Family travels: Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro makes for a memorable family getaway—where you can dig for diamonds, go fishing and camping and uncover a lesser-known but fascinating area of The Natural State.
Start with a stop at Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas’ 27th state park and the only public diamond mine in the country. Here, visitors try their luck in a 37-acre plowed field where real diamonds are found regularly. Big finds have made headlines around the world.
Visitors can keep whatever they find!
While here, you can explore the fascinating geology of the park, which sits above an eroded volcanic pipe. You'll also find stories woven into the landscape—starting with the discovery of diamonds in the early 1900s. Interpretive displays around the park share this history, beginning with John Wesley Huddleston, who found the first diamonds on his 160-acre farm in 1906.
His neighbor, Millard Mauney, also owned diamond-bearing land. As you drive toward Crater of Diamonds State Park, keep an eye out for the two-story log cabin known as the old Mauney House. Another historic marker, located on the southern edge of the diamond field, marks the very spot where Huddleston uncovered the first gem that would change the area’s story forever.
Speaking of diamonds, three characteristics set those found at Crater of Diamonds State Park apart: they’re naturally shiny, have a rounded shape, and are translucent—you can see into them, but not all the way through. If you think you’ve found one, bring it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for verification.
The Crater of Diamonds website also offers a helpful “Digging for Diamonds” section to get you ready for your visit. You’ll find videos demonstrating search techniques, suggestions on what to bring and wear, and valuable tips from a Crater of Diamonds State Park interpreter.
Along with diamonds, other rocks and minerals found in the field include quartz, jasper, mica and more. The park also has hiking trails, including the 1.2-mile Prospector’s Trail and the 1.2-mile Little Missouri River Trail, half of which is paved and known as the longest wheelchair-accessible trail in southwest Arkansas. As if diamonds weren't enough, the park has camping and RV options, a seasonal water park, interpretive programs, an informative visitor center and more.
While at the park you can also learn about the people who have found landmark finds—including Shirley Strawn, from Murfreesboro, who found the famous Strawn-Wagner diamond in 1990.
It went on to receive a perfect grade rating of “Triple Zero” the highest rating a diamond can achieve by the American Gem Society.
You’ll find other stories, too—like that of James Archer from Nashville, Arkansas, a longtime park regular and mentor to Shirley Strawn. He dug at Crater of Diamonds for more than 30 years. After retiring, he was at the park every day except Sunday and, over time, found more than 5,000 diamonds.
He is well remembered for his cheerful nature and willingness to help teach others the ins and outs of diamond hunting.
Crater of Diamonds State Park is located at 209 State Park Road. You can also pick up a free Arkansas State Parks passport at the park’s visitor center and start tracking your travels across the state. Each time you visit one of Arkansas’ 52 state parks, you can get your booklet stamped—a simple way to mark the memory of each stop along the way.
After the family has had their fill of digging, head downtown to Murfreesboro’s Courthouse Square for a bite to eat. One local favorite is Hawkins Variety Store, an old-fashioned shop housed in a historic 1909 drugstore. In business since the early 1940s, it’s a fun family stop where you’ll find sandwiches, coffee, ice cream and more.
The Pike Country Courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and built in an Art Deco style, isn also downtown.
Yellow signs point the way to the Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village and museum from downtown. This site shares the story of the Kadohadacho and was discovered by an amateur archeologist in the early 1960s. The site has a field where you can dig for arrowheads and a small museum that tells more about the Kadohadacho.
Boating, fishing and camping are popular in the area. Nearby 7,260-acre Lake Greeson is known for fishing, boating, scuba diving and water sports, making it a destination in itself. Recreation areas are located around the lake and there is also an ATV trail called the Bear Creek Cycle Trail. Daisy State Park is located on its north shore. The Little Missouri is also known for its bass and trout fishing.
