Crater of diamonds is calling me. Who wants to go?

[whitewave]

It is fall which means my trips to COD will begin soon.

The crater is in southwest arkansas, sort of in the "ark-la-tex", specifically in Mufreesboro, Arkansas.

The energy there is pure, clear and giving.

You will dig in the dirt and possibly slop for 8 hours a day, outside the entire time, rain or shine (not if there is lightning though).

Would anyone want to know more?

 

[WinkHPD]

If only I dared to take a week off this time of year. It would be a dream to actually find a crystal large enough to cut so I could treasure it as an uncut diamond.

Man, that would be sweet!

Wink

 

[whitewave]

If only I dared to take a week off this time of year. It would be a dream to actually find a crystal large enough to cut so I could treasure it as an uncut diamond.

Man, that would be sweet!

Wink

Their diamonds are so pretty uncut...

 

[daintyG]

I'm not far from COD, but I'm not really up for digging now that I'm in my third trimester. I've already taken off too much work already anyway. Hopefully you'll have a great time! As always, I look forward to hearing about your trip!

 

[whitewave]

I'm not far from COD, but I'm not really up for digging now that I'm in my third trimester. I've already taken off too much work already anyway. Hopefully you'll have a great time! As always, I look forward to hearing about your trip!

I figured you wouldn't be up for physical work. It's not going anywhere; I'll catch up with you one day.

 

[kgizo]

I'm interested. I've never been so what do I need to know? Any tools? Do they leave big diamonds out for first timers to find?
Is there a dog friendly hotel in the area in case I need to bring my girls?

 

[whitewave]

I'm interested. I've never been so what do I need to know? Any tools? Do they leave big diamonds out for first timers to find?
Is there a dog friendly hotel in the area in case I need to bring my girls?

The little shamrock hotel takes dogs. You can also bring them to the crater if they are on a leash (though I have seen well behaved dogs in close proximity to their owners off leash). There is also a private pet day care in the area if you want your dogs to go but not to the crater.

You can rent everything there.

 

[Luce]

This is on my bucket list along with mining for sapphires in Montana!!!

 

[whitewave]

This is on my bucket list along with mining for sapphires in Montana!!!

Me too about Montana!!

 

[kgizo]

The little shamrock hotel takes dogs. You can also bring them to the crater if they are on a leash (though I have seen well behaved dogs in close proximity to their owners off leash). There is also a private pet day care in the area if you want your dogs to go but not to the crater.

You can rent everything there.

Good to know! Hopefully they can stay behind with DH, but his work travel is very unpredictable. I have a few things listed on LT if you want to message me through that once you start to firm up your plans.
https://loupetroop.com/users/Kgizo

 

[whitewave]

Good to know! Hopefully they can stay behind with DH, but his work travel is very unpredictable. I have a few things listed on LT if you want to message me through that once you start to firm up your plans.
https://loupetroop.com/users/Kgizo

See if you got anything

 

[whitewave]

This call is for October-- 1st, 2nd and last weekends, though next weekend it still looks on the hot side with highs in the upper 80s.

ETA: the correct spelling of the city is: Murfreesboro, Arkansas

 

[metall]

This has been a bit of a bucket list item for me since I heard about it not too long ago....one day when i'm more financially stable maybe.

 

[Winks_Elf]

I'd go with you but this is a very busy time of the year for me. My sailor is coming home for a week's leave after his A school grad, and my MIL will be coming to visit at the end of the month.

Have a blast!!!

 

[Katie Homuth]

I have been bugging my husband to take me for awhile now! Let me know if something gets planned and maybe we can tag along!

 

[whitewave]

I have been bugging my husband to take me for awhile now! Let me know if something gets planned and maybe we can tag along!

Looks like the second weekend and last weekend in October are a go.

October 12/13/14 and October 27/28/29

I'm busy first two weekends in November.

 

[whitewave]

Oh, just to be clear, because this is "the internet", I bring ZERO jewelry with me to dig in the dirt. Seriously, no point.

ETA: my information is on Loupetroop. Same user name.

 

[whitewave]

For more information, there is a youtube user CURTIS BAISDEN who has some good videos on how to find a diamond.

Also, conditions are very dry right now. The weather seems to break next week to highs in the mid to upper 70s.

It is like a day at the beach... you bring chairs, buckets (at least 3 five gallon), I bring a tarp tent, some kind of ice chest/cooler, wagon, food and drinks, garden gloves, shovel, trowel etc. The only rule is you can't bring motorized things to dig with.

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

You can rent most things, but they do have deposits that you get back at the end of the day.

Admission is $10.00 a day to the park. If you get there for the last two hours the night before, the admission will cover those two hours plus the entire next day. You can bring home one five gallon bucket of processed gravel a day to go through.

The point of the trip is to process as much gravel as you can, so you look for the diamonds when you get home.

You can bring home as many cool rocks as you want for your garden, etc.

 

[caf]

I want to do this!!! Just don't know when.

 

[Gussie]

My family is going November 19-20, early in the week of Thanksgiving. So excited! I went as a kid and it was a lot of fun. I hope my kids think so...

 

[ccuheartnurse]

I envy you, I would LOVE to go! You just never know what will pop up on your tray. If I ever get to drive near it, I would absolutely stop!

 

[whitewave]

My family is going November 19-20, early in the week of Thanksgiving. So excited! I went as a kid and it was a lot of fun. I hope my kids think so...

I'm eyeing up around thanksgiving as well, but I
Haven't settled on a date yet.

 

[metall]

Too bad it's not like the Montana Sapphires where you could just have them send you a bucket o processed gravel making the trip to Arizona would take a bit of planning for me.

 

[whitewave]

Btw, I have tried using a beach cart, a gorilla cart and improvisation and this is by far the best way to carry stuff in the park when it is sloppy:



Oh, and FYI: there are rattlesnakes in this area. I have never seen one while at the crater. If you go and you are on the fringe by the boundaries, you may want to tap large rocks, etc... but I don't think they are a problem. I believe I read one person saw one sunning itself on a rock once. This is not a problem, but you should be aware of their presence in and around the wooded areas.

 

[whitewave]

I hope this video is allowed as it is a news story about cod:

 

[whitewave]

Esperanza was found near the pig pen.

Canary Hill has yellow diamonds and purple amethyst.

The east drain is where many find diamonds.

Prospector Trail has some large cool volcanic rocks...

 

[whitewave]

Look at this pretty little white registered yesterday:

I'm waiting for highs in the 70s and rain, but I may have to go during the drought...

 

[farrahlyn]

i want to go and do this SO BAD! It's not TERRIBLY far from me (what's 6hrs?!) and just the experience would be fun.

 

[whitewave]

i want to go and do this SO BAD! It's not TERRIBLY far from me (what's 6hrs?!) and just the experience would be fun.

I'm about 4 hours.... what's another 2 lol.

 

[whitewave]

East drain:

Canary Hill:

Healthy amount of people today at the wash station:


Other wash station:

Probably east drain:

East drain:
Someone I know went today-- I have not been at the crater when it was this dry. This is really really dry.

 

[WinkHPD]

Thank you for starting this thread Whitewave. I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of the digging area. I hope you get to go and that you find something. If nothing else, you have found many people who would like to be going with you.

You can count me in on that list that would like to go, but If I had enough time to take off and do the COD, I am pretty sure I would use it to visit the grand kids again. Just hard to get enough of them!

Wink