I know when we lived in Wisconsin, September was the beginning of the end for camping. In September we were already thinking of winterizing the Travel Trailer. In Texas, the camping season is still going and actually can go all year round. Currently the day temperatures are still pushing 100 in the Dallas area. It’s time to head north to Oklahoma for some camping where we will get at least 10 degree cooler weather. So lets talk about Natural Falls State Park, near Colcord Oklahoma.
This trip was actually delayed because our German Shepherd Kendra in a matter of just a few days went from being a healthy dog to dying from cancer. She was undoubtedly one of the sweetest dogs we have had the privilege to parent. We were scheduled to go camping the week she died, and obviously we were in no mood to go camping, so we pushed this trip out over a month.
This will be the first trip with only one dog (Hannah) since 2001. It has always been Tammy and I and “the girls”. So this will be an interesting trip but one where Hannah is sure to get a lot of attention.
The campground is about five hours from our home. Oddly, the address was not really recognized by MapQuest or Waze but fortunately the Rams Garmin found it easily.
We left about 9:15 AM and we arrived about 3:00 PM with two stops for gas, and a quick potty break for Hannah.
Sunrise Over Natural Falls State Park
So, upon arrival, the beauty of this campground is a little overwhelming. The sites are spacious with plenty of room between trailers. The sites are paved and level. A huge bonus – there is actually grass at the sites. The grass may be just a tad long for my liking with a dog, but there is nice grass. There are a few sites that have full hook-up (like ours) and the rest have electric and water. Our service was 30 AMP which was not an issue as we didn’t plan on using more than one Air Conditioner.
Speaking of Air Conditioners, this is a very shady campground with plenty of trees so your AC is not going to run non-stop. The only issue you may have is not being able to get satellite reception if you are traveling with a dish for TV. It took me three days but I finally found a sweet spot at our site that worked. Don’t worry though, you can pick up a multitude of local channels on air TV.
Surprisingly, in 2017 this state park was actually on a list for potential closure. To close a park like this would be a shame. This is one of the most beautiful state parks around. Fortunately, they seem to be off the list – for now.
The Campground
Our campsite backed up to a ravine and it was just beautiful. The only real drawback here is perhaps the multitude of flies. So take a fly trap if you have one because you will need it. Seriously, this is not eat at the picnic table sort of environment. I actually saw a huge horse fly on Hannah and was able to swat it off without upsetting Her. Of course, this could be a seasonal issue and it certainly wouldn’t keep me from coming here.
Our Site
The Water Falls at this park are worth the trip. It’s a bit of a steep hike at times so I wouldn’t recommend taking a dog, one or both of you will probably get hurt.
The beginning of the trail to the falls
There are places you can sit and relax along the trail. It’s a short trail but would be a nice place to sit and have a quiet lunch. Each time Tammy and I went to the falls, we never saw another person. In addition, It feels about ten degrees cooler down next to the falls, which is a nice change.
The Natural Falls
If you have children, there are two large playgrounds. The Park also has a Volleyball net, Basketball Courts, Horseshoe pits, and a Frisbee golf course. Don’t worry there is plenty to do.
One of the Playground Areas
There is only one negative to this park. The Restrooms are rundown. As with most older state parks you have come to expect this, but this restroom was also pretty dirty. Rundown and clean to me is totally acceptable but rundown and dirty is not. Granted the people that frequented this restroom weren’t helping matters but it needs more attention than it is getting from the cleaning crew.
Natural Falls State Park is open year round for camping, but looking at the temperatures in December, it will get below freezing at night here. So, this would not be on our list for a new years camp out. However February through October would absolutely be fine for worry free camping.
To end on a positive note let me say that the staff here are the some of the nicest you will run across. They make the check in process quick and give you a lot of information about the park. This has probably been some of the best customer service we have experienced at a State Park.
Leave a Reply