Sandy Longhorn

27
Oct
2024

DeGray Lake Resort

Date of Visit: 20-21 Sept 2024

Bismarck, AR

95º feels like 106º

I arrived at DeGray Lake Resort State Park (#34) mid-afternoon after kayaking at Daisy State Park that morning. The unseasonable excessive heat warning meant that I kept my activities to a minimum, and I hope to return to the park in cooler times when I’ve finished all my other visits. Knowing the forecast in advance, I booked a ticket for the sunset cruise on the lake and made a reservation to stay in the wonderfully air conditioned lodge. Before my visit, many people told me about the beauty of this large park and I pulled onto the property with high hopes for getting at least some exploring in. The park centers around another huge human-made lake, this one created by damming the Caddo River for all the usual reasons: flood control, hydroelectric power, water source, and recreation.

After checking into the lodge and cooling off in my lovely room, I still had about 90 minutes to wait for the sunset cruise. I decided to check out the 1-mile Island Trail that loops around next to the resort. Staying in the shade and cutting my hiking speed in half and then in half again while drinking a full 24-ounce bottle of water in the 40 minutes I spent in the trees made for an enjoyable walk in the woods. I got to see my second armadillo of the day (though no picture this time), watch an itty bitty lizard scamper up a tree, and identify a white slant line moth resting on a pile of pine needles. And, of course, I got to spend time with some of my favorite beings: the trees.

Finally, it was time to drive over to the marina for the cruise. At the dock, Scott, our park interpreter, met us and got us settled on the large pontoon boat. In all, 16 of us enjoyed a little bit of respite from the heat as we motored out of the “dead slow no wake” zone. When we sped up event more, all of us grinned as the wind whipped the sweat from our faces. Suddenly, Scott cut the motor and called out “bald eagle! pointing to our left. That was our first sighting of several of the majestic birds soaring around the shoreline. At one point, Scott stopped us beside this gorgeous “island.” With the setting sun lighting up the variations of color in the sandstone I fell a lit bit in love with this “tip of a Ouachita mountain” jutting up in the aftermath of the lake creation. Here, you can skip the hike to the top of a mountain and just sail over to enjoy the view.

Now, without further adieu, the sun began its slow dip into the western waters of the lake. We’d been headed into the path of the red ball our whole trip and the show did not disappoint. The heat and humidity, plus all the dust in the air from our recent drought, meant yellow, red, orange on full blast.

Next Up: Stay Tuned

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
28
Jul
2024

Logoly

Date of Visit: 18 April 2024

Magnolia, AR

78º cloudy with high humidity

Just outside of Magnolia, Logoly, my 32nd park, charmed me. First things first, though, let’s tackle the pronunciation. Of all the parks, this one had me stumped. Before arriving, I kept saying log-ollie. Nope. It’s low-go-lie. Three families shared ownership of the land now comprising the park: the Longinos, Goodes, and Lyles. In the 1940s they sold the land to the Boy Scouts of America, and the BSA christened it Camp Logoly, slightly tweaking the pronunciation of the syllables derived from the family names. In the late 60s, the BSA left and sold the land to the Nature Conservancy, and in 1973, the State Parks system acquired it for the purpose of establishing an environmental education park. A half century later, I’m here to say they’ve done a wonderful job!

The forest rules this park. While not virgin timber, the woodlands on the parks acreage comprise some of the last old-growth forest in Arkansas. In fact, I learned the difference while at the park. In the past, I might have used the two descriptions interchangeably. Virgin remains obvious, never cut. Old growth means it might have been cut some way back in the day, but the forest has evaded massive cuts and re-growth for the timber industry. The park provides three trails as entry points to experiencing the magnificent trees and all the supporting cast members.

If you have any questions about the forest ecosystem, or you have kids interested, this is the park for you. The visitor center provides great displays and interactive models. At other parks in timber country, I found many displays championing the timber industry in Arkansas. As I read about the conservation of this land, I felt relieved. It turns out that we can thank Magnesia Springs (also located in the park) as early tourism to the site meant the land received protection from before the turn of the 20th century. The park also takes environmentalism seriously as shown by the “green building” status of the visitor center. Then, out on the Crane’s Fly Trail, I found one of my favorite spots, the “dead tree at work” stop. Park staff built a wooden bridge over a dead tree going about the business of decomposing. There is even a big “do not disturb” sign which made me smile.

