Crater of Diamonds State Park

Location and History

• Crater of Diamonds State Park is located in Pike County, Arkansas, United States.
• The park is situated in the Ouachita Mountains.
• It covers an area of 911 acres (369 hectares).
• The park is located near the town of Murfreesboro.
• The coordinates of the park are 34°1′59″N 93°40′13″W.
• Crater of Diamonds State Park became a state park in 1972.
• The park was previously owned by private owners in Dallas, Texas.
• Diamond mining attempts in the early 1900s were unsuccessful.
• The park's diamond field was formed through natural erosion and concentration of diamonds.
• Hydraulic mining was used in the early era (1907-1932) to extract diamonds.
• The park was purchased by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism in 1972.
• The property was previously owned by private owners, including General Earth Minerals (GEM) and GF Industries (GFI).
• The State of Arkansas acquired the volcanic formation and surrounding land for $750,000.
• The park continues to operate as a tourist attraction.

Diamond Discoveries

• Diamonds have been continuously discovered in the field since 1906.
• The largest diamond ever found in the United States, the Uncle Sam, was discovered in 1924 and weighs over 40 carats.
• The graded-perfect Strawn-Wagner Diamond, weighing 3.03 carats, was found in 1990.
• The park's plowed field, covering 37.5 acres, is accessible to the public for diamond digging.
• The east and west drains of the diamond field have been fruitful for recreational diamond diggers.

Ownership and Management

• Crater of Diamonds State Park is managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
• The park was purchased by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism in 1972.
• The property was previously owned by private owners, including General Earth Minerals (GEM) and GF Industries (GFI).
• The State of Arkansas acquired the volcanic formation and surrounding land for $750,000.
• The park continues to operate as a tourist attraction.

Significance and Attractions

• Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the few diamond-bearing sites accessible to the public.
• The park offers visitors the opportunity to search for diamonds and keep what they find.
• The park's diamond field is plowed regularly to expose new material for diamond digging.
• In addition to diamond digging, the park offers camping, hiking, and picnicking facilities.
• The park's location in the scenic Ouachita Mountains adds to its natural beauty.

Geology and Recreation

• The Crater of Diamonds is part of a 100-million-year-old eroded volcanic formation.
• The diamonds were brought to the surface by Kimberlite/Lamproite magma.
• The diamonds had crystallized in the cratonic root of the continent before being sampled by the magma.
• Roland Everett Langford proposed a gas phase reaction for diamond formation in his Ph.D. dissertation.
• Geologist Dennis Dunn found that the diamondiferous rocks range from olivine lamproite to phlogopite and olivine-rich tuffs.
• Visitors can hunt for diamonds and other semi-precious gems in the 37.5-acre plowed field.
• On average, two diamonds are found per day by park visitors.
• The park has a visitor center, gift shop, and cafe.
• The Diamond Discovery Center offers an interpretive look at prospecting for diamonds.
• The park also features the Diamond Springs aquatic playground, enclosed pavilion, trails, and picnic areas.

Crater of Diamonds State Park Data Sources