Crater of Diamonds State Park: Diamond & Amethyst Rockhounding in Pike County, Arkansas
- Minerals reported
- 5
- Elevation
- 410 ft
- Best months
- September to July
Crater of Diamonds is exceptional because visitors search the eroded surface of a diamond-bearing Prairie Creek lamproite and may keep diamonds and other minerals they find. Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Geological Survey both document the park's volcanic pipe, its 37-acre search field, and its companion minerals, including amethyst, garnet, jasper, and agate. Reported finds include diamond, amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Pay-to-dig site
- County
- Pike County
- State
- Arkansas
- Nearest road
- State Park Road
- Postcode
- 71958
- Coordinates
- 34.03298, -93.67009
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Pay-to-dig site
This is a fee-dig location. Hours, prices, and what you can keep vary by operator. Call ahead before driving out.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Best time to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to July. Typical highs run 90°F in midsummer and 51°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 28°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MURFREESBORO 1W station (4 mi away).
Geology at Crater of Diamonds State Park
This spot sits on Trinity Group, mapped as sandstone and marlstone that formed roughly 145 to 100 million years ago. Tough silica like agate, jasper, and chert typically weathers out of beds like these and collects as float in drainages and on deflation surfaces.
- Mapped unit
- Trinity Group
- Age
- 145–100 Ma (Early Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sandstone and marlstone
- Elevation
- 410 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Today's weather
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Get the appSources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
State guidance last verified:
- Ouachita National Forest, Mineral Collecting
- Crater of Diamonds State Park, Rules and finds
- Arkansas Geological Survey
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Crater of Diamonds State Park
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Crater of Diamonds State Park.
- Prairie CreekPike County, Arkansas · 1 mi awayAmethyst, Diopside, Epidote
- Lake Gleason (South Side)Pike County, Arkansas · 9 mi awayAntimony, Cinnabar
- Unnamed Location (Cinnabar)Pike County, Arkansas · 10 mi awayCinnabar
- Collier Creek MineMontgomery County, Arkansas · 30 mi awayQuartz
- Sweet Surrender Crystal MineMontgomery County, Arkansas · 32 mi awayQuartz, Calcite
- Avatar Crystal MineMontgomery County, Arkansas · 32 mi awayQuartz
- Twin Creek MineMontgomery County, Arkansas · 33 mi awayQuartz
- Wegner Crystal MinesMontgomery County, Arkansas · 33 mi away
Across the state line from Crater of Diamonds State Park
Crater of Diamonds State Park is close enough to the Arkansas border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
Crater of Diamonds State Park FAQ
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More rockhounding in Arkansas
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