While I didn’t choose the longer, 2-mile Spring Branch Trail, I enjoyed every moment I spent poking around Crane’s Fly and the offshoot to Magnesia Springs and Salt Springs. Being on the trails in April meant I saw some pretty spring colors in the flowers. Some that I noted: Carolina vetch, pacific pea, and prairie phlox, along with blooming red buckeye (a new favorite). Here’s a picture of the phlox with a photobombing inchworm for the joy of it. On the trail to Salt Springs, I stopped short at the sight of an all black dragonfly which turned out to be, in fact, an ebony jewelwing damselfly. I couldn’t get a good pic of that one, so you’ll have to click the link to see an image.

Next up: ??? I’ll be taking a break from posting as I reorganize my park plans. With 20 parks left to visit, the majority in northeast Arkansas, and a scattering left in the Ouachitas, I am reading and planning. We’ve got a massive heatwave headed our way, so I’ll be keeping to the air conditioning for the time being, working on writing and revising. Until then, thanks for reading!

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
25
Jul
2024

Conway Cemetery State Park

Date of Visit: 18 April 24

Bradley, AR

78º cloudy skies

Park #31, Conway Cemetery earns the distinction of “most obscure” in my list so far. So obscure, in fact, that there is no traditional state park greeting sign.

Oh, that I wish the park name referenced Conway the city. Nope. This park consists of the family cemetery of Arkansas’ first governor, James Sevier Conway. To find it, you drive nearly as far southwest in the state as you can, down highway 29 to Bradley and hook west on 160. When you reach the township of Walnut Hill, you turn south again for a couple of miles until you see the familiar brown state sign for parks, wildlife management areas, and such. Turn left there and enter a tunnel of green as the trees dome over the cracked asphalt of the drive into the cemetery. In .25 miles, you arrive at your destination and the cemetery opens up before you, nestled in a nook of a large open pasture.

In terms of sights and activities, the park is simple. Several placards offer information on the governor and his family. The tombstones show how hand chiseled marble and granite age over nearly two centuries. And the black metal fence enclosing graves and trees makes for a picturesque moment. I did walk among the graves, but the number of ant hills that ran rampant through the grass meant I kept my eyes on my feet most of the time until I found a safe spot to stop. Overall, the place gave off the air of being seldom visited, which left me sad.

While I’ve read about Arkansas achieving statehood and its early governance, I didn’t have any real knowledge of Governor Conway beyond his name before my visit. Nothing I learned surprised me, but again, I was struck by how the state park system handles issues of slavery. In this case, the Conway family lived on a plantation (now long gone, no buildings remain). Conway came to Arkansas from Tennessee as a land surveyor and “began acquiring what would become a large cotton plantation” in Lafayette County in 1823. Eventually President Andrew Jackson commissioned him to survey Arkansas’ southern boundary. When Arkansas became a state in 1836 he was elected governor and served one, 4-year term. He then returned to southwest Arkansas and established the plantation called Walnut Hill. The township still carries the name.

In all of the information, I read the words “cotton” and “plantation” and of course I understood that meant slavery. However, the only mention made of the people who were actually enslaved by the governor occurs in the paragraph about his death. “His will … divided his estate (including the estate’s enslaved population) among his wife and six living children.” There is no mention of a cemetery for those slaves who died on the plantation. I couldn’t help but wonder where their remains might be resting (in unrest?).

In 1994, the last extended Conway family members to be buried here were interred and the cemetery no longer operates. Visiting the park took little time, but the information of the Conway family mirrored by the silence of the families of slaves left a definite impression.

Next Up: Logoly

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
23
Jul
2024

Arkansas Post Museum

Date of Visit: 13 April 2024

Gillett, AR

82º bright sun & breezy

Visiting park #30, Arkansas Post Museum, turned out to be quite an interesting couple of hours. Prior to my visit, I learned that this park marks the time when the French first established trading posts near the Mississippi River in the late 17th century (marking the beginning of European colonization of Arkansas). It was my understanding that the state park would be at the location of the first trading post, and that turned out to be only somewhat accurate. Fascinating history unfolded before my eyes.

