Discover Oklahoma: If you're into chasing waterfalls, state offers lots of options
Waterfalls always have held a special fascination for me, as they do for a lot of other people. The soothing and almost hypnotic quality of a waterfall's sound is universal, regardless of the size of the cascade. If you've never been to one in Oklahoma, you're missing out on something very unique.
At the edge of the precipice, the water from the stream begins a frantic rush, a leap into space, and hurtles 77 feet into the valley below. It is one of Oklahoma’s scenic wonders and can be found at Natural Falls State Park in West Siloam Springs. The water surges like the blood of the Earth through veins in the limestone cliff. In spite of its wild beginning, the end effect is quite serene.
The top of the falls offers a fantastic view; yet as you make your way to the section at the bottom, it feels like being in another part of the world.
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And if you have ever been there and the surrounding area looked familiar, it might be because certain scenes from the 1974 movie “Where the Red Fern Grows” were shot there. Of course the park offers such activities as hiking trails, volleyball, disc golf and a new playground area. RV camping, tent camping and yurts are available.
Like all worthwhile things, some waterfalls are not easy to find. Sometimes you must go off the beaten path, but the rewards are sweet. For all the mystical qualities we give them, waterfalls have a natural explanation, where rock and water come together in special places to create wonderful things.
The Blue River near Tishomingo is such a place. Here there are small waterfalls, but they are just as captivating as some of the larger ones in the state.
More of those small waterfalls and cascades can be found at Osage Hills State Park near Pawhuska. Also Bluestem Falls in Pawhuska makes for a wonderfully scenic place to stop and enjoy.
The one waterfall with which most people are probably familiar is Turner Falls, near Davis. Hugely popular on hot summer days and spectacular when the water runs high.
Other destinations with waterfalls include Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur, Medicine Park, Dripping Springs Lake Spillway in Okmulgee and the Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow. This is probably one of the favorite places to go fly fishing.
A spring-fed stream cascades and offers a tranquil and beautiful setting near the Three Springs Trail at Roman Nose State Park.
Whether they are large and majestic or small and elusive, there is something about waterfalls that inspires us, stirs us, refreshes us. Perhaps it is because we humans are composed mostly of water, and water does seek its level.
The words of poet Carl Sandburg eloquently expresses it: “Chatter of birds two by two raises a night song joining a litany of running water — sheer waters showing the russet of old stones, remembering many rains. And the long willows drowse on the shoulders of the running water and sleep from much music; joined songs of the day’s end, feathery throats and stony waters, in a choir chanting new psalms.”
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For a list of waterfalls, cascades and falls, go to Travelok.com.
Dino Lalli is the co-host and one of the feature reporters for the weekly television travel show "Discover Oklahoma."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Chasing waterfalls? Oklahoma offers many options
