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Natural Dam Arkansas

Description:

Natural Dam is just what the name implies, a natural rock dam, located at the town of Natural Dam Arkansas.  The dam is nearly 200 feet wide and spans the width of Mountain Fork Creek where it runs into Lee Creek  You can easily view the dam without getting out of your vehicle , but the area features an excellent picnic area.  This is a very popular place for getting your feet wet and swimming during the hot summer months.

Cost:
There is no fee for this area, but it is for day use only, no camping and it closes at dark.

Best Time to Visit:

Anytime is good, great for fall colors

Where it is:

15 miles north of Van Buren in the Boston Mountain range of the Ozark Mountains, in the Ozark National Forest

Directions:

Take Exit-5 off I-40 at Van Buren and go north on Ark. 59. Turn left at the Natural Dam Community – the picnic area and waterfalls come into sight after making the turn.

Map:

Contact:

Boston Mountain Ranger District
P.O. Box 76,
Highway 23 North
Ozark, AR 72949
(479) 667-2191
Crawford County Sheriff   911 or 479-474-2261

Physical Address:2137 Natural Dam Road, Natural Dam, AR 72948

Tips for the Photographer

Equipment:

The Dam can be photographed easily with most any camera and a normal lens.  A tripod is needed to keep the camera steady while shooting a long exposure to blur the water.  A polarizing filter to saturate color and cut reflections on the water.  During bright light you may also need neutral density filters to cut the light passing through the lens to enable a long exposure.

What to Photograph:

The waterfall, the surrounding forest and creek also contain great scenery.

Photography Tips:

Please read my article on shooting waterfalls.http://blog.gregdisch.com/2009/03/22/how-to-shooot-waterfalls/

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More Photographic Destinations in Arkansas:

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All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.  

Great Places for Great Photos

 

Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!

 
 

Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.

Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.

All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.

If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance.

2 Comments
  1. A wonderful part of the country that doesn’t get enough press.
    Thank you!