But, first, this park is a small complex of 5 buildings, only open Wednesday – Sunday. When I visited, I did not meet any park interpreters, although there was one woman doing what looked like office work in a small administrative building (not park of the exhibit). She pointed me to the first building (where I self-inked my park passport stamp), a replica of a house from the 18th/19th centuries, filled with artifacts and displays. From there, I read placards and followed a brick path through the property.

The museum displays provided quite a bit of information about living on the frontier with limited resources. I wound through the house and looked at furniture, clothing, and household goods; however, some of the items in the first building were also from the early 20th century, so I got a little confused. Outside the house, a separate kitchen stands. The displays teach about the necessity of a separate kitchen for 1) fire safety and 2) temperature control of the main house during the blazing hot summers. Looking at the wood-fired stove and the cast-iron cooking tools reaffirmed what I already knew about myself: I was born in the right time. There is no way I would have survived on the frontier. (My eyesight alone would have meant the end of me at an early age!)

Just past the kitchen building I got my next surprise at the park. I saw a tall structure with stairs leading up to a platform. The silhouette looked vaguely familiar, but it took reading the signage to realize the park features a replica gallows. I confess that I found this a bit incongruous with the rest of the displays.

I continued past the daunting example of “frontier justice” and spent more time looking through the Refeld-Hinman Log Cabin, a “two-pen dogtrot cabin built from square-hewn oak logs 4 to 9 inches thick.” (pens = rooms, both off the central breezeway). The park showcases one of the few remaining original dogtrot cabins in southeast Arkansas, although it had to be moved from its original location.

Following the path onward, I found a giant metal building that contained all kinds of displays from early European settlement periods to the 20th century. While I couldn’t find a clear reason some of the displays were housed in this particular park, they were all interesting. The whole time I meandered through the park buildings I kept puzzling over one thing: why wasn’t the park closer to the Mississippi River, or the Arkansas River for that matter? From my previous reading, I understood that the first trading post was established near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Arkansas Rivers.

Finally, I found my answer in a park sign. Here’s the reality. In 1686, Frenchman Henri de Tonti established the first European trading and military post at the confluence of the two rivers. Over the next 133 years, the post moved around due to flooding. By 1819 it had relocated a bit farther up the Arkansas River. When the state parks system got its start in the 1920s, the legislature established Arkansas Post (on its 1819 location on the banks of the Arkansas River) as the 3rd official state park. This made perfect sense to me, but the 1819 location is several miles east of the current state park. It turns out that in 1960 the US Congress authorized the National Park Service to take over the 1819 site, dissolving the site’s identity as a state park. The Arkansas Post National Memorial now commemorates the “original” post. The citizens of Arkansas County bought land 2 miles down the road from the national memorial and established a museum there. In 1997, the “new” site became Arkansas’ 50th state park. So tangled and fascinating!

And yes, I did go visit the national memorial, but since that’s not park of the poem project, I’ll end my tale here.

Next up: Conway Cemetery

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
15
Jul
2024

Cane Creek

Dates of Visit: 12-14 April 2024

Star City, AR

75º – 85º and sunny, in other words, perfection

Many things went into making my visit to Cane Creek, park 29, special, but the one that leapt out at me from the visitor center on my arrival was the fact that the park straddles two of Arkansas’ six geological divisions: the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The ancient shores of the Gulf of Mexico once stretched into what is now southern Arkansas, creating the sandy loam which is home to pine trees for miles and miles. In the eastern portion of the state, the repeated course changes of the Mississippi River, and several major tributaries, cut through the sand over geologic time and deposited the fertile soil of the delta. The park land sits on the far eastern edge of the coastal plain, while Cane Creek Lake occupies the alluvial plain. This thrilled the landform geek inside me to no end.

On this visit, I tried out a new accommodation. I chose the Rent-an-RV for my two-night stay. While I did rattle around inside by myself (the permanent RV sleeps six), I also had access to an awesome wooden deck with a table and chairs. Given how beautiful the weather remained for my entire visit, I ate out there for every meal.

While the park mainly focuses on the lake, with fishing being a primary draw, the first night there, I walked out to the Delta View Trail (2.5 miles), which shares the first mile of the 15.5 mile multi-use Cane Creek trail. As with most of the parks I visited this past spring, a recent rain left the trail a bit muddy, but that didn’t deter me from stretching my legs. Along the way, I took in the swaths of red buckeye in bloom. The night ended with an interpreter-led frog call outing. We only heard one of the dozen-plus species that night, but when the green frog (lithobates clamitans) echo back the call the interpreter broadcasted, all of us jumped and shouted.

