The first Arkansas state park, Petit Jean (pronounce it “Petty Jean” or the locals will know you’re from out of town) is located in Morrilton, about 40 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Arkansas designated it as a state park in 1961. What visitors find is a boardwalk above a beautiful swamp that guides them to a stone monument, which marks the beginning point of the survey.

David DeCook, a resident of Minnesota, recently discovered a stunning 3.81-carat brown diamond while exploring Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park with his family.

"The best outcomes come when everyone is doing what they can to prepare,” Arkansas State Parks' Assistant Chief of ...

A lucky little girl found a nice-sized diamond recently while visiting an Arkansas state park known for its diamond fields. On Sept. 1, 7-year-old Aspen Brown of Paragould, Arkansas, discovered a ...

A visitor at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park thought he saw a candy wrapper on the ground — but it was a 3.81 carat brown diamond, the park said.

Arkansas State Parks said the couple, who retired in 2011, spotted the “sparkling gem on top of the ground” and brought it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for identification.

Check out some of the most impressive discoveries made at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas over the last few years.

As part of First Day Hikes in Arkansas, 46 ranger-led, guided hikes take place in 36 Arkansas State Park locations on Jan. 1. The hike start times, terrain difficulty and distances vary.

A visitor to the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park left with a 2.3-carat diamond to commemorate the trip.

A visitor at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park thought he saw a candy wrapper on the ground — but it was a 3.81 carat brown diamond, the park said.

A visitor to the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park left with a 2.3-carat diamond to commemorate the trip.