The Best Time of Year to Visit Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park has always attracted 100s of thousands of visitors yearly. Residents of Arkansas are lucky enough to have this state park just a short distance away. So now it’s not a question of if you’re going to visit, but when. We’ll cover the best time of year to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park later in this article; let’s get a brief overview of the park first. Crater of Diamonds is a short 2-hour drive from Little Rock, the state capital of Arkansas, 1 hour from Hot Spring National Park, and 4 hours from Dallas , the 3rd largest city in Texas. Specifically, Crater of Diamonds is located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

What Crater of Diamonds is Known For

The park is famously known as the only park in the world where you can dig for diamonds and keep what you find. Visitors of this park find over 600 diamonds each year, confirming that this place is legit. Some diamonds might be at the surface while others are buried deep below the ground, it all depends on when you visit. Your highest chances of finding diamonds are after a rain storm, as rain washes away some soil exposing previously undiscovered gems. There are several other ways to increase your odds of finding diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park, which I made a dedicated blog post on.

Most of the diamonds found in the park are small and hold little value, but are still cool findings. Occasionally, a larger diamond is found with some being worth in the thousands. Even if you don’t strike big on a diamond, you can find other cool and valuable rocks including quartz, jasper, and 40 others. If you believe you have struck gold, you can take your findings to the discovery center for identification and diamond certification.

Best Month to Dig For Diamonds in Arkansas

Arkansas is home to Crater of Diamonds State Park, the only site on earth where you can keep the diamonds you find. The best month to dig for diamonds in Arkansas has to be either the spring or early fall months. The most ideal time to visit is a couple days after it rains, as previously hidden diamonds float to the surface, giving you a much higher chance of finding one.

Many say that it doesn’t matter the time of year, but I would have to disagree. If you want to find diamonds, I would suggest avoiding the summer months as rain is low and crowds are high, meaning the supply is low and the demand is high. Winter could prove beneficial, as crowds are the lowest then meaning you aren’t competing with as many people but the drawback is that it rains less and it’s cold, making the experience not as fun. There’s several other factors when it comes to finding diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park, but let’s turn our attention to the overall best time of year to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park.

When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Crater of Diamonds State Park?

With Crater of Diamonds being open year-round, you can visit at any time of the year. Even though there’s no wrong time of year to visit, I definitely have my preferences. If I had to choose the best time of year to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park, I would pick Spring and Fall due to the beautiful weather, moderate crowds, and higher chances of finding diamonds. We’ll go more into depth on this as we will cover weather, crowds, and events.

Temperature

As most know, Crater of Diamonds is in southwest Arkansas, so summers here can get particularly hot. It’s extremely common to get days above 90°F in the warmer months, especially around midday. That’s why having Diamond Springs Water Park is really beneficial to cool down on those hot summer days. Winters get pretty cold as I mention later on, you’ll definitely need to wear some warm clothes and pick a warmer day. Let’s look at the average temperatures for each month down below.

This could be a deciding factor in your trip as you might have an ideal temperature for your visit. My opinion is that spring and fall are the best times to visit as summers are too hot, and winters are too cold. No matter the temperature, rain would be unideal and might ruin the day, especially if you’re camping, so keep reading to see the most and least rainy months.

Rain

Rain is another important factor that can negatively impact your trip. Winters in Crater of Diamonds State Park can often see temperatures below freezing, meaning that snow in the winter is possible. Snow is usually pretty moderate with just a light dusting. However, in February 2021, the park received over 10 inches of snow.

The park receives the most rain during the spring time, but it’s still not exceptional much. Crater of Diamonds gets a rather average amount of rain, somewhere between Olympic National Park and Big Bend National Park. Rain isn’t necessarily a bad thing as your chances of finding diamonds are the highest after a rain storm, so keep that in mind. I will provide a breakdown of the average monthly precipitation levels, just as I did with temperature.

Both these graphs send a pretty consistent message; May is the park’s rainiest month, while September is the park’s driest month. Even though May is the park’s rainiest month, 3 inches is not too much, and the temperature is pretty good, so May might not be a bad pick.

Crowd

Generally, the park isn’t too crowded so it shouldn’t be a worry. Summer is the most popular time of year for the park as schools get a break and the waterpark is open. Winter, especially January and February, is relatively empty for the park as it’s too cold to do much. Spring and fall is basically the perfect time. Not too hot, not too cold. Not too crowded, not too empty, basically the best time!

Events

Events are held at this park almost every weekend, so no season is the wrong season. Whenever you plan to go, check the Arkansas State Parks website to see what events are available at your time. Some events include tree spotting, campfires, diamond tours, and, my favorite, hiking. This park has it all, so no matter the time of year, check which events are available.

Summary

I hope this guide helped you in deciding the best time of year to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park. I know your trip here will be fun, so get out there and explore! To answer the question of when is the best time of year to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park, I would say spring. The temperatures are nice, events are in full swing, and it’s not crowded or empty. Don’t let this stop you from going in the other seasons, as there is always something to do. I would love to hear about your experience of Crater of Diamonds below and if you recommend it.