On day two, I got brave. I rented a kayak and took to the lake. I do have some limited experience kayaking, but I had never gone solo before. Cane Creek Lake proved to be a great place for this beginner. There was a slight wind, but nothing too strenuous, and I just made sure I paddled into the wind for the first hour I was out so that I’d get a little push headed home. I also hugged the shoreline and made sure I had my life jacket on. Really, with the number of people out fishing from their boats, even if I tipped, I’d have gotten help in no time. It took about 30 minutes of holding myself far too tensely before I relaxed and let the kayak and the water do their jobs. Once I did that, I had a blast. The view, so close to the water’s surface, can’t be beat!

While kayaking along the shore, I enjoyed skirting tons and tons of lily pads. Sadly, none were in bloom and many of them were pretty beat up by what looked like either paddles or trolling motors, but if thriving lily pads are any sign of good water, then Cane Creek Lake has nothing to fear. The one other kayaker I encountered, a man from Ohio, even commented on their numbers, swearing he’d never seen so many. When I wasn’t examining vegetation in the water, I was checking out birds and other winged things. The dragonflies showed up to escort me from time to time, and there was a group of coots bobbing on the water ahead of me. No matter how much I paddled, I couldn’t get close enough to get good photos with my cell phone, darn it. They kept swimming away from me. Imagine that!

I ended my paddle by cutting out to a stand of dead trees populated by cormorants. Again, I couldn’t get photographs that would do the sight justice so I just floated there and took it all in. Heading back to the boat launch, I did take no fewer than 35 pics of the shoreline, taking advantage of the change in perspective. Also, I know I’ll be kayaking more in the future!

Next up: Arkansas Post Museum

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
30
May
2024

Moro Bay

Dates of Visit: 22-23 March 2024

Jersey, AR

54º~rain first day, full sun second, light wind

Moro Bay State Park (#28) completed my trifecta of parks all located in or near El Dorado. Given the disappointment of the Natural Resources park, I was glad this was the way my trip ended and not the other way around. On the park sign you see the juncture where Moro Bay and Raymond Lake meet the Ouachita River (the standout geologic feature of this park). Also in the picture, the orange ferry, no longer in use but once the only way to cross before the highway 63 bridge was built in 1992 (yes, 1992!). Like many of the lake parks, this one calls to the fishing folx and features some super cool cabins built to withstand the periodic flooding. Only caveat for anyone with kids: there’s no beach. They do rent kayaks if you want to get up close and personal with the shorelines. Alas, March had turned back into February when I was there so I stuck with the group tour on the big pontoon boat.

I planned my trip around two park-sponsored events. First, a Friday afternoon gathering in the visitor center called “Meet the Alligator.” I mean, come on? Who doesn’t want the chance to get up close and personal with an American alligator. While it rained outside, I joined a handful of families with small kids to learn more about gators. And, we all got a chance to pet Maurice (funnily, named after the lemur in the Madagascar movie). For those concerned with animal treatment, Maurice has a great big aquarium. The park never traps or uses wild alligators, as that is definitely against the law. They purchase a baby from an alligator farm in Louisiana and keep it until it is about 3, as alligators grow about 1 foot per year and at 3 feet they become unmanageable as an educational specimen.

Paul, our park ranger, talked for about 30 minutes and I learned so much. Example: Moro Bay is about as far north as alligators get in AR and their range matches that of mayhaw bushes. So, if local people are making mayhaw jelly, there’s bound to be a gator around. Biggest fact: alligators win the contest for strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, far outstripping even lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! The only problem is that their jaws only go up and down, not side to side. They can’t chew! That’s why they roll their prey; they’re trying to wrench off a manageable piece to swallow whole, oh my! Final takeaway, it is illegal to feed or harass an American alligator. Just don’t.

