DIG YOUR OWN CRYSTALS AT THESE LOCATIONS
PUBLIC CRYSTAL MINES IN ARKANSAS
Avant Mining is the largest quartz crystal mining company in the world. They hold leases to several different areas in Western Arkansas. Their mine portfolio also includes other mineral-producing localities such as claims for Wavellite and Turquoise.
They grant access to several of their mine sites and offer a year-round public digging location as well as private pocket digs.
Their public mine is located in Montgomery County near Mount Ida. It is called the Garfield Lewis claim, but it is better known as Fisher Mountain. This mine is famous for being a very prolific and productive location for quartz crystal. During its rich history of decades of mining, this locality has produced specimens that are on display in museums such as the Smithsonian.
At the public section of this mine you get to dig for your own crystals for the whole day for a fee of around $25. When you dig in the public section of the mine, you can keep everything you find and take home as much material as you like. There are mostly tailings pile areas to sift through as well as some smaller hard rock wall sections for locating a seam of crystals on your own. For general admission to the public mine, you need to sign up at the gift shop before driving to the mine.
They also offer private pocket digs that start at $1000 in the commercial section of the mine site. For digging a pocket, you need to make reservations in advance by calling the gift shop.
When you go on a private pocket dig, they have unique rules that regulate how much crystals you will get for the fee you pay. On their website, it states that the amount you pay for your dig, will be the amount of quartz in wholesale value you can expect to receive. There will be a guide on site during the dig, helping you extract crystals and evaluating the finds. Once you have reached the set value, the dig concludes. Sometimes, the finds are washed at the gift shop to assure everyone’s satisfaction.
Please refer to their website for more detailed information.
The road to the mining area is in good condition and any vehicle can make it up to the digging site. You can park right by the mining area and bring your own tools and gear.
AVANT MINING
AVATAR CRYSTAL MINE
Avatar Crystal Mine is a rock-hounding mine in a primitive setting located in Montgomery County near Mount Ida. This mine site has been in operation under different names for many years and the current owners offer a peaceful, family-oriented and pet-friendly mining experience. They are open seasonally from the beginning of March till the end of November, weather permitting. They are open Friday through Monday 9 AM till 4 PM.
There is a porta-potty on site and no other amenities.
This mine offers a more rootsy experience. The owners, Joe and Bee are wonderful, kind people and love to share their space with visitors.
This mine gets worked by machine occasionally, but it is not commercially active. The crystal-bearing dirt will get reworked and flipped regularly to reveal new crystals. It is a rock-hounding site with several areas of tailings material. There are also sections where you may be able to locate a crystal-bearing seam in a hard-rock wall or where you may find a pocket in degraded sandstone formations by digging down. Good areas to check would be along the borders of the mine by virgin rock formations and around sections of smaller trees.
The crystals are of good quality, and this mind sometimes produces light smoky quartz.
Visiting this mine after a heavy rain is especially beneficial for surface collecting.
Access to the site is via a dirt road off Owley Road. Road conditions vary depending on weather circumstances. The owners do maintain the road regularly and generally cars of any type should be able to make it.
BOARD CAMP MINE
Board Camp Mine is a primitive, undeveloped crystal digging location near Mena, Polk County in Arkansas. This site has not been developed commercially and no heavy equipment has been used here. There are no tailings piles. All attendees to this mine will use hand tools to explore digging in virgin ground or visitors can simply surface collect for quartz.
This location is mostly known for the claim of unexplained phenomena happening here. It gained fame through the Discovery Channel series “Expedition Unknown: Hunt for Extraterrestrials” that aired on television in 2017. Besides searching for crystals, visitors can also attend a guided tour to potentially experience this claim themselves.
This mine is not recommended for more serious crystal miners, as it has never been commercially mined and is not known for producing high-quality specimens. It is a great location for a more unique and low-impact rockhounding experience.
CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is located in Murfreesboro in Pike County, Arkansas. Although you can find small clear quartz here, this locality is world-renowned as the only diamond-producing site that is open to the public. Here visitors can search for actual diamonds (not quartz) in their original volcanic source and keep any diamonds they find.
