Mannford, Oklahoma: Creek County Frog Rock

Frog Rock is a little farther down road than the map says. It is painted bright green, with graffiti.

The Frog is a FRAUD!

About five miles outside Mannford, we found ourselves on a backwoods road with no signage and one rickety mother of a bridge. Hesitantly we crossed over, offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving and worked our way to Frog Road. We were venturing into EPIC territory; the post-pollywoggal amphibian actually has its own road!

We passed by a home with an impressive life-sized ceramic deer family and an old commode in the yard (got to love some lawn ornamentation!). Further on, suspended in the trees, old tires sported hand painted letters that read "NO TRESPASSING KEEP OUT." Undeterred, we arrived at the Frog. (Note: If you get to the appliances dumped off into the ravine, you've gone too far).

The Frog was a sight to behold. From high on his perch, he blankly stares out over his domain. We almost expected his brilliant white throat thingy to puff out with a loud croak.

Obviously, someone put a lot of love and care into the upkeep of the Frog, but we stood pondering whether it would have resembled a frog at all, if not for the paint job. After a great deal of study, we determined that the eye was the key to what made the impression work. If not for the eye, jutting unnaturally and majestically from the base, the formation would be just another big boulder on the edge of the road.

In awe, and wanting a closer look, we climbed the hill to look at Frog from all angles. He had been lovingly decorated all the way around his body and---HEY WAIT JUST A MINUTE MISTER! The Frog is a FRAUD. On the back side, it was clear that his eye -- the very essence of his froggly-ness -- had been constructed from wood and concrete! How many thousands of people have been duped by this counterfeit croaker and the scheming people of Creek County? How could this BE? We felt like the MythBusters of weird crap on the side of the road. The truth must be exposed.

Frog Rock with me, a 6'2" area native, standing in front of it to give it some scale.

This Frog Rock is far more spectacular than the one listed in Ada, Oklahoma. However, it is a bit out of the way. My friend and co-worker, Dr. Bruce Hoagland (and the photographer) wanted me to climb on its back. At the time I refused and I now realize that this was a mistake. One cannot truly appreciate the magnitude of this frog without some indication of scale. In reality, this is one damn big frog.