Summertime in Oklahoma can be sweltering. Luckily, there are limitless lake adventures to be had, and plenty of travel opportunities to whisk you away. Learn more about Oklahoma’s many bodies of water, study up on lake safety, discover some of our state’s hidden gems or plan a weekend getaway to a neighbor state.
Beat the heat at one of many Oklahoma lakes.
Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees:
Perhaps Oklahoma’s most popular lake, Grand offers 46,500 surface acres of aquatic fun in northeast Oklahoma. Dock a boat year-round or rent one for the weekend. Find recreation at nearby state parks and privately operated facilities. Parasailing and wakeboarding offer high-energy adventure.
Lake Murray:
In south-central Oklahoma near Ardmore, Murray is known for clear, spring-fed waters. Take Scenic Highway 775 to visit the parks, campgrounds, beaches and other facilities that surround the lake. Climb to the top of Tucker Tower for a beautiful view.
Broken Bow Lake:
In southeast Oklahoma near Broken Bow, the 14,000-surface acre lake is the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains, surrounded by Ouachita National Forrest. Beavers Bend State Park offers scenic campgrounds. Activities include horseback riding, train rides, kayaking, canoeing and fly fishing.
Lake Eufaula:
The water is sparkling and the scenery includes towering ancient forests, expanses of untouched prairie and majestic hills. More than 31,000 acres around the lake are public hunting areas. The two state parks have swim beaches, picnic areas, and restrooms with showers and campsites.
Lake Tenkiller:
Located on the Illinois River just south of Tahlequah, Tenkiller Scuba Park is a diver’s dream, with sunken vehicles, planes and boats awaiting exploration. Divers can also discover the remains of homesteads and artifacts from before the lake was formed. The water reaches 165 feet deep at its peak, and divers can try their luck at spearfishing for non-game fish. Diving pro shops offer training and equipment rentals.
REEL ‘EM IN
Lakes across the state offer excellent fishing adventures.
Monster catfish, bass, pre-historic paddlefish and crappie are favorites at Grand Lake.
Lake Texoma is made up of brackish waters, thanks to the saltwater Red River that leads into it. That provides an excellent habitat for striped bass, a species native to ocean waters that was introduced to the lake in the 1960s.
At Lake Eufaula, you’ll find bass, crappie, sunfish, catfish and walleye. There’s a kid’s pond, an enclosed fishing dock, a tackle shop and a marina.
Broken Bow Lake can support both trout and bass, which creates unique fishing opportunities.
The Mountain Fork River provides cool, clear water to the lake, perfect for fly fishing.
HIDDEN GEMS
Perhaps you’re a born-and-bred Oklahoman, or maybe a transplant whose been here a few years. Regardless of your Okie status, there are several not-so-well-known places and experiences inside our great state.
The much-heralded exhibit at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (running now) is one for the ages, but you can still get your fix of Mississippian culture at the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center. The mounds site, near the city of Spiro, is the only prehistoric American Indian archaeological site in the state that’s open to the public. Artifacts show that the Spiro people created an extensive trade network, a highly-developed religious center and a political system that controlled the entire region, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Exhibits at the Travertine Nature Center, which straddles the scenic Travertine Creek, highlight the ecosystem of southern Oklahoma, the water resources of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and the diversity of wildlife and plants in the park. Travertine Creek, which offers an invigorating swim on a hot summer’s day, winds along a 2.5-mile course from the nature center to Pavilion Springs.
The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is the largest protected piece of tallgrass prairie left on Earth (yes, you read that right). It offers wildlife watching opportunities and views of a variety of natural habitats, with more than 700 plants, 300 birds and 80 mammals making their home on this prairie. Drive the loop and check out the visitor center as part of your pilgrimage to nearby Pawhuska, home of the Pioneer Woman Mercantile.
Lucille’s Service Station near Hydro, once a popular stop on Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66, is no longer in operation, but visitors are welcome to stop for a photo. Lucille’s Roadhouse Diner in Weatherford was inspired by the service station.
Other gems to visit include Turner Falls, Alabaster Caverns, the Great Salt Plains, Medicine Park and the U.S.S. Batfish. Thank us later!
Visit Oklahoma Magazine for more Oklahoma adventure ideas!
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