Natural Falls State Park, State park in Delaware County, Oklahoma.
Natural Falls State Park is a protected area in northeastern Oklahoma's Delaware County, where a 77-foot waterfall cascades through rock formations into a narrow V-shaped valley within the Ozark Highlands. The park offers campgrounds for recreational vehicles and tents, shower facilities, picnic areas, and several miles of trails through wooded terrain.
The land was known as Dripping Springs and remained in private hands until 1990. The state of Oklahoma then purchased the property and opened it as a public park.
The falls and valley appeared in the 1974 film adaptation of Where the Red Fern Grows. The park's Cherokee connection is marked by a memorial to local poet and artist Ronnie Pathkiller, and the Red Fern Reunion Center, named after the novel, hosts group gatherings.
Trails pass through damp areas with moss and slippery stones, so sturdy footwear helps. The main path to the waterfall is relatively short, but terrain can become muddy after rain.
The park can pump water from the pool below the falls back to the top, keeping the waterfall running all year. The stream also cools by about 10°F as it falls, and a graduate student from Oklahoma State University counted more than 18 fern varieties in the valley. A memorial to Cherokee poet and artist Ronnie Pathkiller stands in the park.
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