Why Crater of Diamonds is the perfect quick getaway trip!
Over spring break we traveled to Crater of Diamonds in Murfreesboro, Arkansas! I booked this trip back in August 2023 when I saw all the kids wanted to do was dig at campsites. Beach? Dig. Huntsville State Park? Dig. Tyler State Park? You guessed it! Dig. We booked our trip and began researching the crater and the best practices for digging, as well as fun things to do! Check out our top 5 below!
Diamond digging, here we come!
1. The crater itself! Imagine that! Ha! So, to get into the crater you have to go through the gift shop and buy tickets, even if you are camping at the state park you still have to buy the entrance tickets. We packed 4 pairs of shoes per person for this trip because we knew it would be dirty and it was indeed! We didn’t get as dirty as most (we built our own sifters, brought buckets and shovels) so we didn’t have to run through the instrument cleaning station before returning rented items. That helped a LOT with the dirt. We took snacks, drinks and lots of wipes (and diapers!) inside the crater with us. We went around 11:30 AM as it closes at 4 PM and we didn’t want to mess with the big early morning crowds. Well, it’s always crowded.
Getting in touch with Native American history!
2. The Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village is a MUST! We didn’t know about the Indian village until we arrived and saw the large yellow signs throughout town. This was probably our family’s favorite place we visited while there. They have a small museum showing the history of the Cherokee Indians that once lived in that region. They have loads of artifacts from the digs that have been done there, as well we burial mounds they have excavated (real bones replaced by artificial bones).
Stepping back in time!
3. When driving to Crater of Diamonds you go through Murfreesboro, Arkansas- a quaint little town with a cute little square that takes you back in time. One of the stores has a pastry counter and ice cream counter, as well as outdoor seating. The stores had that southern feel with original ceiling tiles and hardwoods floors making them so cozy!
Dig in!
4. Dino Dig is a gem. No pun intended! We plan to go back in the summertime- there is a huge waterpark at the crater, but I don’t care to dig in 100° heat. This is where Dino Dig comes in! Dino Dig has a large room where you can dig in the comfort of the AC. Making a summer trip more bearable and not so sweaty.
A place to lay your head.
5. Our favorite part about our visit might be the campgrounds at Crater of Diamonds State Park. This campground is truly set up for the family. The pads are well-kept; each space also has an area for a tent, which we used for our children’s play tent; the playground is centralized, and there is a trail down to the Little Missouri River. The trail down to the river is paved for .6 mile, allowing kids to ride scooters on it! We walked the .4 mile unpaved part that looped back and pulled a wagon with our son in it- the terrain wasn’t terribly rough on the unpaved portion. There were 2 bridges on the unpaved part, too! Our children loved this trail. BUT check for ticks and wear repellant spray with deet. There was a small creek running behind our site so of course we went down the hill for the kids to play in it! We bought some little boats at the local dollar store for the kids to race in the creek, too!
Booking…
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