The Crater of Diamonds is a unique rockhounding experience that attracts people from all over the world to look for their own diamonds. Visitors to the park search a 37-acre field located on an eroded surface of a volcanic crater. Besides diamonds, a variety of other rocks, minerals, and gemstones can be found such as jasper, amethyst, quartz, garnet, spinel, barite and more. You may bring your own mining equipment to search with or rent tools from the park or other local outfitters. A shovel, bucket, screen set and a saruca are essential for a successful mining experience unless you plan to collect on the surface only. There are several washing stations on site for processing the diamond-bearing lamporite clay. Dedicated and experienced diamond miners will seek out a specific layer of gravel, load buckets of that material and sift this gravel through several sizes of screens. Once classified, the smallest-sized material is centered through the use of a saruca pan and then flipped on a flat surface. Diamonds are the densest stone found here, so the heavy weight will result in the diamond being in the very center of the flip - if you were lucky enough to have a diamond in the batch. The concentrated material from these centers are generally taken home by miners to dry out and inspect carefully for small diamonds.
More than 35,000 diamonds have been found by park visitors since the Crater of Diamonds became a state park. Notable diamonds found at the Crater include the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam (the largest diamond ever unearthed in the U.S.); the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight; the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas; and the 8.52-carat Esperanza.
The first diamond was found here in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned a portion of the diamond-bearing crater at that time. In 1972, the State of Arkansas purchased the Crater of Diamonds for development as a state park. It is one of the most-visited destinations in the state of Arkansas.
The diamond search area is plowed periodically which helps to loosen the surface soil and promote diamond finds. Plowing is unscheduled and not a necessity for a successful dig.
Entry fee into the park is $15 per day. The park is open 7 days a week, year-round.
Access is easy and well marked on fully paved roads. There is a visitor center and gift shop as well as camping on site.
Image credit Arkansas State Parks
CRYSTAL SEEN MINE
This rockhounding site offers crystal mining in a primitive setting. There are no facilities or mine supervisors so be considerate of safety protocols and embrace a leave-no-trace mindset.
This mine offers areas of virgin ground that you can explore and find good quality crystals. This location has not been actively mined or maintained with machinery for many years, so be prepared to do your own prospecting which includes physical labor. Make sure to bring appropriate tools, such as a pickaxe and a heavy-duty crowbar to get down into the ground.
Before heading to the actual mine, you need to sign up at the Crystal Seen gift shop on Highway 270. Parking for the mine is at the bottom of the hill and you will still have to hike into the actual collecting site unless road conditions and your vehicle will allow for a drive closer to the collecting area.
CRYSTAL VISTA RECREATION AREA
The Crystal Vista Trail is an area maintained by the US Forest Service. This is a free rockhounding site and with some effort visitors can find excellent specimens of clear and included quartz crystal.
It is located in Montgomery County near Mount Ida, Arkansas. Access is off of Owley Road. The road is mostly paved except for the last portion of the drive, which turns into a well maintained dirt road. You will find the parking lot with clear signage and this is where the hike starts. The trail is approximately one mile long and leads to a former commercial crystal mine atop of Gardner Mountain. The collecting area of this partially reclaimed mine is approximately four acres in size. Smaller quartz crystals can easily be collected from the ground surface in this area by minimal digging. More experienced miners can develop a more substantial dig and recover well preserved single crystals and clusters.
The hike to the rockhound area is steep and strenuous. Make sure to wear sturdy footwear and bring plenty of water and a backpack to carry your tools and finds. You have to be physically fit and able-bodied to accomplish this hike. The trail starts at the base of the mountain at an elevation of 900 feet and continues a constant uphill to a final elevation of over 1200 feet. One way of this hike takes about 25 minutes.
Once you arrive at the top of the mountain ridge, there are several possibilities of collecting clear crystals. This area is also known for included quartz. Sometimes the black/grey/blueish mineral inclusions will form in the shape of a phantom crystal. These are the highly coveted “blue phantoms” that make this rockhounding site a must-visit for any crystal collector.
All the crystals you find here are for personal use only and mining for resale is not allowed from this location.
This is a primitive site with no amenities or restrooms. Please leave no trash and make sure to follow appropriate protocol regarding waste management etc. Always consider your safety first when exploring these unsupervised locations. No crystal is worth risking injury or life for.
FLASH MOUNTAIN CRYSTAL MINE
Flash Mountain Crystal Mine is a fairly new mine that offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to recover your own rare solution quartz crystal. They are open by appointment and bookings are managed through their website.
The property is privately owned and located in North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Located right beside the renowned Jeffery Stone Quarry, this location shares very similar features to this famous quarry.
