We call ourselves The Natural State for the abundance of natural resources in Arkansas, and there are some spots so purty you could just look at them all day long.
We're also known for diamonds, and once in a while it's worth pointing out we have a place where people can dig for their own. Name another of these lesser states that can give you that.
Even the name, the Crater of Diamonds, sounds neat. If you visit, you can dig for diamonds and other precious stones. Should you be fortunate enough to find any, they're yours to keep!
Here are the official rules:
"Visitors to the park search a 37-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, for a variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones--and any rock or mineral you find is yours to keep. You may bring your own mining equipment to search with (no battery-operated or motor driven mining tools allowed), or rent tools from the park."
Apparently more than 33,000 diamonds have been found since the area became an official state park in 1972. That's a whole lot of engagement rings. Turns out, the largest diamond ever unearthed in the United States came from this park. It's called Uncle Sam and was 40.23 carats.
Just last week some lucky soul found a 1.52-carat diamond. Supposedly, that's the largest found so far this year.
There's lots of great things about Arkansas, but being able to dig for diamonds and keep what you find? Pretty sweet. Oh, and obviously the park offers some fantastic camping and hiking, too. That's a standard in this small, wonderfully green state.
Editorial on 04/09/2019