Gunner Pool

From Blanchard Springs, we drove west a few miles to the recreation area at Gunner Pool, in the Ozark National Forest. The dirt road down there was a muddy mess thanks to the recent snow. In parts it was a ruddy path of thick orange mud, which left a thick coating on my car. I went to get it washed the day after - only for it snow six inches the following day.

At Gunner Pool, there is an old dam built by the CCC that creates a deep lake. The creek with the dam then flows into the nearby North Sylamore Creek, where the clear water flows past a huge bluff.


It was a cold winter day, and we had the area pretty much to ourselves.


We then drove over and parked near the dam. The water was high, and was cascading over the dam in a sheet of white water.


It was a little too cold out there that day for a picnic, so we didn't make use of this table. It did have a nice view overlooking the green waters of Gunner Pool.


It was getting a bit late, so it was time to head home. I thought it'd be quicker to drive over to Marshall and then take Hwy. 65 south. So we headed further west, past fields and forests that were still covered with several inches of snow. Zack had made fun of me for not having gotten any shots of a country road on this trip, so I pulled the car over and got this shot. This is a snowy Hwy. 14, rounding a bend as it heads towards Marshall.


And of course, I stopped to get a few shots of some barns along the way...


After getting onto Highway 65, we then headed south towards home. But we did make one last stop, at another waterfall located just off of the road near the town of Leslie. This was a man-made waterfall, along a dam that forms a lake along a fairly large creek. I have no idea what the dam is for, the only nearby business was a used-book store. But it did make for a nice waterfall.


We finally got back to Conway, where Zack, Caden and I stopped to get a dinner from a sushi place. It was a nice end to a long and busy day....