Maggie D.
Yelp
This was my first ever National Park! I actually thought this was a state park until we got there... makes you wonder what other National Parks are out there that are less well-known than some of the most popular ones.
I was actually really impressed all-around with this place. I was surprised at how extensive it was. It seemed like the water fun just kept going and going! It almost felt like some sort of semi-peaceful nature water park.
One thing I really loved was how it wasn't just one swimming hole, but multiple (so many that I don't even know how many). Seriously it felt like it was just one after another after another. And pretty much ALL of them were good quality, and deep enough to actually swim. There were also shallower parts too, but I'd say most of it was actually a bit deeper than the average creek. There were even multiple waterfalls. The basic layout seemed to be: swimming hole, creek, waterfall (or small waterslide), repeat. There are also tons of hiking trails in the park. Some are larger like more of the main trail, and some break off and loop out from the larger path. Plenty of parking and some picnic tables depending on where you are in the park too. I also saw some places that groups of people had set up camp.
The coolest part is that so much of it is truly all natural, particularly all of the many waterfalls/ waterslides. Some parts were man-made like one or two retaining walls, but other than that everything was just how it was from natural processes.
The water itself was so nice! Definitely on the cold side - I think that has to do with the fact that it comes from a spring from the ground. The water seemed clean, especially compared to many other places, and very refreshing. In fact, they say that the because of the mineral content of the water here (from passing up through many layers of rocks, etc) even has "healing" powers. I can see it! You could almost feel that sort of vibe throughout, and it was easy to imagine people making use of the creek and its waters in more ancient times like that. Pretty interesting to think about.
Most areas (like each swimming hole and trail) are labeled, but not everything. Most things aren't even indicated on the map, which shows just how much there is there... but it would be helpful if more spots were on the map! There are also some informational labels, particularly on the trails, which were cool.
The main/ most popular place is probably Little Niagara. That was the first place we went and it was busier than others. It had a decent sized waterfall that many people (mostly of the younger crowd) were jumping off from. Decently deep area. It also leads to many of the rock waterslides I mentioned earlier if you walk through the water and follow the flow of the stream. The current there could be kind of strong, but not scary. Little Niagara was good, but I think my favorite spots ended up being Buffalo Springs and Panther Falls.
Buffalo Springs is about a mile and a half hike (total - there and back) from the Nature Center. We were surprised that we were the only ones there at the time. Super peaceful!!! It was surrounded by a ring of rocks and fed through a small opening which was a waterfall. You can't swim there, but because the water in that rock ring "pool" was shallow and clear, you could totally see the water coming up (or, "springing" up) from the ground. It was SO cool!!! I feel like you don't often get to see nature in action quite like that.
Panther Falls was a deeper swimming hole all over, but I could still touch in many places. It had two main features. One was a higher ground that people could jump off of, which seemed higher than other spots. The other was a wall (manmade) that on one end became a waterfall and on the other they had added a second level to create a bench. Sitting on that second level with the wall as the back of the bench, the water probably went up to somewhere between my elbows and shoulders.
We also enjoyed talking to the people at the Travertine Nature Center, especially ranger James Christie, who was also local and a part of the Chickasaw Nation. He was super cool and answered all our questions. He even told us people have tried to take away the National Park status, which after experiencing it, would be such a shame! I definitely think it deserves it!!! And how cool that it's right here in Oklahoma?!
As you can tell from the length of this review (sorry, but so much to say... and more I probably didn't!), this is a great place. They have clearly put a lot of thought into making it all work, making it informational, and making it fun. It is also clear they make sure it is well-kept and nice looking. I wish I had been able to take more pictures! We were there in the middle of the week, which was busy but not overly crowded like I assume weekends are. We spent several hours there among two days, and still didn't see most of it. I would 100% like to go back some time!
