, per day.

What’s the biggest diamond ever found at the park?

The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was found at this site in 1924—the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam Diamond. After being cut twice, it now weighs 12.42 carats and is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Recent Notable Finds:

• 2024: 7.46-carat “Carine Diamond” found by French visitor Julien Navas
• 2025: 3.81-carat “Duke Diamond” found by David DeCook from Minnesota
• 2020: 9.07-carat “Kinard Friendship Diamond”

Over 75,000 diamonds have been found at the park since 1906, with visitors finding 1-2 diamonds per day on average.

When is the best time to visit for finding diamonds?

Best Conditions for Finding Diamonds: Visit 2-3 days after rainfall—rain washes away soil and exposes diamonds near the surface. Spring and fall offer the best combination of pleasant weather, moderate crowds, and higher chances of finding diamonds.

Best Seasons:

• Spring (March-May): Ideal weather, frequent rain, moderate crowds
• Fall (September-November): Cool temperatures, fewer visitors, good rain
• Summer (June-August): Hot and crowded, but most events. Arrive early morning to beat the heat
• Winter (December-February): Coldest and least crowded, but less rain

Time of Day: Arrive when the park opens at 8 a.m. to get the best digging spots and avoid crowds and midday heat.

What should I bring to Crater of Diamonds?

Essential Items:

• Change of clothes and shoes (you WILL get dirty)
• Rubber boots or shoes you don’t mind ruining
• Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses
• Plenty of water and snacks
• Patience and keen observation skills

Digging Equipment (if not renting):

• Buckets (5-gallon works great)
• Sifting screens or colanders
• Small or Large shovel or garden trowel
• Hand rake
• Wagon or cart to haul equipment
• Gloves to protect your hands
• Kneeling pad or portable chair

Optional but Helpful:

• Glasses or magnifying glass if you have difficulty seeing small objects
• Containers to store your finds
• Towels for cleanup
• Portable fan or mister for summer visits
  

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