Most Arkansans know about the amazing one-of-a-kind diamond mine at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, but did you know there are places right here at home where you can dig for quartz crystals? Arkansas has a number of quartz mines that are open to the public for a fee. At those mines you’ll have hours of fun playing in the dirt, AND you’ll get to keep what you find.
The Ouachita Mountain Range is home to some of the clearest, most incredible quartz crystals in the world. The area around the town of Mount Ida is especially renowned for its crystals—that’s why it has been dubbed the Quartz Crystal Capital of the World. So go forth and explore the quartz mines in the Ouachitas. Perhaps you’ll even come home with an incredible example of Arkansas’s state mineral that you pulled from the earth with your very own hands.
Arkansas quartz is some pretty amazing looking stuff.
Flickr/Orbital Joe
Though when you first pull it out of the ground it will look more like this:
Flickr/James St. John
Or even like this:
Facebook/Wegner Crystal Mine
It shines up beautifully.
Flickr/sulla55
Arkansas’s quartz mines are incredibly beautiful pieces of land, full of ancient geological wonders.
Flickr/James St. John
Mining for quartz is a super fun activity for the whole family.
Facebook/Wegner Crystal Mines
Whether you’re an expert…
Youtube/Mineral Explorers
…or a novice…
Facebook/Wegner Crystal Mines
…there’s nothing quite like showing off what you find.
Flickr/Orbital Joe
Check out this cool video about Wegner Crystal Mines in Mount Ida:
Flickr/Orbital Joe
Flickr/James St. John
Facebook/Wegner Crystal Mine
Flickr/sulla55
Flickr/James St. John
Facebook/Wegner Crystal Mines
Youtube/Mineral Explorers
If you’re looking for epic outdoor adventures anyone can do, this article was written just for you.
If you’re thinking about other amazing things you can do in the Ouachitas, this is the article you want.
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