Discover outdoor adventure in McCurtain County, Okla.
What comes to mind when you think about Oklahoma? For me, it's the song from the musical of the same name, for sure, plus images such as dusty, hot prairies just waiting for a tornado, but I'm learning that I'm all wrong.
The state boasts 12 distinct ecosystems with geography that ranges from mesas and sand dunes to wetlands and waterfalls as well as four mountain ranges: Ouachitas, Arbuckles, Wichitas and the Ozarks.
Tucked into the southeastern section of the state is a place that's not only super-affordable, but one that LIFE Magazine named among its "100 Places to See in Your Lifetime" -- Beavers Bend in McCurtain County.
McCurtain County offers a wealth of outdoor adventure via Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow Lake, Pine Creek Lake, Mountain Fork and Glover Rivers and the popular Red Slough Wetland Reserve. The Broken Bow recreation area has 14,000 surface acres of water for boating and terrific fishing (and the lake's clear water attracts scuba divers) and Beavers Bend Resort Park provides opportunities for canoeing, boating, hiking and biking, golfing, camping, horseback riding, four-wheeling and more fishing. Cedar Creek Golf Course collects 4½ stars out of five from Golf Digest Magazine.
While most state parks in the country charge entry fees, Beavers Bend State Park is free and the entire county offers plenty of free and low-cost family adventure. With its towering trees, mountainous landscape and pristine waters, it's no wonder that Beavers Bend is affectionately called Oklahoma's "Little Smokies."
Bunk at Lakeview Lodge sitting high above Broken Bow Lake and you'll enjoy private decks overlooking the lake and complimentary breakfast by the fireplace in the Great Room. The park also offers 47 cabins, nestled in wooded groves overlooking the Mountain Fork River, that sleep two to six people and come equipped with kitchen and dining utensils, stove, refrigerator, linens and central heat and air. Most have fireplaces, but none have TVs, so tote some board games along. There are tent camping and RV sites as well as country cooking waiting in the Beavers Bend restaurant.
The on-site Forest Heritage Center and Museum (free admission) explains the logging story through dioramas created by Harry Rossell, the man who created Smokey Bear. There's an interpretive nature center and naturalists who offer programs from nature hikes and films to campfires on the river bank and astronomy outings. (Bald eagle migration and coordinating programs take place in the winter months.)
Call (800) 435-5514 or go to www.beaversbend.com for details on lodging, river float trips, miniature golf, picnic sites, fly-fishing clinics, guided horseback rides, hayrides, train rides and more.
The area boasts nine museums including the Museum of the Red River, home to an Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur found in McCurtain County. The facility offers gallery tours and children's activities that complement exhibits of native arts and crafts and natural history. Take a look at www.museumoftheredriver.org.
Other indoor family fun includes taking in an old-fashioned session of roller skating or a movie after dinner; visiting the Car Legends Museum to see a fine collection of '60s and '70s muscle cars; sampling barbecue and country cooking at area restaurants; and visiting the Beavers Bend Wildlife Museum that offers tours for kids and adults.
The entire county offers plenty of free family fun. You can watch a live radio show on Broadway Street; examine artifacts at the Indian Memorial Museum; visit the Waterfall Creek Pecan Farm in Idabel; feed goats at Honey Bear Ranch; watch a chain-saw-sculpting demonstration at the Hochatown Junction Station; listen to campfire stories at the Beavers Bend Amphitheater; and sample fudge at the town sweet shop.
You might want to visit during one of the yearly festivals. Summer brings the Kiamichi Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest and the Valliant Watermelon Festival, while autumn is celebrated with the Beavers Bend Folk Festival & Craft Show, Fall Fest and Lumberjack festival.
Get more ideas at www.mccurtaincountygetaways.com or call (800) 528-7337.