crystal grove diamond mine & campground

crystal grove diamond mine & campground印象

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  nosweatsoap

  So I needed a place to camp for a few days. I tried one place but it had outhouses instead of bathrooms and no phone or internet. I called this place and was assured they had phone service and internet. On the way there my sister called and said my mother had been taken to the ER (she is 86) . I really needed to stay connected in case I needed to fly home(1000 miles). When I got to Crystal Grove the owner was obviously unmoved about my concerns. Never smiled once. I paid for my site and then she said that there was phone service for my ATT a mile up the road. I had no bars and no internet of course at her location. I went up the road to Royal Mountain Campgrounds and had 5 bars and internet. I paid for a site and called Crystal Grove who refused to give me my money back even though I had not set foot on the campsite and had only paid 20 minutes previously. Royal Mountain campground is beautiful with caring and hospitable ownership, and cheaper than the rest by 10 dollars!! Good shower and bathrooms. Quiet and shady. My mother is fine BTW and I was able to call her in the hospital. Dont go to Crystal Grove Diamond Mine. royal mountain campgrounds are better by far.

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  glowingrocks

  I spent part of the holiday weekend at Crystal Grove Mine collecting Herkimer Diamond crystals.This is a family friendly fee for dig with tent and cabin camp sites.I always get some beautiful crystals when I go there.The whole place is clean and well kept.There are restrooms and showers.The rock shop has all kinds of rocks and minerals,mining tools,jewelry and of course Herkimer Diamonds.

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  SalemDavid

  My wife and I and our two kids have camped at Crystal Grove several times this sumer. We like the cleanliness of the campsites and the facilities (the showers are hot and clean and the bathrooms are also freshly painted and clean), the all-around hospitality of the owners and the other campers. It's definitely a place we plan on returning too.

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  triper45

  First time herkimer miners, my family of 4 camped here for the weekend. We had fun but didn't find much more than broken bits and small clusters in chucks of bedrock. We spent all day mining. The owner seemed more interested in doing his chores than helping out new miners. A friendly returning miner helped us out greatly. Without his advice I would have found nothing of value and would have ended my trip feeling very let down. If you are looking for the big haul don't come here. But if you are looking to have some fun and for a less crowded alternative to the other mines then this is a good choice.

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  vincentm952

  My family and I have been returning to the mine yearly now for 5 years. My children are now 14, 12 and 8. We love this place more each time we are there. Evan and Cecily are both extremely nice and very helpful. The camp and all amenities are always clean. The mine is always digable.It is hardwork but rewarding nonetheless. Going back again this year in August expecting to find the big ones!

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  camper4lyfe

  My wife and I just returned from our trip to Crystal Grove, and to be honest, we had a great time! The facilities were clean and nice. We stayed in one of their cabins which was clean and comfortable (and the ceiling fan was a lifesaver from the heat we've been having!).We actually had the mines to ourselves on Saturday, and the owners were quite friendly and helpful. He stopped by our cabin one night while we were outside just to chat and see how our day went. She wasn't terribly talkative, but still nice.Crystal Grove is the opposite of what you'll find at the KOA and Ace of Diamonds mines in Middleville. It's a small place run by the husband and wife and is NOT commercialized like the "big name" places. They strive to maintain a level of conservancy with the utilities by asking you to turn the lights off in the bathroom/showers when you're done, and by putting in sink and shower controls that must be held on. It's a challenge to shower one handed, but it's doable. If you've got little kids, be prepared to help them clean up as they won't be able to reach the shower controls.We opted for the "scavenger" method to find our diamonds, and actually had some pretty decent luck. The rains at night helped to uncover several good quality diamonds. A hammer and chisel will get you some nice ones from the many rocks inside the mine, as well.We both enjoyed our stay, and would consider returning, if only to avoid the commercialization of the other mines.

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  DebbieH940

  We have been to the mine and campground 4 times now and are planning our 5th this summer. We started going in 2006. We have alway had a great time and the owners are great people. We look forward to going back!

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  TheresaB496

  My hubby and I were just there this past Mon-Wed. ( July 16th-18th) short trip I know, but this is our first time digging for Herkimers. The campsites themselves were big, had more than enough room to park our auto, tent, the picnic table, fire ring etc.. We found the owners very kind and Evan was pretty darn funny! He told us what to look for and where some nice ones were just taken out not too long ago. We went where he told us and found some beautiful ones! It's alot of work but so well worth it. The bathrooms were nice and clean, same with the showers. The hot water from the showers felt pretty darn good after a day of pounding rocks.. lol Each time we needed ice, firewood or anything we were promptly greeted and taken care of right away. When the wife ( I'm sorry forgot your name!) she was very nice and took care of us with no problems... even though she only had use of one hand, her other one was broke and in a cast. I hope you heal quickly!! We had such a great time and loved meeting a group of women, all sisters. We are planning a second trip sometime in the Fall. I can't wait and at least then I won't have a big black boot from recent surgery to deal with!!! Oh one more thing their prices in their gift shop were VERY reasonable. I bought a glass "tube" to fill with some of the small ones for a necklace, it was only $3 ... the last day on our way home we stopped at Herkimer Diamond Mine and their prices were outrageous!!! the same tube was $8. yes EIGHT. They are making a killing I'm sure and I don't see the need for such prices. Anyway we'll be back to Crystal Grove! Thank You for taking such good care of us! Lon & Theresa

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  Sent2tell

  We have visited the other two mines previously, but liked this one a lot. It was small and not busy. The owner was not friendly or helpful at all until we paid our money, then she warmed up and answered our questions. The camp sites and cabins looked nice even though we did not stay there. We found lots of "diamonds".

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  seniorgoer

  just holes in the ground. The campsite has little in the way of amenities