My husband and I have visited the Beavers Bend area twice for our anniversary in November. The fall colors and cool temperatures always make for a relaxing and beautiful getaway. We finally decided to share the area with our daughters with a short Summer vacation. I wanted to share with you our vacation,Visiting Beavers Bend State Park with Family.
If you want to learn about our romantic getaway you can check out my post, P.S. I Love You Cabin.
Where We Stayed
My husband and I usually stay in or near Hochatown. For this trip, I came across a cabin that sets right above Mountain Fork River, River Top Cabins. It was a beautiful cabin that sets above the river with stairs and decks that lead to the river. They have kayaks that we could take out on the river, but the water was moving too fast for us to use them. Broken Bow Lake was releasing water into the river, which caused the river to be high and rushing. We still loved our stay there.
What We Did
Beavers Bend River Floats
We called one of the Canoe and Kayak rentals near our cabin, but they were not doing any float trips due to Broken Bow Lake being released into the river because of lake flooding. We came across Beavers Bend River Floats when we were exploring Beavers Bend State Park.
They do not take reservations, it’s first come first serve. The first day we checked it out, they told us to come back in two hours. We decided to do something else and came back the next day. We were able to jump on a bus right away. They drove us to a spot down the road about 2 miles and dropped us off. They unloaded the canoes for us (we rented two) and put them in the water. It can take between 1-2 hours to complete the trip.
The river is beautiful along with the surrounding scenery. We had fantastic weather too. The temperature was in the lower 80s. The river was not crowded, so that was really nice. My youngest daughter was 6 and my oldest 17. My youngest thought it was really neat until about 30 minutes in. Then she was done with it. Lol! It took us almost 2 hours to finish. My oldest daughter and I really loved the trip. My husband was done about 30 minutes before we got finished, he has a bad back. I’m glad we did the short easy trip because I’m not sure how my youngest and husband would have handled a long float trip.
Swimming/Visiting Broken Bow Lake
There is a nice little swim beach to go swimming at Beavers Bend State Park. My youngest daughter really had fun there. The water was cool and refreshing and not too crowded. It was a Tuesday in June, so that may be part of the reason. The water gets deep, but not too quickly. They have a snow cone stand and restrooms within walking distance. I did not get any photos of the swim area. You can find it on this map.
We also visited Broken Bow Lake. We did not get out on the water, but we drove around it and got out at a few spots to explore. You can rent lake equipment at the marina if you want to get out on the lake. It is a full-service marina that includes a store, boat slips, boat rentals, boat launch, repair service, gas dock, fishing guide service, and used boat sales. Whatever you need to get out on the lake, you can find it at Beavers Bend Marina.
Hiking Beavers Bend State Park
We did not do near as much hiking as we had planned, but there are so many hiking trails to chose from. You can go here to get a map and trail information for Beavers Bend State Park.
For a simple hike with lots of beautiful views go just past the spillway and down the hill. There is a small area to park and you can get out and walk down to the water as it flows into the river. It’s great for a nice quick hike or to go fishing. It is a bit steep walking down to the river, so smaller kids may not navigate this area well.
Here is another map of Beavers Bend State Park you might find helpful.
Fishing
There are lots of fishing spots at Beavers Bend State Park. We fished at the Park and from the deck of our cabin. A fishing excursion could include catching crappies, catfish, walleye, sunfish, white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and spotted bass. We did not catch anything, but we had fun.
You can also go on a fishing guided trip, like this one.
Don’t forget your fishing license. You can get more information on fishing at the lake such as fish species and bait to use here. You can also find a map that marks fishing spots in Beavers Bend State Park area.
Beavers Bend Mining Company
After doing our float trip and eating lunch, we headed over to Beavers Bend Mining Company to mine for jewels, fossils, or artifacts. Although my daughters only panned for jewels, fossils, and arrowheads, they also have a variety of other things to do. Your kids can ride a T-Rex, dust for fossils, make wax hands & jump on a pirate ship. My oldest daughter got to make a tiny sword just like a blacksmith.
