Natural Falls State Park in Northeastern Oklahoma, known by locals as Dripping Springs Falls, is home to the beautiful 77 foot waterfall, which is one of the tallest and most accessible in the region. This was also the location for the filming of Where the Red Fern Grows. The story of a young boy growing up in Oklahoma during the hard times of the Great Depression, the movie is an American classic.
What to Photograph:
The primary subject here is of course the 77′ waterfall, which can be photographed from the top and the bottom. The bottom of the falls is a hidden and serene spot, some say is one of the most bueatiful in Oklahoma.
Natural Falls State Park affords an opportunity to observe a variety of plant and animal life. The dense forest includes maples, chinquapin and white oaks, while plants such as flowering dogwood, sassafras, coral berry, spicebush, redbed, and pawpaw blanket the cool forest floor. The waterfall creates a moist environment where ferns, mosses, and liverworts thrive.
Best Time for Photographers:
Spring is to the time of the year to photography waterfalls in this part of the country, due to the spring rains and a greater flow of water. Fall is another great time to capture the colors of the season. The park is open year round from 8:30 pm till 5:00 pm seven days a week. Hours are subject to change with the season and current daylight hours. Campers are allowed in the park 24 hours a day.
Photos:
Below is a self running slide show of images. If you mouse over the images you will have forward and back arrows, and the photo caption will appear at the top. At the bottom are additional controls and the filmstrip to go directly to an image. The four arrow icon in the bottom right corner will run the show full screen, ESC key will return. By clicking on an image you will be taken to the image in the stock photo gallery where you may order prints or license the photo.
Where it is:
North Eastern Oklahoma close to the Arkansas border 6 miles west of West Siloam Springs AR on Hwy 412 and 1/8 mile south of Hwy 412.
Maps:
Click on map to enlarge
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Cost:
$4.00 per car addmission fee (does not include camping).
Links:
Location Contact Information:
Hwy 412 W
West Siloam Springs OK 74338
Phone: 918-422-5802
Fax: 918-422-0026
Email: naturalfalls@oklahomaparks.com
Nearest City or Town:
Silaom Springs AR
Facilities:
Picnic tables and grills can be found throughout the park. Campsites including 44 RV sites and 27 tent sites, and a comfort station with showers are also on site. The Red Fern Reunion Center is available for group functions. Other amenities include a three and a half mile hiking and nature trail, picnic shelter, volleyball, horseshoes, basketball court, catch and release fishing, playgrounds, and formal garden area. Pets are allowed on a leash only.(insert photo here)
Tips for the Photographer:
Equipment:
A moderate wide angle lens will be neccessary to shoot the entire water fall in one shot.
A camera that you can manually set the shutter speed and aperture will work the best. When shooting waterfalls we are basically doing everything wrong according to the auto programs that cameras have, so we need to manually override all settings.
If you wish to shoot for a blurred motion effect with the moving water you need to use a tripod and a cable release or the self timer on your camera.
Photography Tips:
Shooting waterfalls is one of those photo subjects that falls into a category pretty much its own as to the best time to shoot them. An overcast day with a gentle rain in the spring or fall following several days of rain. This will vary with location, but in many areas the flow of water dries up in the summer months and a waterfall without water is just a pile of rocks. Most waterfalls look better with a long exposure to make the water silky smooth (the main criteria being the amount of water flowing, the greater the flow the faster the shutter speed you can use and still get a great shot. With a low water flow, the long exposure makes it look like more water is flowing than really is.
Click here for more information on Photographing Waterfalls
Natural Falls State Park Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Oklahoma:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.