Turner Falls

This article is about the waterfall and park in Oklahoma. For a village in Massachusetts with a similar name, see Turners Falls, Massachusetts.
Turner Falls

Turner Falls Park
Location Turner Falls Park, Interstate 35, Davis, Oklahoma
Type Fan
Total height 77 ft.

Turner Falls, at 77 feet (23 m), is locally considered Oklahoma's tallest waterfall,[1] although its height matches one in Natural Falls State Park.[2] The falls are located on Honey Creek in the Arbuckle Mountains in south central Oklahoma, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Davis.[3][4]

History

Mazeppa Thomas Turner, a Scottish immigrant farmer who married Laura Johnson, a Chickasaw woman, settled in the area in 1878 and discovered the falls.The falls were named for him.[4][5]

Recreational use began in or before 1868. Today, the falls are part of Turner Falls Park, a city park operated by the city of Davis, Oklahoma.[5] The Falls cascade into a natural swimming pool, one of two such pools within the park,[1] and these are popular tourist destinations in the summer.[6]

The city of Davis acquired the park in 1919 and operated it until 1950. It then leased the facility to other interests until 1978, when it resumed control.[4]

The park covers 1,500 acres (6.1 km2), and also contains nature trails, caves and other interesting geological features. It also has a walk-in castle[1] which was built in the 1930s.

Popularity

The venue can be crowded in summer. Reviews of the location at TripAdvisor give an average score of 3 out of 5, but express a wide range of opinions.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Turner Falls Park, Davis, Oklahoma, Chamber of Commerce
  2. ↑ "Oklahoma Waterfall Study underway". Oklahoma's Own. News on 6 Now. March 9, 2010. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012. ...several waterfalls could surpass Natural Falls and Turner Falls as Oklahoma's tallest.
  3. ↑ Turner Falls Park, retrieved January 30, 2009
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sanchez, Joe. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Turner Falls." Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 History on official website, retrieved January 30, 2009
  6. ↑ Turner Falls Location and Park Info, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department
  7. ↑ Turner Falls tourist reviews

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turner Falls.

Coordinates: 34°25′31″N 97°08′55″W / 34.42528°N 97.14861°W