Most vacation souvenirs come from a gift shop shelf. In Arkansas, you can dig yours out of the ground instead. The state is known for quartz crystals and for the only public diamond mine in the United States, and several spots let you grab a shovel and search for yourself.
Some are free-for-all muddy fields, some are working mines with guided trips, and some pair the dig with a rock shop or a zip-line. Here are six places to get dirty, fill a bucket, and head home with a real find. Check hours and seasons before you go, since a few of these stops close on certain days or for part of the year.
1. Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, AR
Here is a number worth remembering: about one in 500 guests finds a diamond. The park sits on the site of an old volcano, and the search area is a muddy plowed field of more than 37 acres.
It is the only public diamond mine in the United States, and the rule that makes it special is simple. You keep any diamonds you find. Visitors sift through dirt with provided screens, and staff plow the grounds every so often to bring fresh dirt to the surface.
Plan for real effort, because the field is huge and the digging is a workout. Even without a diamond, many people carry home buckets of interesting rocks and minerals to sort through later.
The park is open daily from 8 AM to 4 PM. Saturdays tend to be the busiest, while Tuesdays and Wednesdays are quieter. It also has hiking trails, a water park, a playground, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and restrooms, so it works for a full family day.
Dogs are allowed.
2. Ron Coleman Mining, Jessieville, AR
Digging through clay and dirt turns out to be surprisingly fun, even for grown-ups who thought they were past that stage. Ron Coleman Mining is a commercial quartz crystal mine near Hot Springs with a public digging area.
You pay an entry fee and take home everything you find. Staff offer tips on how and where to dig, which helps first-timers get started.
The mine goes beyond digging. An unlimited pass adds a quarter-mile zip-line ride and a tour of the operation in a military vehicle. There is also a large gift shop, plus an on-site RV campground and tiny cabins at Crystal Ridge RV park.
Groups such as schools, churches, scouts, and home school organizations can ask about group rates. The mine is open to the public year-round, rain or shine, from 8 AM to 5 PM daily.
3. Wegner Crystal Mines, Mt Ida, AR
Mt Ida calls itself the quartz crystal capital, and Wegner Crystal Mines is one of the places that backs that up. The ranch invites visitors to dig their own Arkansas quartz crystals, with plenty of room to claim a spot and work at your own pace.
Two guided options add variety. Phantom Mine Trips need advance reservations, so call 870-867-2309 ahead of time. Crystal Forest Mining Trips leave at 9:30, 11:30, and 1:30, and you should arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to sign up, load up, and attend a safety meeting.
For all other activities, arrive by 2:00 to have full access. Groups that dig for a couple of hours often leave with crystals, a few clusters, and other nice rocks.
The mines are open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM and closed Sunday and Monday.
4. Board Camp Crystal Mine, Mena, AR
Check the calendar before you load the car, because this mine closes each year at the end of October and reopens at the end of February. When it is open, the dig is billed as a fresh earth dig, so you may be the first person to see the crystals you uncover.
Everything is done by hand, with no heavy equipment used. Guides show you how to dig, and visitors often fill a bucket or two with quartz crystals and clusters.
Evenings add something different. On Friday or Saturday nights, the UnXplained Tours tell the story of strange happenings at the mine, show the evidence, and let you decide what to think. Reservations are made on the website.
Daytime hours run Wednesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 3 PM, with evening hours from 6 to 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The mine is closed Monday and Tuesday.
5. Avant Mining Fisher Mountain Rock Shop and Public Dig, Mt Ida, AR
Few dig sites let you park nearly beside the pile. At Avant Mining on Fisher Mountain, you can drive to the dig site, and a large area opens up for crystal hunting with a scenic view behind you.
The stop is more than a dig. It also includes a coffee shop, a museum, and a gift shop, which makes it easy to fill extra time or warm up between rounds of digging.
On Tuesday through Sunday, the gift shop opens at 8 AM, digging starts at 9 AM, and the property closes at 5 PM. It is closed Mondays.
Visitors report finding crystals in nearly every pile they work. Big ones are less common, but the quality of what turns up gets plenty of praise. There is a free parking lot and a gender-neutral restroom on site.
6. Coleman’s Rock Shop & Crystal Mines – Terri & Jim, Jessieville, AR
Budget-friendly digging is the draw here. Visitors have described the cost as about $10 for a day of digging Arkansas quartz, which is hard to beat.
The mine itself is a giant pile of red clay mud and rock. Expect small, broken, or irregular quartz pieces now and then, and plenty of interesting rocks along the way. A couple of hours of digging can send a family home with a good haul.
The shop is well stocked with crystals, minerals, and geodes, so you can buy a showpiece if your digging luck runs thin. It also works for a quick visit if you do not want an all-day project.
Hours are 8 AM to 6 PM every day. The shop has a gender-neutral restroom and a parking lot, and offers in-store shopping and pickup.
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