Photographing Alley Spring: Red Mill, Turquoise Water, Pure 573 Ozarks
- Thomas Smugala
- 25 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The water of the 573 is the best thing about living here—crystal clear and no smell. The pure water is wonderfully delicious. We are off to Alley Spring for a photo editorial. Time to get your feet wet.
Alley Spring sits deep in the Ozarks just six miles west of Eminence on Highway 106, inside the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The first thing you see is the red mill. It stands bright against the trees and the blue water. Photographers have loved this place forever. The mill even appeared on the 2017 America the Beautiful quarter. Walking around the spring, every step gives you a new picture.
The historic Alley Spring Mill (1894)
The mill was built in 1894. George Washington McCaskill built it to grind grain for local farms. An older mill stood here before that, as early as 1868. When the mill is open, you can walk inside. Rangers often give short talks. You see the old turbine that once used the spring’s power. Light falls through the windows onto the floors. It is a good place for quiet shots of gears, beams, and the view back toward the water.
Seventh-largest spring in Missouri. 81 million?
Just behind the mill, Alley Spring pours out of the earth. About 81 million gallons of water come out every day. That makes it the seventh-largest spring in Missouri. The water stays around 57 degrees year-round. It looks turquoise because minerals from the rock dissolve in it. The spring comes from a long cave system under the hills. Rain that falls miles away travels through the rock and comes out here. The surface is the real show.
Best photo walk: the spring pool trail.
A short trail circles the spring pool. It is only about a third of a mile. The path hugs a tall rock wall and follows the water's edge. Look down, and you see the mill’s red walls in the pool. Trees lean over and double themselves in the glass-still spots. In other places, the water moves and breaks the picture into ripples. Morning and late afternoon are best. Soft light makes the blue deeper and the red warmer.
The 2017 Ozark National Scenic Riverways quarter (part of the America the Beautiful Quarters series) features Alley Spring.
Spring branch to the Jacks Fork River.
The same easy trail continues along the spring branch. The water leaves the pool, rushes over old stone, and flows into a clear stream. Keep walking, and it dumps into the Jacks Fork River. You can stop on the little bridges and shoot the current as it slides over the stones.
Overlook Trail—It starts near the mill and climbs the bluff.
If you want more, take the Overlook Trail. It starts near the mill and climbs the bluff. The first part is steep. Then the path levels out on the ridge. From the overlook, you look down on the whole scene: the red mill, the blue pool, and the green valley. It is one of the best wide shots in the Ozarks. The loop is a little more than a mile. It takes you through oak and pine woods, then back down along the branch.
Stay as long as the light lasts. The mill, the spring, and the trails keep changing as clouds move and the sun drops. Alley Spring is simple and strong. It does not need much extra. Just bring your camera, walk slowly, and let the water and the red mill do the rest.
GET OUT THERE!
Take a hike. Make a photograph. Do something. Do anything. Get out there, that sunken sofa won't miss you—time's a-wasting!
—Pics & Words by T. Smugala.
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