The Jeffery Stone Quarry was the site of the original discovery of solution quartz in 1959, attracting geologists and hobby collectors for study and mining of this unique form of clear quartz. It was especially famous for being the only known location for an abundance of needle-like quartz (elongated, double-terminated, thin crystals) and substantial amounts of rectorite clay. During the initial study of this area, it was the only known locality for the mineral Cookite in the state. Many other minerals (pyrite, galena, sphalerite, limonite etc) were found here in addition to the spectacular quartz which made this quarry a haven for geological studies.
Solution quartz is characterized by many unusual features. They are often flattened, elongated and sometimes bent in shape. They are generally exceptionally clear and either doubly-terminated or multiply-terminated. This sometimes appears as a broken end but upon further inspection, it is revealed to be many terminations. When found in a cluster, these crystals form open, interlocked haystack-like arrangements of delicate specimens.
The original site was accessible for a 15-year period between the 1950s to the late 1970s before the quarry flooded. The Jeffery Stone Quarry site is now closed and inaccessible.
Thanks to the owners of Flash Mountain Crystals, visitors now have the opportunity to collect these special crystals again. The digging area is tucked in the woods atop of the mountain ridge and offers primitive digging in virgin soil as well as some open veins. This is not your typical Arkansas mine that has been commercially developed. Although the owners do work the land with machinery to make these crystals more accessible, the general idea is a more laid-back vibe and a hand-digging approach.
Groups of visitors are limited to a maximum of eight people and you will be accompanied by a personal guide who will share tips, techniques and time with you.
You get to keep whatever you find and this mine is a must-visit if you are interested in unique crystals and if you are a collector of the unusual types of quartz.
Image credit Flash Mountain Crystal Mine
JIM COLEMAN MINE
This location is commonly known as Miller Mountain Mine and it is located near Jessieville in Garland County, Arkansas.
Digging here is in tailings piles only at a very affordable rate. They are open seven days a week 8 AM till 5 PM. You will find clear quartz single points and clusters and additionally there is also an abundance of larger landscaping rocks. You can take out as much as you like and dig all day for a fee of $10.
The Coleman’s do operate a commercial open pit mine at this location as well. This is where they source the material to replenish the public site with. In the last few years, the active mining operations have become very sporadic and thus the tailings piles don’t get restocked as much anymore. Nonetheless, they do still refresh the public area but maybe just a handful of times throughout the year. Calling the mine ahead of time to inquire about the current status of newly brought up material can be helpful.
Access to the mine is via a dirt road off Highway 298. The gravel road is generally well-maintained and accessible to any vehicle. If there has been long periods of heavy rain or ice and snow parts of this road do get difficult to maneuver subsequently resulting in limited access to the mine during those times. I would not recommend accessing this mine in large RVs due to limited space and steep roads. Parking is right next to the digging area which makes for extremely easy access and convenient load-in.
You will need to bring your own tools for digging in loose dirt. Recommended gear includes hand-held shovels, rakes, trowels as well as buckets and gloves. There is a restroom at the mine. Current status of the gift shop at the mine is unknown so do bring your own snacks and water. This is a great location to visit after a heavy rain as it reveals specimens along the surface of the dirt.
PINE RIDGE CRYSTAL MINE
Pine Ridge Crystal Mine is a brand-new mine that recently opened in 2023. It is located near Oden in Montgomery County, Arkansas.
This mine offers privately guided crystal digs in small groups. Visitors will have access to fresh tailings piles or can book a pocket dig in virgin crystal pockets. The mine is still being developed, and future offerings will expand. At this time, they are open by appointment only.
RON COLEMAN MINE
This is one of the largest and oldest mines in the area. This famous mine is located near Hot Springs Village in Garland County, Arkansas and the drive to their visitor center is fully paved and can be accessed by any type of vehicle.
Once you sign up at their gift shop, you will have access to their tailings piles for the day. Cost is $25 per person. They open at 8 am till 4:30 pm.
You can drive your vehicle right up to the bottom of the digging area. Tools to bring include a (hand-held) shovel, rake, trowel, small spade, buckets and paper to wrap your best finds. Bringing a cart or wheelbarrow is a smart idea if you want to take home larger boulders or end up with full and heavy buckets. The fresh material is dumped atop of the digging area, which is within a short distance of the parking area but a dolly or cart makes the load-out much easier.
This mine is in full operation and is commercially mined almost daily. You can see the large open pit mine from their warehouse but you do not have access to that area (they offer tours through the pit during the main season). The crew of miners bring truckloads of fresh tailings material up to the public digging area regularly. You can check their website or call to inquire about when the most recent fresh material has been dropped.
