sweet surrender crystal

My family, including 1 teenager and 1 with Downs, found this mine at the Mt. Ida World Championship Contest, and I can't say enough good about the mine and they people that run it. Two things really stood out. How much the owner helped and guided my kids. Second, they are so special needs friendly. We thought our son with Downs would get bored easily, but the owner made his experience and our trip an absolute Delight.We will definitely go back next year.

Our family of 4 had a great time Crystal mining! They just set us loose and we were rock hounding! We don't care for the commercialized type places. We found more crystals then imaginable. Alot were just laying there ripe for the picking! This was everything but!! Truly enjoyed every aspect of it including the "his" and "hers" trees for the restrooms! Make sure you bring lots of water and snacks if you plan to stay all day like we did.

Had a wonderful day mining. Monica and Aaron were sweet and very informative about mining, both making sure we found crystals, and had had a great experience. The digs had recently been turned over, and many crystals were waiting to be found. After just a few hours, we came away with a 5 gal. Bucket filled. When I was cleaning them, I contacted Monica for advice, and she was great. Most of my specimens were wonderful. Will be returning sometime real soon.

My family had a blast digging for crystals. Aaron was very helpful and made sure we found some nice crystals. This experience was a thousand times better than digging for diamonds. We dug for crystals and took a break later to eat our lunch at the picnic tables. Digging for crystals was a very relaxing dig that you can do at your own pace. With a little work, everyone should walk away with a nice souvenir from Sweet Surrender Crystal mine. My family will definitely be going back to this mine next year. Remember to bring sunscreen, water, sunglasses, screwdriver, buckets, and a hand shovel when you come to dig.

Aaaron did not have any pockets open, but helped us find several specimens just lying around, we did not wish to pay extra to mine the pocket he had just opened

Forget Crater of Diamonds! This mine was awesome and definitely worth the 2 out of 3 days spent in Arkansas. I found all sorts of treasures, so bring your backpacks and buckets. I will most definitely be coming back. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I recommend bringing some sunscreen, lots of water, shovels, hand rakes and gloves. It was so much fun that I didnt want to leave and it was great quality time with the boyfriend. I dont recommend it for young children in certain areas just because there's potential for injuries, but for everyone its good to have a first aid kit on hand. Overall it is great fun for everyone and a wonderful opportunity to get the real mining experience.

I would like to thank you for the review and coming to the mine.. Randy tells me I need to get up to speed with all this.. so I am learning... Thanks for coming and so happy you had a good time...~~~~becky

I would like to thank you for coming to the mine... Thanks you also for the review.. Randy and I are fairly new at all this review and computer things.~~~becky

I would like to thank you for coming and leaving such a great review.... I love hearing that people had a good time... ~~~becky

Thank you so much for the positive feedback, we appreciate it and we are very happy that you enjoyed your trip! - Monica

Thank you for your positive feedback! We are very happy to hear that you had a good time and enjoyed the staff, our goal is to make your digging experience wonderful. Thanks for visiting and hope to see you again soon. - Monica

I am sorry you felt ripped off and was disappointed. Our mine is quite a bit different from all the other mines. First we are a shale deposit and second we have no sandstone.. this means we do not blast the land to dig. therefore we do not have broken shiny crystal points scattered every where. Second, there is a heavy coating of iron oxide on majority of our crystals making them hard for some people to see. Third, we do not have a red mud laying around. Once we dig out the pockets the mud mixes with the shale leaving a brown dirt appearance. Fourth, we do not go thru all the piles of dirt first and set up a section for you to dig.. We pull dirt from the pit and let you dig thru it.. This way you have a chance to find as decent a crystal as we do... We do not salt our mine. Judy's is a rock hounding area. that mine has been closed down for many years and unless you venture out of the are you are suppose to be, there are only left over crystals that have been laying around for a long time.. I wish you would have contact myself or Randy before you left so we could understand what issue you were having.. Then again, we are not a mine for everyone and value your opinion and understand that it wasnt your cup of tea..

Sweet Surrender is a wonderful AUTHENTIC crystal mining experience. This mine has a different feel than other mines, it took me and my friend a little while to change our perspective re: what we were looking for, however, once we figured it out, we became successful! Also, unlike other more commercial mines, at this one you have a guided experience with an experienced miner. SO if you don't really know what you're looking for OR if need help changing your perspective the advice is GREAT!! I plan to return in the near future:)

Just wanted to share with you the wonderful experience we had at the Sweet Surrender Crystal Mine in Story, Arkansas. As a "first-timer" as was thrilled that Monica took the time to show me exactly what to look for, showed me where to look, and even handed me crystals she picked up off the ground as we were walking.... Our group had a wonderful day rock hounding and came home with buckets full of great points and clusters. The owners were great, checking on us often throughout the day, handing us points they had picked up, and making sure we enjoyed our adventure. The hardest part of the day was actually getting in the car to leave. We kept spotting another "sparkle" and hated to go. I will definitely be planning another trip - only next time I will plan to stay longer, and allow more room in my vehicle to bring home the treasures I find.