Turner Falls
is a majestic waterfall nestled in an area described as the "Heart of the Arbuckles." Turner Falls Park is the oldest park in Oklahoma and provides outdoor recreation and adventure to its visitors. The park's overnight amenities include cabin rentals and campground facilities.
Identification
Turner Falls is the largest waterfall in Oklahoma, located in the Arbuckle Mountains. The area around the falls has been compared to the Grand Canyon and the Black Hills, in that the terrain provides a geological view into the past. Turner Falls Park is a family vacation destination that has picnic sites, cabins, RV hookups, hiking trails, natural swimming areas and beaches, Castle Rock, concessions and gift shops.
Features
Visitors can enjoy swimming at the base of the waterfall. Turner Falls' Blue Hole swimming area includes diving boards and natural rock slides, as well as a man-made slide. There are shallow swimming areas and water flowing over terraced rocky areas. Tube floating is allowed in some places.
Size
The Arbuckle Mountains rise to about 600 to 700 feet higher than the surrounding areas. Honey Creek runs through the mountains and cascades down a 77-foot-fall that creates Turner Falls. Turner Falls Park includes about 1500 acres, and has been a recreational area since 1868. The park includes three natural caves, and the area attracts geology students for its formations of conglomerates, limestone, granite, shale and sandstone.
Geography
Turner Falls is in Turner Falls Park, in Davis, Oklahoma. Davis is off Highway 35, in the southern-center portion of the state. The park is about 132 miles from Dallas. Visitors from Dallas travel north on Highway 35 and take exit 47 to Turner Falls Park. The trip from Oklahoma City is about 76 miles; visitors travel south on Highway 35 and take exit 51 for the park.
History
Turner Falls was named for Mazeppa Thomas Turner. Turner was born in Virginia and married a Chickasaw named Laura Johnson. He became a farmer in Murray County and in 1878 he and is wife settled in a cabin along Honey Creek. Turner discovered the nearby waterfall, which earned his name. The recreational area came under the ownership of the city of Davis in 1919. Davis operated the park until 1950, and then leased it out until 1978, when they resumed management of the area. Davis purchased 370 acres for the park from the Turner family in 1925, paying a reported sum of $17,000.
Tags: Turner Falls, Falls Park, Turner Falls Park, about miles, Arbuckle Mountains