This mine is known for larger sized crystals and some of the recovered specimens from their commercial mine are truly impressive. People regularly find substantial crystal points and clusters in the tailings piles. Some of the large points found can weigh several pounds.
Due to the nature of processing and transporting the material from the mine to the public digging area, a large percentage of crystals will have damaged sides or tips. But there are also perfect crystals, especially smaller points or clusters that have had a layer of clay protecting the tips.
This is a great location to visit after a heavy rain as it reveals specimens along the surface of the dirt.
This is a must-visit location for any rockhound and it is especially suitable for first-time miners, families and children.
Chiseling or hammering is not allowed here but they can load larger boulders into your vehicle for a fee. So if you find a large rock with crystals on it, you still have the option of taking it with you.
SWEET SURRENDER CRYSTAL MINE
The Sweet Surrender Crystal Mine is located near Story in Montgomery County, Arkansas. This rockhounding location offers tailings piles, as well as access to some sections of hard rock mining. Occasionally this mine is still worked for commercial purposes, which results in refreshed areas for the public to dig through. Generally, for the most part of the year, there’s limited activity of commercial mining and most of the digging is in older material.
This mine is unique because the quartz deposits are located in a shale matrix instead of a sandstone deposit.
The crystals found here exhibit a heavy coating of iron- oxides and other minerals, which sometimes makes them hard to see and definitely harder to clean once retrieved from the ground. The heavy surface mineral deposits also make for some really unique specimens though like quartz covered in iridescent hematite for example.
Access to the mine is easy and doable for any vehicle. You will turn off Highway 27 N and follow signage. The price is $30 per day and you need to get in touch with the owners before actually driving to the mine. They will provide instructions for entry and information on current digging conditions.
This mine is of particular interest to the more experienced rockhound as well as to people that enjoy unique geological features. It is not the best location for beginners or children, nonetheless the large majority of visitors at any skill level will have a great time.
TWIN CREEK CRYSTAL MINE
Twin Creek Crystal Mine is one of the most popular mining locations in Montgomery County. This large mine is actively excavating and extracting crystals on an almost daily schedule. Visitors can choose from different options to dig their own crystals at this open pit mine.
There are large areas of tailings material that are accessible for a fee of $25 per day. Crystals are plentiful and easily recovered by digging through the loose dirt. Tools needed include a handheld shovel or rake, small spade, pickaxe and a container to put your crystals in as well as gloves. In this large public tailings section of the mine, if conditions permit there is generally access to some smaller rock walls for finding your own small crystal vein which can potentially lead to extracting some crystals straight out of the pocket.
Twin Creek Mine also offers private pocket digs that start at $300 and pays for admittance for two people for the day (Additional people in the group will be charged $25 each). There are several other tiers of pocket digs at $500, $750, $1000 and up. The mine owner Bob Fecho will prepare a zone of the mine according to the budget that has been established. You will have private access to this area for the whole day and you can take out as much crystals, rocks and dirt as you like at no additional cost. Bobby is a wonderful mine owner and will generally check on you a couple times throughout the day and may be able to give some tips for a better digging experience. Each pocket is always worth it but as to be expected with mining in a natural location, some spots turn out better and more productive than others but you will always get your money's worth. Reservations are required for any private pocket digs and need to be made in advance by calling the mine.
For digging a pocket you need to come prepared. Bring heavy-duty equipment such as a 5-pound sledgehammer, chisels, a crowbar or digging bar, screwdrivers or deer antlers, plenty of newspaper, multiple pairs of gloves, and several buckets for your finds. Hard-rock mining requires intense physical labor and pocket digs are not recommended for small children or elderly folks.
Besides the public tailings area and the private pocket digs, you can also experience a dig in the commercial section of the mine priced at $100 per person. This grants you access to very fresh tailings of better quality in general. Hard-rock mining is not included in this option.
Access to the mine is via an unpaved National Forest access road. Look for the signs to turn onto the dirt road that leads you to the actual mine. Road conditions are good to allow access for most vehicles. If there has been ample amounts of rain or inclement weather, some spots in the road could be more challenging to navigate, but generally these roads are maintained regularly and easily passable.
This mine is a must-visit spot during your rockhounding journey in Arkansas.
WEGNER CRYSTAL MINES
Wegner’s operates two locations that are open to the public for dig-your-own crystals: the Crystal Forest Mine and the Phantom Mine.
