Blue Spring Awakening: Day Trip Photography—It Really Is That Color
- Thomas Smugala
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On a beautiful May morning, I packed up my camera bag and jumped in the car with my trusted hound at my side. The air was sweet with blooming fresh honeysuckle—the 573 was hittin’ all eight. I had packed my for fun Canon and a 24-70 zoom before heading south on Highway 67—I just needed a fun day, and I didn't care about being there at a golden hour or any of that nonsense. I was loaded for fun. This day trip to Blue Spring near Ellington had been on my hit list for a few years. I had been there once before, and I wanted to see the unusual blue water again—I was chasing the legendary deep blue turquoise spring-fed waters of the Ozarks and needed to know why all the images of Blue Spring always look so different—turns out we solved the mystery.
The color mystery of Blue Spring is cracked—it did take me a while to crack the code.
The drive to the spring transformed with every mile—my dog, head out the window, ears flopping in the wind. Sunlight filtered through the canopy as I rolled past Taum Sauk Mountain into more dense forests. I pulled over twice: once to make a few calls before cell service went out, and again for a misty valley vista along Route 106 right before the turn off onto the gravel road to the Blue Spring trailhead. The gravel road leading to the spring is a 2.5-mile trek on a steep, at times rough, road—wouldn't try this on a wet or raining day for sure. No way an RV would make it, but my low-to-the-ground sedan was just fine—actually paid off because trees had fallen and the forest service cut away just enough for a car to pass.
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways map shows the way to the beautiful Blue Spring. If you go into this area, you need that map as cell connection is spotting at best.
Arriving at the trailhead, dog and I shouldered up the camera bag and water and hit the trail. It’s a short hike along the Current River about a quarter-mile to the spring.
Suddenly, Blue Spring appeared like a living jewel. The massive spring pool glowed an impossible shade of cerulean and aquamarine, fed by millions of gallons of pure water surging from the earth each day. The water’s clarity was mesmerizing—every rock, fish, and aquatic plant visible in vivid detail.
When direct sunlight hits the spring, it turns a brilliant aquamarine.
How to get the best water color in your photography.
When the Spring falls into shadow, it turns a deep, rich cobalt blue—my favorite.
A short 1/4 mile hike along the Current River to the Spring.
I explored different angles and reflections. I made exposures of the constant, powerful flow into the Current River, the play of light on the limestone bluffs, and intimate shots of reflections of sky and trees on the surface. A great blue heron came swooping in and landed on the edge of the spring. He looked over, and dog caught his eye, and he was out of there in a flash. I didn’t even think about getting a photo of him—I just enjoyed the view.
My favorite thing is photographing the reflections—always look down past the obvious.
Glare on the water is always a thief unless you use it to your advantage.
This is the first time in 20 years of doing the 573 Magazine I post an image of myself—won't happen again. I'm the guy behind the curtain.
I sat on a rock wall for a while, reviewing images. I thought these images would be the perfect evidence to show people that the spring is actually colored so blue without any manipulations. The journey had delivered more than photographs—it offered a deep sense of peace in my heart. The hidden Blue Spring had given me something truly special. The waters of the 573 are the very reason I live here and will never leave.
It's so beautiful, it makes my eyes hurt. Why haven't you been there?
Blue Spring is located 14 miles west of Ellington. From Ellington take Highway 106 west 11 miles, turn left onto CR 106-535 (watch for signs), at Y stay right and go approx 2.5 miles on gravel. Park and walk to the spring.
Blue Spring was called “Spring of the Summer Sky” by the Osage Indians. It is approx. 310 feet deep. The depth is what gives it the vivid blue color. It is one of the deepest springs in the United States.
Special thanks to our good friends at Ellington—Slow down and enjoy.
Blue Spring is the 6th largest spring in the state with a daily discharge of 90 million gallons of water per day. The spring is so deep you could put the Statue of Liberty in the spring and her torch would be five feet below the surface of the water!
The spring is accessible via a short (1/4-mile) trail that at times runs alongside the Current River. There is parking, picnic tables, and bathrooms at the trailhead. The spring is also accessible by canoe, kayak, or boat.
It is so clear, but no way you can see the bottom.
The spring is owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation, but the land surrounding it belongs to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Originally the 17 acres around the spring was used for a lodge and retreat until 1960 when it was sold to the Conservation. Just upstream on the Current River is Owls Bend (now called Powder Mill). This area housed a mill and a river ferry which was the only way locals could cross the Current River until 1975.
No swimming in this spring. Just eye candy.
There is backcountry camping available at Powder Mill Recreation Area. Campsites provide a fire ring, picnic table and lantern hook. Vault bathrooms are on site. Powder Mill is a sunny campground right on the banks of the Current River. The Current River, the Ozark Trail, and Highway 106 make exploration easy. Visitors can enjoy swimming, floating, fishing, hiking, and great views of the river. A 1.5 mile trail connects to Blue Spring.
Get Out There! Visit somewhere. Grab your camera. Go for a hike. Sing at a spring. Do something. Do anything. Get out there, that sunken sofa won't miss you—time's a-wasting!
—Pics and words by Supreme Leader Smugala
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