The second event I signed up for brought me back on Saturday morning, with the sun in full swing. Too bad the temperatures didn’t respond in kind. They stayed in the low 50s as a small group of us boarded the park’s pontoon boat for a water tour with Paul. A bit bulkier than normal, my park wear (long workout pants, a heavy sweatshirt over a T, a medium snuggly jacket, and gloves) got weighed down a bit more with my life jacket and binoculars, but the layers definitely helped me stay comfy as the cold wind came up off the water. We cruised around the bay, down into the lake a bit, and checked out the river by sight (the water was running high and fast). As we meandered on the water, I took a zillion pics of the bald cypress trees living the high life in the high water. I don’t think my fascination with them will ever end. Again, Paul taught us a lot, this time about the history of river traffic in the area, the state’s response to flooding (a topic covered at many of the parks near rivers & lakes), and where to find the best fishing spots.

I ended my time at the park with a picnic and then walked a bit on one of the lakeside trails, although recent heavy rain meant I couldn’t complete either of the official trail hikes. Even with not ideal weather, I enjoyed the visit and left with a lot of imagery floating around in my head for the future poem.

Next up: Cane Creek

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
27
May
2024

South Arkansas Arboretum

Date of Visit: 22 March 2024

El Dorado, AR

53º cloudy to drizzling rain

I fell off the blog updates because of making park visits and writing, writing, writing. Glad to get back to sharing my trips with y’all. My 27th park, the South Arkansas Arboretum State Park stands out for being 12 acres tucked inside the city of El Dorado. As a former community college instructor, I love that South Arkansas Community College manages this site. Asphalt trails intersperse the preserved native woodland and the beds of both native and non-native flower species curated by area master gardeners. The walking experience proved an interesting juxtaposition as I wended under the canopy of tall pines and oaks all the while accompanied by the swishing of car tires rolling through the nearby neighborhood. (Aside: I like the rough and tumble feel of the park sign but missed the continuity of the traditional entrance signage at the other parks.)

I visited the arboretum early in the morning trying to beat some spring showers. I got about 10 minutes into my walk when the drizzle began and I had to run back to the car for my umbrella. In my notebook, I recorded the sounds accompanying me on my walk: pine warblers (ubiquitous on my travels in south Arkansas), an adamant male cardinal, my ever favorite Carolina wren, and the scattered rhythm of raindrops on my umbrella. Strolling along (I hesitate to even call it a walk b/c I kept stopping to take pictures), I also admired the spring green green green of the moss running along much of the paving. Being there right at the advent of spring meant getting to see many of the hardwood trees just leafing out. I fell a bit in love with this yellow poplar (the softest of the hardwoods, fyi). I mean, just look at the character in those leaf-shapes, the sublime new-life green, and the way it all sort of explodes off the end of that branch. Yum yum for the eye.

However, far and away the title of winner, grand champion, and wowza wowza for this trip goes to the overwhelming number of various azaleas in full and perfect bloom. Not all of these were native, but I stopped and admired them all. The rain only heightened their beauty. Trust that I filled up my iPhone with images, but my self-imposed rules for these posts mean I had to choose just one to share. I selected this white variety because of the drama of the water droplets and the delicacy of the stamens. To give all of nature its due, I also have a slew of photos from the parking lot where pollen fell in multi-colored layers atop the runoff water and formed delightful abstract whorls and swirls. I love it all.

I’m thankful to all who help keep the arboretum in shape, providing sanctuary for plants and humans alike!

Next up: Moro Bay

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
15
Apr
2024

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources

Date of Visit: 21 March 2024

Smackover, AR

67º partly cloudy

I wish I could report that park 26, the halfway point in my journey, was a celebration. I can’t. Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources turned out to be the most difficult park to date. No, not physically difficult, as we all know that goes to my fall off Mount Nebo, but emotionally difficult, yes. For those not in the know, in the 1920s south Arkansas experienced an oil boom. Murphy Oil became the most successful corporation formed during the early days of oil extraction in Arkansas and continues today, though now based in Houston, TX. Today, petroleum continues to be a leading industry in south Arkansas, along with timber, rice, and cotton.

I knew going in that the museum would cover the science of oil, and I did learn something new. Even before drilling technology existed, people made use of oil. As oil forms underground, if its migration is not stopped by solid rock, it moves through porous rock and eventually reaches the surface and forms oil seeps. Oils seeps and other geographic markers provide speculators the clues necessary to know where to drill. Beyond the science of oil and bromide, the museum offers extensive exhibits on life in Smackover in the 1920s, especially life in the oil fields. No surpise, this life meant hard work and lots of danger to both people and the land.

