Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (2024)

Mt. Ida is the quartz crystal capital of the world for good reason. There is quartz everywhere and at Crystal Vista, you can bring them home for FREE!

We’ve been traveling around Mt. Ida for several days now and we have had so much fun.

If you know anything about Mt. Ida, you have probably heard of the quartz here.

In fact, the BEST quartz in the world can only be found in Brazil and Arkansas.

Wild, huh?

“Geologists say that Arkansas and Brazil have the best quality quartz on Earth, and today rock hounds, families and tourists from all over the world head for the Hot Springs and Mount Ida area to go prospecting in the abundant quartz crystal deposits of the Ouachita Mountains in hopes of finding these unique clear, prismatic stones.”

source

There are a lot of “pay-to-dig” mines around Mt. Ida but, if you’re like me, you like to save money when you can.

Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (1)

We wanted to dig for quartz while we were in the area but we didn’t want to pay around $75 for our family of 5 to dig the good spots at the mines.

That’s when we found Crystal Vista. It’s part of my Favorite Things to Do in Mt. Ida!

About Crystal Vista

All Trails calls Crystal Vista a “moderately challenging trail” and I would say that’s accurate. –source

This digging area is on top of Gardner Mountain. You will begin at the parking lot that is at an elevation of 900 feet and you will climb to an elevation of 1,200 feet.

That might sound terrible but it’s only a mile and it will only take you about 20 minutes.

Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (2)

Be prepared and try to hike up when it’s not blistering hot out like we did.

We hiked up with our three kids who are 11, 7 and 4. They did it with no problems. In fact, there was a lady hiking behind us and she was wearing flip-flops.

When we got to the top, there was a family with a small baby. They had carried the baby all the way up the trail.

So, while it is an uphill walk, it wasn’t too bad.

Crystal Vista is a former commercial mine

This 4 acre area is a former commercial mine.

We were able to collect quartz crystal that was lying on the surface of the dirt. (We forgot to bring shovels.)

Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (4)

However, if you want to dig, bring your hand shovel and some buckets. There were quite a few people up there digging and having a great time.

Things to remember at Crystal Vista

  • You can keep what you find but you can’t sell them.
  • No campfires
  • Hand tools only
  • No ATVs
  • No bathrooms
  • Pack in/ Pack out
  • Bring plenty of water for yourself
  • Gloves will come in handy
  • These crystals are in good ole Arkansas clay so wear old clothes.
  • IT’S FREE!!
  • Open year round
Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (5)

Crystal Vista Location

When you go, be sure to take Hwy 27 from Mt. Ida then on to Hwy 28. We took Logan Gap Rd and Collier Springs Rd which ended up being several miles of gravel roads.

If you would rather buy quartz instead of dig for it, check out my favorite rock shop in Mt. Ida.

Related articles

  • Big Family Friendly Vacation Home in Eureka springs, Arkansas -Rustic Gypsy

    Hey friends! We’ve been exploring Eureka Springs for two weeks now and I have found a perfect family-friendly vacation home that you NEED to know about! It’s called The Rustic Gypsy and it sleeps 6! “The cabin is centrally located just 4 miles from the historic shopping district and 3 miles to nearby river put-ins.…

  • Luxury Treehouse in Cabot, Arkansas! -Twisted Pines

    What is luxury? The dictionary defines it as “the state of great comfort and extravagant living.” In a nutshell, luxury is Twisted Pines Treehouse. I had no idea… NO IDEA… there was a luxury treehouse vacation rental in Cabot, Arkansas. As a central Arkansas resident, I often feel like I have to drive at least…

  • Vacation Home Perched on top of Petit Jean Mountain – Allen Cabin

    You are going to love this one! We all know that Petit Jean Mountain is a popular vacation spot for many of us. In fact, about 800,000 people visit this state park each year. That means that there are many people looking for lodging on the mountain every year. I have stayed everywhere on Petit…

Dig For Quartz Crystal for FREE at Crystal Vista in Mt Ida, Arkansas - All About Arkansas (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Moshe Kshlerin

Last Updated:

Views: 5579

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Moshe Kshlerin

Birthday: 1994-01-25

Address: Suite 609 315 Lupita Unions, Ronnieburgh, MI 62697

Phone: +2424755286529

Job: District Education Designer

Hobby: Yoga, Gunsmithing, Singing, 3D printing, Nordic skating, Soapmaking, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Moshe Kshlerin, I am a gleaming, attractive, outstanding, pleasant, delightful, outstanding, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.