Turner Falls Park in Oklahoma in Winter

TURNER FALLS PARK, OKLAHOMA (IN WINTER)

Turner Falls Park is open all year. During the Christmas Lights time of the year the park is decorated and no admission fee is charged for a display viewing drive through. The temperatures the day of this visit, on the first Saturday of the New Year, were in the 70s, almost nippy compared to the over 100 degrees of an August visit. But very pleasant compared to the January blizzards visiting Yankees up north.

If you're heading to Turner Falls you might want to visit nearby Lake Murray State Park.

Are you planning an Oklahoma Trip? Do you need a Travel Guide, or a Brochure about an Oklahoma Attraction like Turner Falls or Tulsa . Are you looking for information about Lodging or Camping? Do you need Maps with good directions? You will find all the Oklahoma Information you need by visiting one of the 12 Oklahoma Travel Information Centers located at convenient locations throughout Oklahoma.

The Turner Falls Overlook, looking down on Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

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At the overlook above Turner Falls Park, where during the Great Depression the CCC built a now unused trail to the valley floor. From this point the auto road makes a series of switchbacks to reach the entry to the park.

A zoomed view of Turner Falls and the swimming area at its base. No swimmers can be seen, unlike in August.

If January at Turner Falls Park is too cold for you,
visit in August

People climbing the cliff besides Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

There are people visible, however, and in odd locations not allowed during the crowded summer season, as you can see in this close-up. Note the location of the group of people half way up the cliff on the right. We will be there in a short while.

click here for a map of the Turner Falls Park area

Here we are looking at the entry to the park. In the background is the pay station where you enter. A footbridge leads across to the Blue Hole, a swimming area that seems to be free of swimmers this January afternoon.

For such a scenic area there are some very tacky touches, human-caused. Such as, at the entry there are strings of multi-colored banners of the sort you might expect to see at a run-down used car lot. Removing this sort of visual litter would seem to be a very cheap and easy aesthetic improvement.

The Blue Hole swimming area on Honey Creek at Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

A view from the footbridge looking at the Blue Hole. The hole looks much bluer than it did in Summer.

Turner Falls, swim, camp, hike at this 1,800 acre natrual wonder

Honey Creek in Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

Honey Creek ambling peacefully along, with redrock cliffs looking somewhat like scenery in Utah.

Honey Creek overflowing after a heavy winter rain in Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

To reach Turner Falls and the caves and the main part of the park you have to cross the raging torrent known as Honey Creek, here seen flooding across the road.

Taking a dip in Turner Falls Park's Honey Creek on a cold January day.

Well. It may be a nippy day in January, but while blizzards shiver Yankees up north, here in Oklahoma we see some early season Billy Bathers taking a wade through Honey Creek.

The Rock Castle at Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

The sign tells the short version story of The Castle of Turner Park.

"Inspired by Olde English Architecture the castle was constructed with Native materials in the early 1930's by Dr. Ellsworth C. Collings, a professor at Oklahoma University for many years. The structure served as the BAR-C Ranch headquarters as well as Dr. Collings summer home."

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Looking down on the Castle from the Overlook above Turner Falls Park, Oklahoma.

photo by Gar the Texan

A view of The Castle from the overlook above Turner Falls Park.

A steep rock stairway at the Castle in Turner Falls Park.

The steep stairs of The Castle can activate the stairophobia of those afflicted with that malady.

Inside one of the Rock Castle's rooms in Turner Falls Park.

A look in one of The Castle's rooms. The Castle has been neglected and has fallen in disrepair. It would seem that some of the substantial funds collected at the admission gate might go to preserving these unique buildings.

Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park Oklahoma.

Let's leave The Castle and walk on to Turner Falls.

The cave in the cliff beside Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park.

We said we'd get closer to this scene. And now we will. Midway up the cliff beside Turner Falls there is a cave. A treacherous trail not suitable for anyone with any fear of heights.

A young cliff climber making his way up the Turner Falls cliff.

This young Texan, not quite two years old, is making the treacherous trail to the cave look easy as he crawls his way over the obstacles. He made it over half way before his parents decided the next section should probably wait until he is a couple years older.

A Texan crawling through a hole in the Turner Falls cliff.

Here we see a significantly older Texan than the one above, crawling through one of the many holes in the cliff, in search of the one visible from ground level.

A window view of Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park Oklahoma.

photo by Gar the Texan

You can see this 'window' on Turner Falls in the cave photo above. Here we are looking directly out of the 'window' at Turner Falls.

Another small cave in the cliff beside Turner Falls.

This cave turned out not to be the one visible from below.

The cave by Turner Falls we spotted from the Turner Falls Overlook.

Finally, the right way to the cave first spotted from the overlook. The final narrow passageway to the cave entry is across a precipice that only the most steel nerved non-acrophobic individual would want to cross.

Garbage inside a cave in Turner Falls Park.

photo by Gar the Texan

Oklahomans seem to share with Texans a propensity to litter in unfortunate locations as we can see here, inside the cave. Maybe after making it to the cave no energy remained to pack out the garbage. Or maybe this was left by a Texan and we've unfairly maligned the tidy people of Oklahoma.

A view of Turner Falls from cave level.

At the very top of the cliff above Turner Falls. The lookout where we started our look at Turner Falls is on the Arbuckle Mountain peak in the background.

A brave mountain climber standing atop a pinnacle above Turner Falls.

A lone cliff climber stands atop a pinnacle directly above the top of Turner Falls.

Stairways leading to caves and overlooks above Turner Falls.

Above Turner Falls, trails and metal stairways lead to overlooks and caves.

Another metal stairway traversing the cliffs above Turner Falls.

The stairway leading to one of the entries into Outlaw Cave at Turner Falls Park.

The stairway leading to the entry to Turner Fall's Outlaw Cave. Entry from this side of the cave is through a very low passage which requires some agility and crawling on knees.

A dad leading his kids out of Outlaw Cave in Turner Falls Park.

Here we see a dad and two kids exiting the other side of Outlaw Cave.

Honey Creek picking up speed as it nears the Turner Falls dropoff.

Looking up the creek, away from Turner Falls. As Honey Creek nears the falls precipice it picks up speed and forms rapids. It is not known how many, if any, kayakers or inner tubers have mistakenly gone over the falls

Honey Creek before it goes over Turner Falls.

Looking down the creek, towards the falls drop-off. A very serene scene.

A pair of hikers hiking along the rapids of Honey Creek above Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park.

A pair of damsels, semi-lost, being trailguided, from behind, past the treacherous rapids area above the falls.

Indians heading toward Turner Falls in Turner Falls Park Oklahoma.

Looking down on the trail leading to Turner Falls, judging from appearances this would appear to be a group of Indians heading towards the falls; Indians not of the Native American sort. This would seem to indicate that Turner Falls is a international attraction.

The little cliff climber we'd seen earlier by Turner Falls, now heading out of Turner Falls Park.

And lastly, heading back to his car, we see the young Texan we saw cliff climbing earlier, leading his mom and dad back to their vehicle, stopping to wave at the camera above him.

You have Completed your Winter Visit to the Turner Falls Park

Go Back to Summer if you prefer it Significantly Warmer...

and Oklahoma

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