A visit to either mine requires visitors to sign up at their gift shop for one of the scheduled time slots. You will not be able to drive your own vehicle to the mine, instead they are set up to provide transportation to each of their locations in large open safari-style vehicles. This is an enjoyable experience especially for kids. If you have toddlers or physical ailments, make sure to request a seat in the cabin of the truck. The ride can be quite bumpy but this is not an issue when riding in the cabin or sitting next to the driver.
To dig at Wegner’s, you must sign in at their warehouse. The warehouse is located on Owley Road, approximately 4 miles south of Mount Ida. The drive there is fully paved and accessible to any small or large vehicles including RVs and buses. There is ample parking to accommodate large crowds. This is a popular destination so it is recommended to arrive early.
The Crystal Forest Mine is available without reservations and only a short 10-minute ride from the warehouse. You can sign up for a two hour, four hour or six hour digging time. Trips leave every day at 9:30 am, 11:30 am, and 1:30 pm during regular business hours. If there are large crowds, they will schedule additional trips to accommodate serving all visitors.
This mine is great for both the novice rockhound and also more experienced miners. In addition, they cater well to families with children and elders. Most of the trucks can also accommodate people with disabilities and load a wheelchair for example. The staff is very friendly and motivated to provide a great experience.
There are plenty of surface collecting opportunities for small points as well as easy digging in loose dirt. Additionally, more experienced miners can access virgin areas in the wooded parts or sections of the rock walls for hard rock mining.
This is considered a rockhounding mine that is mined actively on occasion throughout the year. They do flip all the material throughout the exposed digging areas to reveal new crystals. They also refresh the mine by making newly excavated crystal-bearing dirt available to mine attendees on a regular basis.
You want to bring your own tools but they also have some basic equipment for sale on site.
If you plan to dig through old and (when available) fresh mine tailings, tools to bring include trowels, small rakes, small shovels, gloves and a bucket. If you plan to try your luck at hard rock mining, make sure to bring a smaller sledge hammer, chisels, a crowbar/digging bar, a screwdriver and bucket. You also want to bring some newspaper to wrap your better finds.
This mine produces an abundance of clear small points that are easily found on the surface without any digging. With some effort, you can also find larger points that average around 2 inch to 3 inch in length. Most clusters here will have a sandstone base so turning over and inspecting larger rocks of sandstone can be worth the effort. You can also find clusters with no host rock and those are usually delicate, gemmy glass-back specimens.
You pay for two hours of mine access at $20 per person, so if you want to stay six hours, make sure to be there in time for the first scheduled trip. You can evaluate how your dig is going once you are at the mine and stay for a second and third trip, and pay the remaining balance when you return to their warehouse (you will have to leave a deposit).
You get to keep all you find and you can take home as much as you like.
This mine is called The Crystal Forest because it offers a mixture of open areas and wooded sections. It is a 15 acre site with approximately 3 to 5 acres of cleared space that is easily accessible for digging.
This is a must-visit location. The crystals are of high quality and you are guaranteed to find crystals here (there are hundreds of small crystals in the road as soon as you exit the tour truck).
Their second mine that is open to the public is the famous Phantom Mine. This Crystal Mine is located approximately 30 minutes from their warehouse. Cost per person is $40 for a four hour stay at the mine.
Transportation is provided and you will need to make a reservation by calling the mine at least a couple weeks ahead of time. They will require you to pay a non-refundable deposit to guarantee your spot. Trips are scheduled in advance and require a minimum number of people, which is a group of 10.
This location strictly offers digging in tailings piles from material that was sourced out of the commercial pit. The tailings piles are located all around the commercial section of the mine in an area of approximately two cleared acres.
You get to dig for four hours and keep all you find. Besides regular clear quartz, you can also find rare included crystals here. These range from simple included crystals to fully formed phantom inclusions (these inner inclusions resemble the actual shape of the crystal).
For a successful dig at the Phantom Mine, you want to bring a bucket, hand-held rakes, shovels, small pickaxe and possibly a hammer and chisel to trim down large boulders for transport. You can take out as much material as you like.
Going to either of the two mines, you will have a driver and tour guide that can share digging tips and point you towards good areas that are currently producing well.
WILLIE RICKARD ROCK FARM
The Willie Rickard Rock Farm is a 200 acres privately owned property near Paron in Saline County, Arkansas.
This location allows visitors to dig in open veins and in areas of untouched crystal-bearing dirt/rock. This primitive digging site has recently opened to the public and reservations are required to dig there.
Crystals recovered here can reach substantial, large sizes as single points or clusters.
