fbpx
Close

Uh oh...

It appears that you're using a severely outdated version of Safari on Windows. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!

Read More about this safari issue.
Close
Jessieville Mena Mount Ida
Travel 3

Digging Quartz Crystals with Kids

S

Summer is upon us, and Arkansas parents are looking for summer fun ideas around The Natural State. We have a great idea! Digging for crystals in the crystal mines in the Ouachita mountains. Arkansas is home to many “dig your own” crystal mines, with most of them located in Mount Ida, the Quartz Crystal Capital of the World, as well as in Mena, Jessieville, and Story. The mines consist of pits and exposed hillsides where geology experts with backhoes and bulldozers have mined the soil and clay in search of the quartz veins that run through the mountains. Geologists say that Arkansas and Brazil have the best quality quartz on Earth, and tourists from all over the world head to Arkansas to dig for their own quartz.

My family went to Ron Coleman Mining in Jessieville, where we were able to dig for quartz crystals and keep them! In addition to digging for quartz, there is a ¼ mile-long zipline over the mine and a nice gift shop full of fun treasures.

If you have kids who love to dig and play in the dirt, this day trip will be a hit. Here are a few tips to make your day a success.

Bring your own tools.

The Ron Coleman Mining Center does not rent out tools. They do have some for sale in the gift shop if you don’t bring any, but they welcome you to bring your own. I suggest bringing each kid their own bucket, a small shovel, and a small garden hand rake. These items will make it much easier to dig and find the treasures, plus the kids can keep their items separate.

Bring an ice chest.

If you go during the summer, you will get hot while searching for your quartz crystals. Make sure to fill your ice chest with water, and don’t forget to bring the snacks! Isn’t that what summer is about for kids – eating snacks every 15 minutes?

Ask Questions.

When you go on the tour of the operating mine at Ron Coleman Mining, ask the tour guide questions. They are knowledgeable about the mining process, and they don’t mind answering questions for the kids. Kind of like summer school, but not.

Bring a change of clothes.

You will get dirty, and your kids will get VERY dirty! Be prepared and have an extra change of clothes to change into, and make sure to wear old clothes and closed-toe shoes while digging.

Ride the Zipline with your kids.

The zipline is a double zipline so you can go alongside your kids. They will love it! (Unless they are afraid of heights, then they might not.)

Make plans to have a picnic lunch at Lake Ouachita State Park

If you go to Jessieville, you will only be 10 minutes from one of Arkansas’s beautiful state parks, Lake Ouachita State park. Pack a lunch and take the kids for a picnic at the lake after a couple of hours of digging for crystals at Ron Coleman Mining! The kids loved this part of the day trip. As a bonus, go out for ice cream on your way home!

Crystal Digging in Arkansas

Wegner Quartz Crystal Mine (Mount Ida)
Colemans Rock Shop and Crystal Mine (Jessieville)
Ron Coleman Mining (Jessieville)
Twin Creek Crystal Mine (Mount Ida)
Board Camp Crystal Mine (Mena) Reservations Required
Sweet Surrender Crystals (Mount Ida)

Happy Summer Travels in The Natural State!

Meet the
author.

Learn more about .

A little about .

Amanda Farris is homeschooling mom to four. She is a teacher/coach who hung up her coaching whistle after she got promoted to motherhood. She loves running and homeschool and is a certified running coach and has a YouTube channel all about homeschooling. She loves long chats over coffee with her husband and fresh flowers on her table. Her friends would call her a "gatherer of people” and a “doer of projects” ! You can find her on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@Home.School.andLife

Read more stories by Amanda Farris

 

Visit Amanda Farris’s Website

Like this story? Read more from Amanda Farris

0
0
0
0
1
1

Join the Conversation

Leave a Comment

3 responses to “Digging Quartz Crystals with Kids”

  1. […] Ida is the quartz capitol of Arkansas and a great place to look for gems. While several spots offer opportunities for digging and mining, […]

  2. […] Ida – the Quartz Capitol of the World, even producing crystals preserved in the Smithsonian […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

Submit a photo

We select one featured photo per week, but we show many more in our gallery. Be sure to fill out all the fields in order to have yours selected.

  • Accepted file types: jpg, png, Max. file size: 5 MB.

Regions Topics
Social

What are you looking for?

Explore Arkansas

Central Arkansas

Little Rock, Conway, Searcy, Benton, Heber Springs

Northwest Arkansas

Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, Fort Smith

South Arkansas

Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, Texarkana, Arkadelphia

Explore by Topic