The customer service was knowledgeable and super friendly. She knew a lot about the gemstones and fossils. I really enjoyed watching the girls and learning more about the things they discovered. They both really enjoyed this part of the trip.
Hanging Out at Our Cabin
Renting a cabin in the Beavers Bend area is one of my favorite things to do when we visit. They have so many cabin types to offer it’s amazing! Everyone is sure to find the perfect cabin for their family. You could honestly spend your entire trip at a cabin enjoying it and the nature surrounding you.
Cooking on the grill is a great way to experience the outdoors, while still having a comfy home to relax and cool off in. We picked up some fresh meat in Hochatown at Mountain Man Meat Market. They even have extras that you may need for your cookout! We purchased ribeyes, baked potatoes, and jalapenos wrapped in bacon.
Fishing off the deck was another fun thing we enjoyed at the cabin. Although the river was running too fast for us to catch anything. My youngest daughter enjoyed practicing.
Every evening we got in the hot tub. That was nice and relaxing. I always make sure there is a hot tub when I rent a cabin. It’s my favorite way to wind down.
Other things we enjoyed at the cabin.
- Building a fire in the fire pit and roasting marshmallows
- Playing horseshoes
- Playing frisbee
- Eating on the deck
- Watching the boaters speed by on the river
- Playing board and card games
- Watching tv on the covered deck
What We Ate and Drank in Hochatown
Grateful Head Pizza Oven and Taproom
We visit Grateful Head every time we are in Hochatown. They have delicious pizza and local beer on tap. Their soda is also good, and you get a souvenir cup to take home with you. Our favorite pizza to order is the Psychedelic Pizza. You can choose one of their pizzas or create your own.
The Blue Rooster
The Blue Rooster is the perfect place if you love everything fried! You can enjoy Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish, Fried Shrimp, Cold Beer, Drinks, Wine, Good People, Big Porches, and Live Music. We always love to get the fried shrimp and the fried shrimp po’boys. We’ve never tried the fried dessert pies, but I bet they are delicious! Great service.
Rolling Fork Takery
This was the first time we visited the Takery. They offer Natural Artisan Foods and super easy ordering convenience. Our food was great and we loved the friendly atmosphere and customer service. Expect to wait for your food, because everything is prepared fresh to order. I had the El Toro tacos and they were so good!
Adam and Eve’s Coffe Shop
Adam and Eve’s serves a lot more than coffee. They have quick breakfast foods like breakfast burritos, my husband and I enjoyed those last year. We stopped by and had a late lunch. They have delicious sandwiches and salads made to order. You can also order Rock Bottom Boys BBQ. We’ve never tried it, but it smells really good!
Hochatown Swamp Booger
Hochatown Swam Booker is our favorite place in Hochatown. We go here to get boba drinks! When you’ve been running all day, or just starting your day, this is the perfect place for a refreshing cool smoothie with boba. We stopped there three times on our trip. The owner is really nice and remembered my husband and me from our anniversary trip in November. They also have gifts, burgers, fudged, jerky and more. This is a must stop with your family.
Breweries and Wineries
Since we were on vacation with our kids, we did not spend much time and the breweries or wineries. We stopped at Beavers Bend Brewery because we had the Blonde Beaver at Grateful Head Pizza and wanted to try a few other beers, and take some with us to the cabin. Kids are allowed inside and they also have horseshoes and cornhole they can play outside.
My husband and I have visited every winery when just the two of us visited on our anniversary. This time we only stopped at Girls Gone Wine because they have a big gift shop we knew the girls would like. Both found things they wanted and so did me and my husband. I did try some wine and brought a few bottles to take home with me.
Conclusion
I love this little part of the state! Though it’s in Oklahoma, it is over a 6 hour drive for us to reach. I could probably visit it any time of the year and be happy. What’s your favorite getaway spot that is within driving distance in a day from your home?
You might also enjoy Unique Places in Oklahoma You Must Visit.
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