School may be in session, but the summer’s not over yet! We’re squeezing in every last bit of summertime adventures before the leaves fall and the days become shorter. With temps continuing to hover in the mid-to-high 80’s, there’s still time to make a splash in the Little Niagra Falls at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
We’ve visited the Chickasaw National Recreation Area several times before. This time we decided to bring a few friends along for the ride! Out of our group of 8, only 4 had ever visited the swimming holes of “Little Niagra” (including me and Dirk). We went on a Sunday, so there were quite a few other families out enjoying a swim for the weekend. It was moderately crowded, but nothing like the crowds at Turner Falls just half an hour away on the west side of I-35 (FYI, we like Turner Falls too). Had we gone during the week we probably would’ve had the place to ourselves!
Fun for all, including the fur-kids
Since we became dog-parents, most of our traveling focuses on destinations where we can bring our pups. And this was no exception. Loki, our pit bull, tends to get overexcited around big crowds, especially when he sees other dogs. So we chose a spot on the opposite side of the creek from the picnic areas where we could have more space to roam and less people to work around. Loki must have been a fish in another life, because that boy LOVES TO SWIM!!! As soon as our friends got on their floats, Loki hurtled into the water to chase after them, while I trailed behind trying to keep up.
Kona, our little smarty pants, is exactly the opposite. She refuses to step foot in any water unless she can visibly see her footing. She’ll stand at the very edge, reach a paw as far as she possibly can, making sure it’s shallow enough for her to touch the bottom. She will run and play in the shallows all day, but she stays far away from deep water.
Pics or it didn’t happen
Our group migrated a couple of times until we found the perfect spot downstream. Shallow water for the dogs to play in, picnic tables to set our bags down, sunny while surrounded by trees, and hardly another person in sight. I won’t give you any more hints, you’ll just have to go find it for yourself! We have an unspoken rule that while we’re enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, we try not to be distracted with phones or photos. We did, however, manage to snap a couple of last-minute pictures & video before we left for the day.
If you’re looking for a quick day-trip within a 2-hr drive from OKC, we highly recommend the Little Niagra Falls at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area for all ages! Now that we’ve shared one of our favorite nature spots with the internet world, we ask that you please follow these simple rules:
- Leave it better than you found it!!! Pick up ALL of your trash, and any trash you see left behind by others. The earth needs US to take care of it.
- Respect nature!!! Do not disturb the landscape or animals.
- CLEAN UP after your pet!!! Sure, other animals may use the great outdoors as their personal bathroom, but that doesn’t mean your dog has to contribute. Plus, nobody wants to swim near or step in your dog’s poop.
- Be safe!!! Slipping on rocks and busting your head open will ruin the party. Use caution when exploring so you can keep the good times rolling.
