Natural Falls State Park, just over the Arkansas border in Oklahoma, was the setting of the 1974 movie version of How the Red Fern Grows.
It seemed a little pricey for a state park at first. There is a $10 per car day use fee. In fairness, though, you could easily pack a van with kids and picnic supplies and spend the whole day there.
There’s a playground surrounded by open fields, hiking trails, and creeks to splash in.
The jewel of the park is the beautiful 77 foot Dripping Springs waterfall.
The trail to the upper falls is gentle and accessible. It’s a fair distance from the main parking area, but a there is an adjacent handicap parking area as well.
It’s a cool, lightly breezy trail, on this hot Oklahoma summer day; lush with wildflowers and wildlife.
A viewing platform at the end of the upper trail is overlooks the falls, the cliffs, and the bridges.
For a little more adventure, a steeper trail leads down to the lower falls and another viewing area complete with benches and space to explore.
A quick stop today, as we move from rambling into the business mode of this trip, but definitely on the top of the list to visit again with more time.
Rambling ... 