I spent an hour inside reading display after display that generally put the petrochemical industry in the best light (there’s a display that reads “All’s Well that Ends Well”). My shoulders grew heavy as I realized there would be no information on climate change at all. They lightened slightly when I turned to read about conservation projects bringing some of the land decimated by older technologies back to life. However, in the end, I left the building heartsick.

Outside the museum, the park features sample derricks and drilling rigs used from the 1920s through today. Wandering through the path, I took pictures more out of duty than feeling compelled to capture the moment, and I wrestled with myself. I know that the oil boom and the continued industry brought/bring some financial wealth to the state (and we are a poor state, no question). I know that this is part of our history as Arkansans, and that the actions from a hundred years ago were taken without the knowledge of what we know today. However, I can’t get past the fact that the museum offers no information about the repercussions of the industry’s current and continued actions. This left me wondering, again, about how the state decides what goes into a park and what gets left out.

Next up: South Arkansas Arboretum

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
11
Apr
2024

Millwood (52 Parks : 52 Poems)

Date of Visit: 17 March 2024

Ashdown, AR

62º post rain, cloudy with some wind

Park 25, I arrived at Millwood in the aftermath of a night’s good soaking rain. Driving in, I couldn’t help but be awed by the size and scope of the earthen dam (the largest in the state) that created Millwood Lake. Completed in 1966 by the Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding like so many of Arkansas’ lakes, the dam rises up out of the valley of the Little River. With the road into the park atop this huge mound of dirt, the drive in provides a spectacular view of the expanse of the lake and the surrounding forests.

Confronting another lake-based park, I stopped at the visitor center to get oriented and find out more about the two hiking trails I’d read about earlier. (While we fished a lot when I was a kid, I haven’t touched a pole in years and am not drawn to the hobby. I do hope to get onto some of the lakes via kayak but I’m waiting for warmer weather!) I knew the park held a short trail (1.5 miles) and a long trail (4 miles). Wildlife Lane Nature Trail, the 4-miler, held most of my interest, especially as it winds past a beaver mound. Sadly, the park staff told me that because of the rain the night before that trailhead might be impassible. Still hopeful, I took the brochure for that one and for the shorter, Waterfowl Way.

Both trails begin together at the old campground that flooded out in 2015 (we can try to control floodwaters with lakes and dams, but sometimes the water wins). Where the trails diverged, a low spot in the land, water greeted me in nearly every direction moving forward. Try as I might, hopping over puddles and rivulets, I couldn’t get past several large and deep pools to get to the open trail ahead on Wildlife Lane. Instead, I turned for Waterfowl Way, which in the end proved fortuitous. The trail led me along the bank of a nearby bog and then along one of the lake’s many gorgeous inlets. Not pictured here: the half a dozen fishing boats and their hopeful crews.

Glad I’d grabbed both brochures, I kept Waterfowl Way’s information handy as I walked, often picking my way at the edges of the trail to avoid standing water in the middle. I’m thankful whenever a park provides trail details and stopped often to read, look around, and absorb before moving on. Right around the halfway point, I walked around a blind curve and found myself looking at the roots of an upended oak tree. FYI: I love to look at upended roots. As I took in this tree where it fell, I first left the trail to crouch down and look closer because of the shelf fungi (hairy curtain crust).

I spent quite a while examining the intricacies of the patterns, getting nearly nose-deep in the stuff and taking more than a few photos. The looking deeply led me to discover a Carolina mantleslug hanging out in one of the bark grooves. Drawn in now, I ended up examining the entire length of the tree from the rootball to what had been the topmost branches. And at some point in that observing, magic happened. The lines of a poem coalesced in my head, and I started writing in my journal what would become “How to Fall in Love with a Downed Oak.” This was the very first time in the project where I actually started writing the poem in the midst of the experience of the park. As I said: magic.

My experience at Millwood proved again that I can prepare all I want in advance of these trips, but nature, weather, and my own body or emotions often change the plans once I’m on site. Letting go of preconceived notions has been one of the biggest challenges of this project. Oh, I’m going to X park, I’ll think. That means I’ll be writing about Y. Then, I get there and that’s not what happens at all. And thank goodness for that!

Given that Millwood is a lake park, I did end my visit by stopping at the marina to smell the fishy smells undercut by gasoline and engine oil. From the parking lot, I took some video of the wind pushing the lake into the rocky shore to capture that great lulling sound of water hitting stone over and over again.

