Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro

While the allure is to get rich quick, your chances of finding anything other than sweat and a fun time are pretty low. That said, the cost to enter and dig ($10) was reasonable as was the cost to rent the tools ($15 for the full bundle but you can rent a la carte as well - note that a higher deposit is required but then returned). Getting there early is a must to secure a spot at the water trough. Since there is almost no shade anywhere except the pavilions, bring a hat at the very least and a lot of drinking water. Heatstroke can creep up on you very easily because your hands feel cool when they are in the water.

Campground is a little pricey at $42 a night but we still had a great time. Shower house was some of the best I’ve seen and there’s nice walking trail to the river nearby. And of course the thrill of the hunt for diamonds! We would stay again

A unique park, to say the least. We spent three hours here, mainly digging in the dirt. We found several gemstones and many neat rocks. There's a nice gift shop with very polite employees. You can purchase basic digging supplies (bucket, bag, spade/scoop). There are restrooms here. A splash pad/water area. Trails. A restaurant that was closed by the time we got there. Picnic tables and shaded areas outside the crater. Plenty of parking. It was a tad disappointing that they close down at 4:00 p.m. We had a long drive, and got there later than expected. We would have liked to stay another few hours, but we're pretty happy with what we found in our time there. Well worth visiting! We'll go back again (hopefully much earlier in the day) next time we're in the area. There are several Pokestops and gyms here.

We had a good time. We stayed for about 3 hours which was long enough with 8 kids in 93 degree weather. We did not find any diamonds but we did find other minerals and crystals. Word of advice: pick a cool day. It was 93 degrees in the middle of September when we went.

The park is a unique and fun experience. Treasure hunting!!! Lol, as a kid I was always a fan of Indiana Jones and wanted to someday do a little treasure hunting myself. Park admission is inexpensive, the gift shop has reasonable prices (I was kind of expecting "airport prices") and has a variety of snacks and souvenirs. All of the staff I encountered were very friendly and helpful. And all of the other tourists and treasure hunters I came across were also friendly and willing to share stories and advice for newcomers like me. I definitely recommend going when the temperature is not going to he above 80 because digging and sifting is hot work! Fun for all ages.