We knew for spring break that we wanted to road trip to the quartz mines in Arkansas from Louisiana, but when I started researching I quickly realized that there is no shortage of quartz mines in Arkansas – they are everywhere!! How would I choose!?
I definitely learned a lot on this road trip as well as chatted with a couple that visits quartz mines in Arkansas multiple times a year and has been to all of the quartz mines in the area – public and private! So I’ve got some great insight for you to help you narrow down your decision before you head to the Natural State.
We decided to take 4 days during spring break of my son’s senior year to go digging for minerals- one of his favorite things to do! If you’re driving into the state, I HIGHLY recommend stopping at the state information center. The one on the Louisiana border was absolutely impressive with rows and rows of travel magazines, brochures, maps and other helpful information. They even had little goodies for the kids.
We choose to tent camp at Cowhide Cove in Lake Greeson which was absolutely a fantastic choice for camping in Arkansas and I’d choose it again! It was quiet and we had a lakefront site so my son could fish all hours of the night and day – it was incredible! The pro (and con!) of this campground was that it wasn’t close to any restaurant or general store. So if you head there, make sure you bring everything you need!
The Quartz Mine in Arkansas We Chose:
After an insane amount of reading reviews and debate, we settled on visiting Wegner Quartz Mine in Mount Ida – and I’m SO happy we did!!! I have no need to visit any other place, we were extremely happy here.
In fact while we were there we met a couple who goes to quartz mines several times a year and have been to both public and private mines all over the state, and they said Wegner is by far their favorite and the only one they go to anymore.
Rock shops are everywhere in this area of Arkansas, so if you’re looking for something special, chances are you’ll find it! Small towns like Murfreesboro nearby are also full of rock shops – so you don’t even have to visit the quartz mines to find your minerals.
What to Bring to Dig at a Quartz Mine in Arkansas:
I was a little unsure with my research exactly what I needed to bring with my to dig at the quartz mine in Arkansas so here’s some recommendations:
- Small sturdy shovel (I picked up at Dollar Tree!)
- Bucket (3-5 gallon depending on what you want to carry) (Also got my 3 gallon bucket at Dollar Tree!)
- Small backpack with bottle of water, band-aids, & snack
- OPTIONAL: pick and/or large shovel (We did not have either and were happy with that!)
- OPTIONAL: Gloves (we purchased there but did not use – this is personal preference.)
You can absolutely do fine with just a small shovel and a bucket! No need to weigh yourself down if you don’t want to. Too much gear and it will be a pain to move around. Since I have kids I like to travel extra prepared and had everything on the list you see above. Lastly, keep in mind how heavy your bucket will be when you choose your bucket size to bring. You may be walking up and down steep hills or over a great distance!
A side note about gloves. At the mines they told us the rocks were sharp so I purchased gloves for each of us. For us, we did not feel the need for gloves and none of us used them during our visit after the first minute. However our hands dried out intensely after the visit so I recommend packing a solid hand cream!
Which Option to Dig at Wegner Quartz Mines:
Aside from their “full tour” package which we didn’t want to spend, we had two choices at Wegner Quartz Mines for digging. We actually did both, so I want to share the pros and cons of each with you to help you make a better decision!
Above you can see the “Tailings Pile” for digging. It’s a little cheaper and you can stay there to dig all day with no time limit. The nice thing about this specific pile at Wegner is that they add to it and rotate it daily, which means there will always be something to find!
We went to the Tailings Pile last during our visit so I was pretty mixed about it compared to the Crystal Forest. Below are my pros and cons for this specific Tailings Pit option. But I will say up front, if you are visiting with mobile children that are 3 years old and under, I highly recommend sticking to the Tailings Pile with them. It’s a great flat(ish) field for them to wander while you dig.
Pros about the Tailings Pile:
- Cheaper
- No time limit – stay all day!
- Frequently rotated
- Easiest for young children under the age of 4
- Easiest for people with some mobility/health issues
- My two biggest quartz crystals were found here
Cons about the Tailings Pile:
- Larger crowds in a smaller area
- I didn’t find almost anything here comparatively
- More digging time with less reward
- No bathrooms (or water source) on site
The other option for digging quartz at Wegner, is their “Crystal Forest” option – which was preferred by both myself and my three children ranging in ages 9-16 at the time of our visit. It requires a bumpy ride back to the mining area. Once you arrive you’ll have only two hours to dig (and keep!) anything you can find.
We personally would have rather spent 4 hours digging here than adding the Tailings Pile to our day, but it certainly would depend on your preference, ability, and health – I absolutely appreciate that there are both options available.
Tips for Digging in the Crystal Forest:
My two biggest tips for digging in the Crystal Forest are to move around frequently (unless you’ve found yourself a hot spot!) and to look for the darkest soil. Don’t be afraid to get up and move if you are digging somewhere you’re not finding much at!
There are 40 acres here to wander around and find “your spot”, so we all spread out and began digging. I got lucky immediately and find my little “honey hole” and spent my entire two hours in it digging out tiny beautiful clear crystals with an occasional larger one in the mix. I filled up most of my 3 gallon bucket.
My teenager spent his entire time digging out one gigantic boulder of a rock that he could barely carry out of there. We were all incredibly happy with our finds! When you’re digging, it can be really difficult to actually see if you have a clear or white quartz, so I learned to just throw it in the bucket and keep on digging! You can see below how much dirt covers these rocks.
Pros about the Crystal Forest:
- More authentic digging experience
- Over 40 acres to wander and choose your spot!
- Shade and sunny areas!
- Easily load up your buckets full of crystals of different sizes/clarity
- Port-a-potty on site
Cons about the Crystal Forest:
- Steep hills less suitable for children 3 and under
- While cost is extremely reasonable, it is higher than the tailings pile
- Time entrance due to truck drive
- Bumpy truck drive may make it difficult for those with certain health conditions
- Timed dig in two hour slots
After our two hour time limit we eagerly sat in the parking lot to take a look at what we found. While it was exciting, it was still difficult to really see the rocks well because of the dirt that sticks into these crystals! It requires multiple washing and cleaning sessions later.
Above you can see on the left a plate of crystals after a third rinse off, and on the right is the same plate after a good scrubbing! What a huge difference! We did find that by adding vinegar into a bucket of water to soak along with a good strong toothbrush, it made our job a lot easier to clean the quartz!
By the way, this is just one of many many plates of quartz I came home with. I lost count after a while there were so many plates!
WOWZA! Look how clear this quartz is! It’s definitely one of my more favorite pieces! My son’s friend makes jewelry so after hours and hours of cleaning all of my quartz (I brought home a lot more than I expected!!) I set aside a few pieces for her to make my jewelry with.
Look at these beauties! These are just SOME of the quartz that I found on my trip. Between the four of us that were digging that day, we collectively filled up an 18 gallon tote box! We have all found different things to do with our quartz. I made a few tiny jars with my small clear quartz to put in my bathroom in addition to the jewelry I am having made. I also want to make some terrariums with my larger pieces.
Overall, I would absolutely go back to Wegner Quartz Mines every time – specifically in their Crystal Forest option. It had a real rockhound wild feel to it and as you can see in our pictures we left with plenty of quartz for everyone! In fact, I would absolutely go to Wegner Quartz Mines and ask Crater of Diamonds State Park every time as well, but that’s for another post! If you’ve got any questions about visiting the quartz mines in Arkansas just leave us a comment below!
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