Turner Falls is a great spot almost any time of the year. From a summer swimming experience to a beautiful fall hike. It’s an easy straight drive from the Metroplex or South from OKC.
Turner Falls is a waterfall on Honey Creek in the Arbuckle Mountains of south-central Oklahoma, United States, 6 miles south of Davis. With a height of 77 feet, Turner Falls is locally considered Oklahoma's tallest waterfall, although its height matches one in Natural Falls State Park.
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.
Recreational use began in or before 1868. At the time, Turner Falls was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation.
Today, the falls are part of Turner Falls Park, a city park operated by the city of Davis, Oklahoma. The Falls cascade into a natural swimming pool, one of two such pools within the park, and these are popular tourist destinations in the summer.
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.
The park covers 1,500 acres, and also contains nature trails, caves and other interesting geological features. It also has a walk-in castle, originally built in the 1930s as a summer home for Dr. Ellsworth Collings, a professor and later Dean of the School of Education at the University of Oklahoma.
Turner Falls Tips & Tricks
Summer swimming takes patience
If you’re going in the summer to enjoy the water and the park, then be prepared for a crowd. It is a highly popular summer spot for locals because of cost and proximity. Pack food, drinks/water, sunscreen, plenty of towels, a change of shoes (and bags to put the wet ones in along with towels for the travel home). While there is parking you might have a bit of a walk depending on how crowded it is that day, as well as a small fee for entrance.
Take a hike while you’re there
While the falls and water are beautiful, and refreshing in the summer, there is more to see. Be prepared for a climb up and down as you traverse the rest of the area and another reason for a pair of dry shoes if you ventured into the water. Take a run through Dr. Ellsworth Collings ‘castle’ to the caves and other features of the park is well worth the time while you’re there. But, because the change in seasons creates a different view going back in the Fall for just the hike is also a good day trip.
Is there really a caste at Turner Falls?
Yes, there is a castle and was built in the early 30’s by Dr. Ellsworth Collings. The castle is based on Old English architecture and constructed with native stone and materials. The building served as The Bar C Ranch headquarters and as a summer home for Dr. Collings and his family.
Dr. Ellsworth C. Collings was a professor at the University of Oklahoma beginning in 1922 and became the dean of the School of Education in 1926. During his tenure, enrollment of the school rose from 100 to more than 1,000 students.
Collings was born in Missouri and went to the University of Missouri for his bachelor’s and master’s in education. He later obtained his doctorate at Columbia University in New York. (MIZ!)
Some other recommendations:
Food and drinks aren’t easily accessible near the park so come prepared. We always stop in Ardmore, OK and make sure we eat, get anything we need, make sure we have gas, bathroom, etc.
If you have the room, bring towels, extra shoes, chairs, sunscreen, and zip locks for your phone (or the waterproof carriers).
Plan for a full day on your trip - with the water, the hike, the sites, and the crowds depending on when you go - don’t rush.
Take a trip during the week if you can - especially after school starts.
Take a trip in the summer and fall - very different experiences.