This is our 3rd visit to Board Camp Crystal Mine in 3 months. We were the first guests in May 2026 and stayed in the Eagle Cabin. This time we chose the Elk Cabin. We look forward to many more visits! The cabins are very clean, comfortable and have everything we might need. Orville and Cheryl are fabulous hosts! I highly recommend enjoying the full experience by staying in the cabins, digging for crystals and enjoying the UnXplained tour! read more

Board Camp Crystal Mine - We stayed in Cabin 5 during our first visit. - Tours Near Me - Mena, Arkansas

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I had the time of my life! I enjoyed every minute of my time there. Orville and Cheryl are wonderful people! They went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience! I can't wait to return! read more

This place is amazing! Orville, Debbie and Cheryl are the true gems. You will certainly find crystals here and a sense of tranquility. Be prepared to get very dirty and bring snacks as well as bug spray. read more

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What a great find ! Thank you, Cheryl, for giving us tour of your facility! Although we did not have the time to get into the grind of crystal mining, our family were able to check out the store and get some nice crystals to take back home with us! It was also such a pleasure having a nice conversation with the owner and how she started her business ! A few things to know is that this place is open on the weekends unlike some other places, Pricing is very affordable, you can find some really good stuff, and everyone is super friendly. The energy was just great! We will be sure to stop back in next time we come in for a visit as we really want to get into to the grind of finding some cool crystals ! read more

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Cheryl and Orville bought 60 acres of land and inadvertently found crystals in the land they were planning to create a campground on. I talked to Cheryl multiple times in the phone before we got there and she was super polite, informative and friendly. We got there at 9am, mine opening time, and paid our $25 per person fee. Tool rental was $5 but we brought our own small shovels, rakes, hammers and chisels. There was a nearby bathroom and a small mine shop with crystals for purchase. We followed Orville a small drive up to another parking lot (they are planning on building a bathroom up there too) with picnic tables for breaks which was where Orville explained the difference in sounds between sandstone and quartz and told us how crystals were formed. Then a short walk through the woods and we were set free to find a vein. I quickly got frustrated and asked Orville to come over and he cleared out some rocks and helped me figure out the sounds and pretty soon I was lying in the dirt, reaching into a hole, and digging out crystals. Exciting! Bring bug spray, water, patience, and your own food. They are open until 3 pm and are closed all winter "to give the Earth time to heal." I believe kids 14 and under were free and it was very family friendly. You got a 50 pound bucket per person to fill up. Commune with nature and bring home healing quartz crystals as a cool souvenir! read more

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Great adventure for our family! Cheryl and Debbie are wonderful ladies and very kind! We will definitely be back!

Such a cool adventure. My kids has been into digging for crystals and gems so we decided to book this adventure. Each adult was $25 .. kids free .. Before going, we brought food, drinks, everything necessary because the drive from the city in is faaaaarrrrrr .. 1.5 hr from Hot Springs but it feels farther than that... so bring lots of fluids and snacks. Check the weather before you go. We got a cloudy day then rain so it cut our trip shorter than we anticipated. The 5 acre place is so relaxing with a calm atmosphere. The tranquility is so heavenly. When you enter, it'll be a little shop, you honk the horn so Mrs. Cheryl the owner will come out and give the direction. There was another 2 groups at the same time like us.. so everyone was wearing masks, and digging more than 6ft apart from each other. The 1 mike additional drive to the digging ground wasn't bad. Me. Orville was there waiting to give us info and instructions about it. He is definitely the Crystal Whisperer. Very nice and informative. Due to the rain, we decided to head back. Our kids love it. I actually was enjoying digging for crystals also. Afterward we went back to the shop so Mrs. Cheryl can take pictures because it needed to be reported. Such a sweet person. Kids for certificate afterward and a little gifts so they were so excited. Definitely will be back. read more

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Natalie and I had the time of our life here in 2021. We had the place to ourselves the majority of the weekend. Cheryl was so attentive making sure we had everything we needed. Orville our mine guide was great and helped us find lots of crystals. We loved the owners and definitely want to go back. read more

