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ARKANSAS TREASURES Crater of Diamonds and Mount Magazine, each with group appeal, are two of the brightest gems in the state park system
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of those travel destinations that, when you hear about it, you want to go there some day. You want to try your luck searching for diamonds at the only diamond-bearing site in the world open to the public. A one-of-a-kind place, it becomes a “must see” on your travel radar screen. For group travelers, this state park in
White, brown and yellow are the most common colors found by visitors at Crater of Diamonds.
southwest Arkansas is a perfect rest stop. If time allows, spend some time digging in the park’s 37½-acre diamond search area, the eroded surface of the world’s eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit in surface area. However, if time
is limited, enjoy the orientation video and learn the fascinating story of why diamonds are present at this site near Murfreesboro. And explore the exhibits in the park visitor center and adjacent Diamond Discovery Center. On display is a cut diamond that was unearthed at the crater in 1990 by Shirley Strawn, a local resident. The 1.09-carat StrawnWagner Diamond (originally weighing 3.30 carats in the rough) is a D-flawReprinted from Leisure Group Travel
A.C. Haralson, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
The Lodge at Mount Magazine offers 60 rooms and 13 cabins.
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Looking for new group travel ideas? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got 52 of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em. The Arkansas State Parks system has something for everyone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; archeology, adventure, history, mountains, rivers and lakes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even the only diamond site in the world where you can dig for diamonds and keep what you find!
Historic Mather Lodge, Petit Jean State Park
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less gem and the most perfect diamond ever certified by the American Gem Society. A perfect 0/0/0 stone like this, known as a Triple Zero in the diamond industry, is so rare that some jewelers and gemologists never see one during their entire career. It is the highest grade a diamond can achieve.
Finders Keepers Other notable diamonds from the site include the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, the largest diamond ever unearthed in the U.S. This white diamond with a rose tint was found in 1924 during an early mining operation that was located here long before the site became a state park. The 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight, a white gem discovered in 1975 by a visitor from Texas, is the largest diamond ever found by a park visitor. The first diamonds were discovered here in 1906. Since then, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed. Of these, 27,000 were found by park visi-
Each cabin at Mount Magazine’s resort lodge has a wood-burning fireplace.
tors after the site became an Arkansas state park in 1972. The park policy is “finders keepers.” Any diamonds you find are yours to keep! Dogs often accompany their owners to the park. However, a not so common occasion is when one of the dogs finds a diamond. This past May a two-
year-old Yorkie named Tigger visited Crater of Diamonds State Park for the first time and found a beautiful, white 1.11-carat diamond. On average, two diamonds are found each day. The most common colors are white, brown and yellow, in that order. Other semi-precious gems and minerals
Digging for diamonds is the name of the game at the 37 ½-acre search area at Crater of Diamonds State Park. LeisureGroupTravel.com
August 2009 35
on location ❖ south found at Crater of Diamonds include amethyst, garnet, peridot, jasper, agate, calcite, barite and quartz.
MOUNT MAGAZINE: ISLAND IN THE SKY
Picture Yourself in Springdale.
Ride a restored railcar through the scenic Boston Mountains. Root for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Arvest Ballpark. Enjoy the indoor ice-skating rink at the Jones Center for Families. Step back in time at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark Ǥ Ƥ Ǧ ǡ restaurants and shops near all area attractions.
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Since opening in 2006, the Arkansas state park system’s Lodge at Mount Magazine continues to stir excitement as one of The Natural State’s new travel destinations for groups. On the south bluff of 2,753-foot Mount Magazine, Arkansas’ high point, this 60-room resort lodge and its 13 cabins offer sweeping views of the Petit Jean River Valley and distant Blue Mountain Lake. Constructed at a cost of $33 million, these facilities comprise the largest, single capital investment in the 76-year history of Arkansas’ state parks. Although the lodge and cabins are modern facilities, their designs featuring heavy timbers, wood and native stone emulate the rustic architectural style made popular in the 1930s. The lodge is a long three-wing complex—the length of two-and-a-half football fields—designed so that the main public rooms and all guest rooms offer a view of the surrounding Ozark National Forest in west-central Arkansas. The lodge includes the Skycrest Restaurant, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and conference/meeting space. The 13 cabins feature one-, twoand three-bedroom designs. Each has a kitchen, private bath for each bedroom, wood-burning fireplace and an outdoor hot tub on a covered deck. The mountain’s first hotel, the Skycrest Inn, was built around 1900 on the western end of the summit. The new state park lodge occupies the same location as the U.S. Forest Service lodge and restaurant built between 1939 and 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (and destroyed by fire in 1971). 36 August 2009
A park interpreter at Crater of Diamonds aids treasure hunters.
Arkansas State Parks developed the park on 2,234 acres of national forest lands atop Mount Magazine through a special use permit from the Forest Service. Park trails connect with a Forest Service trail to Cove Lake that can be enjoyed in as little as one hour or as long as an overnight backpacking experience.
Outdoor Activities The park offers a multi-use trail where ATV enthusiasts, hikers, bikers and horse riders can go to the park boundary and continue into Ozark National Forest for over 30 miles of some of the most scenic and rugged landscape in Arkansas. And Mount Magazine is Arkansas’ only state park where adventure sports enthusiasts can hang glide, rock climb and rappel in the same park.
The patio at the Lodge at Mount Magazine affords grand views. LeisureGroupTravel.com
The mountain is home to a wide variety of wildlife, plant life and bird life. The park is the site of the annual International Butterfly Festival and home to more than 86 of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 134 resident butterfly species. Mount Magazine offers a campground with 18 sites. For group gatherings, the park offers a modern, rusticstyle picnic pavilion with large barbecue grill/fireplace. The parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visitor center includes a gift shop and an exhibit gallery showcasing the geology, history, flora and fauna of Mount Magazine. Park interpreters present programs about the history and natural diversity of this mountain, an island in the sky that rises dramatically above the surrounding river valleys. LGT
PLAN IT! Crater of Diamonds: 870-285-3113, craterofdiamondsstatepark.com Mount Magazine: 877-665-6343, mountmagazinestatepark.com