Next up: Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources

Posted by Sandy Longhorn
02
Apr
2024

Crater of Diamonds (52 Parks : 52 Poems)

Date of Visit: 16 March 2024

Murfreesboro, AR

65º by noon, foggy morning to clear skies

Park 24, Crater of Diamonds, pops up in local news from time to time. The park draws people from all over the world as it offers one of the only public-access areas for surface-level diamond mining. In fact, in January, Julien Navas of France came to Arkansas and found a 7.46 carat diamond! Of course, this park ranked at the top of my most anticipated list. Having heard about these kinds of finds for years in the media, I hit the road, ready to capture a headline myself. I brought my trusty hiking hat and buckets of sunscreen for skin protection, my rubber garden boots to slog through the muddy field (it had rained a few days earlier), and forgot my gloves for wet sluicing. Luckily, Murfreesboro Hardware provided a great selection and was right on the way to the park.

I chose to visit the park on the first Saturday of Spring Break because park interpreters offered some extra programming, one being a “daybreak” tour of the field. I arrived at 7:45am (doors open at 8:00), and walked in about 10th in line to pay my $15 for the chance to find a sparkly. The line for entrance was at least 30 people deep by 8:00, with tons of families, and continued in that vein all morning (pun intended!). Winding down to the equipment rental station, I paid $15 to rent my “Basic Diamond Hunting Kit”: an army shovel, screen set, and 3.5-gallon bucket. Then, I turned to observe “the field,” 37.5 acres of volcanic spew and churned up crust. The “spew” contains ash as well as the diamonds and semi-precious stones like amethyst (go to Canary Hill to find these), agate, jasper, quartz, and calcite to name a few. Of course, there is plenty of mud, sand, and gravel to sift through in search of the gems brought up from the deep. This picture is “first of the day.” The photos I took later show several hundred people (about 50% kids) ranged all around the rows plowed by park staff, doing their best to claim a find.

On my tour, I learned that the average diamond found in the park is 1/4 carat or less, roughly the size of a match head. The park interpreter showed us examples of these finds in the three colors of diamonds produced by this eruption: white, yellow, and brown. Being on this journey to get to know Arkansas via the parks, I found the history of this one just as fascinating as the rest.

Apparently, people had always pointed out the strange ground and how its little stones glittered. Rumor of diamonds abounded until the early 20th century when a pig farmer who owned some of the land finally tried to bank some diamonds. The stones didn’t quite look right, so the bankers sent them to Tiffany’s in NYC, where they were confirmed to be diamonds, just of a different sort than those produced by the geologic forces in South Africa and elsewhere. Arkansas diamonds took an unusual ride to the surface. Instead of getting here all in one shot, the volcano had to erupt twice, many, many years apart. So the diamonds actually melted! Arkansas diamonds are smooth and round. The interpreter told us to look for shiny marbles. Who knew diamonds could melt? While unusual, the larger diamonds can be cut for gemstones. Fortunately for us, there aren’t enough of them to make the mine commercially viable, although folx tried from the 20s to the 50s. Then, one person bought the whole property and opened a pay-as-you-go, amateur experience, just like what the State Parks operate today. They acquired the land in 1972 and simply continued the system.

Later, after scooping up gravel and mud and hauling it in my bucket, I stood at the sluicing station. A fellow sluicer, who had done much more research than me, let me know that the field only gives up 2 diamonds per day on average, again all quite small. I laughed and admitted I was in it for the experience more than anything else. The range of people, their experience and their expectations, ended up as my biggest takeaway of the day. There were folx who hauled in professional looking rigs of equipment (no motorized anything allowed), hobbyists who shared their knowledge with anyone who wanted to listen, and a whole ton of kids shouting “I found one! I found one!”

Best thing to keep in mind: summer brings massive heat, heat, heat, and there’s no shade on the field. This park makes an excellent winter visit. And my results? Drumroll…no diamonds. Park staff identify finds for free at a sorting table, and I did find jasper, clacite, agate, and volcanic ash (along with tons of small bits of sandstone alas). Granted, going alone makes it a bit extra hard work. Next time, I’ll take a pal to help with the hauling of dirt.

Next up: Millwood

Posted by Sandy Longhorn