I highly recommend Board Camp Crystal Mine! Cheryl and Orville were so friendly and knowledgeable. Debbie made sure we got the most out of our experience! Bill and Ted were most excellent greeters when we got out of our car. It is a beautiful place to visit and we came back home with lots of beautiful quartz crystals. We will definitely be back for more! read more

This place is a lot of fun! To think that you can walk away with crystals today that only yesterday no human being had ever seen or touched is super awesome! Owners Orville and Cheryl are welcoming and hospitable, and provide a convenient little store with a few supplies during your visit. You can come by and dig for an hour or stay all day for one small fee. If you're looking for a great place to explore, dig and discover crystals and experience other fun adventures in the beautiful outdoors, you owe it to yourself to give this place a visit! Oh...and kids dig for free! read more

Board Camp Crystal Mine - Tours Near Me - Mena, Arkansas

We had so much fun at this family owned operation! Taking our two skeptical and activity worn teens to the mine for a weekend morning dig, we brought gloves, knee boards, mud shoes and at least one hours' worth of dedication and it paid off. We were given very good instruction, and then personal assistance, by the owners. They begin by explaining the process of geological formations that create crystal veins and eventually push them up to the surface, and then describe places that are good to start looking and how to tell sandstone from crystal pocket. After picking our "spots" to dig, but still not fully getting the process, the owner came for us and gave hands on help digging and looking at clues. In the end, we had one hour of learning and trying and another full hour of successes, before the teens were satisfied and ready to go. You could be there all day and go home with way more than we hauled out, but our time and $ was worth it for this experience and the crystals we found! This couple used sustainable and safe methods of digging and because they rotate their locations through the years you are sure to find what you're looking for. read more

My husband and our six year old son got to enjoy this place this crystal mining it was beyond amazing. So Saturday night I got to take the unexplained tour and it was amazing getting to see all the different stuff that goes on there, telling about what the Native Americans do when they come out there it's just an amazing tour you have got to take you won't be disappointed. the stuff that went on was beautiful and then the next morning we went up there my husband and me and our son got to go dig in the crystal mines it was so beautiful and the weather was beautiful and just the peacefulness of sitting out there and just digging and finding these crystal was just like finding treasure. I can't explain it you're going to have to go and you're going to have to feel it for yourself this place is magical. We will be back for sure read more

This place was SO fun! We went with our two kids (6 and 3) and spent the entire day out looking for crystals and rocks. They had w everything we needed to dig, picnic tables for our packed lunch, and lots of laughs and information! Can not recommend this place enough! read more

Took a trip last week up to the mine. Cheryl and Orville are genuine, loving people who care about both their customers and their land. If you take one trip this year, make this place your destination. Beautiful area that is vibrant with energy, amazing !!!! We can't wait to go back !!!!!!! read more

We love the owner and her daughter. They are very welcoming. Ms. Cheryl, the mom/owner even gave my son a birthday gift. We will coming back in the near future. read more

Visited the Board Camp Crystal Mine today. We hit a little pocket and got all of what we could out before it was time to pack it up. This was such a great rock-hounding experience!!! We got to find them and dig em out for ourselves and then find them all over again while cleaning them off a bit. And the owners Cheryl and Orville were some of the nicest sweetest people you'll ever meet, which made the entire time even better. Orville was very informative and showed us what to look for and how to guide ourselves in the dirt while looking for a pocket. So helpful! I can't wait to visit again! read more

We had a wonderful outdoor experience at this quartz crystal mine in Arkansas. As a gem and mineral collector I really 'dig' crystals and this place has a great mix of fresh air, friendly guides, beautiful atmosphere and, of course, places to find and dig your own quartz crystals and crystal clusters. Whether you dig your own or purchase from their hand-dug crystal shop, find the crystals that speak to your heart. This is a great family experience. Highly recommended! read more