Broken Bow, OK

[LonghornJones 837]

Has anyone been here before and have any recommendations on any must-do's/don'ts? We have about 10 adults plus 5 kids (7 mos - 3 years old) going in May and all staying in the same house. We were going to rent a boat but decided not to due to the age of the kids. Hopefully we can visit the casino if time allows. More than anything we want to do relaxing activities, but I can's sit still for too long and would like options. We are there Friday - Sunday.

Is there a safe swimming hole?

Amazing hiking trails that are kid friendly?

Other things I haven't thought of?

[Bobby Light 76]

We went kayaking on the Mountain Fork River which was fun. DO NOT rent a canoe though, get kayaks, trust me. May want to leave the kids behind too.

[George 491]

Yeah...don’t go if they open the spillway. Went on a trip once and everyone spent more time upside down or pinned against something. Was miserable. 

Casino? Only one I’d been to was a glorified slot house. Haven’t been up in a few years though. 

[NoRagrets 1125]

Rented a houseboat there once. I highly recommended it. Beautiful lake and keeps you away from the locals. At least until the weekend. That's when the jet boat locals start to party.

[Spur08 382]

On 4/18/2018 at 9:18 AM, LonghornJones said:

Has anyone been here before and have any recommendations on any must-do's/don'ts? We have about 10 adults plus 5 kids (7 mos - 3 years old) going in May and all staying in the same house. We were going to rent a boat but decided not to due to the age of the kids. Hopefully we can visit the casino if time allows. More than anything we want to do relaxing activities, but I can's sit still for too long and would like options. We are there Friday - Sunday.

Is there a safe swimming hole?

Amazing hiking trails that are kid friendly?

Other things I haven't thought of?

We've got a trip here in 2 weeks with our 3 year old and my good buddy's, his wife, and 2 year old.  Any kid-friendly (non-COVID) activities you'd recommend?

[LonghornJones 837]

16 minutes ago, Spur08 said:

We've got a trip here in 2 weeks with our 3 year old and my good buddy's, his wife, and 2 year old.  Any kid-friendly (non-COVID) activities you'd recommend?

For how long? The train down by the river is probably ok Covid-wise. The kids will love it. We saw all sorts of wild life. That entire area near the train is nice even if you do not feel comfortable riding the train. It is a campground with RV's and campers, etc. with just a good feel during a sunny day. Is your friends wife hot? If so, yall may want to go swimming. Our house had a lot of activities so we really only left that one time. Great area.

[Spur08 382]

9 minutes ago, LonghornJones said:

For how long? The train down by the river is probably ok Covid-wise. The kids will love it. We saw all sorts of wild life. That entire area near the train is nice even if you do not feel comfortable riding the train. It is a campground with RV's and campers, etc. with just a good feel during a sunny day. Is your friends wife hot? If so, yall may want to go swimming. Our house had a lot of activities so we really only left that one time. Great area.

Friday to Sunday.  Well, she's pregnant -- which there's nothing wrong with but I usually avoid those categories on The 'Hub

[Both Tacos 1806]

Friday to Sunday.  Well, she's pregnant -- which there's nothing wrong with but I usually avoid those categories on The 'Hub

So she puts out.
Kids stuff - Fishing for trout at the spillway or other places along the river. There is a swimming hole, but be warned that it is freezing ass cold water no matter what time of year. Lots of hiking trails that are easy to difficult. Each cabin also has an outside firepit to roast marshmallows and some will have a hot tub.There is a go cart and putt-putt golf place at the base of the mountain.
Plenty of kid stuff to do.
Also, tent a pontoon boat and piddle around the lake for 1/2 day. Find a cove, tie off boat and go swimming.

[Al_4_ISU 12451]

Go downtown and buy a bottle.

[EE2B 1565]

Maybe your wife knows someone that lives in a double wide trailer that’s shaking dominos.

[Landomatic 3813]

Can't believe this had it's own thread to begin with.  Let alone, gets bumped 2 years later.

[TexanTraveling 42]

The answer is if you go to Oklahoma for any other reason other than to shit on OU's campus than you are part of the problem. Never go to Oklahoma. What the fuck is wrong with you. 

[Spur08 382]

The answer is if you go to Oklahoma for any other reason other than to shit on OU's campus than you are part of the problem. Never go to Oklahoma. What the fuck is wrong with you. 

It's hard times my man

[thunderlounge 7814]

On 5/18/2020 at 8:13 PM, TexanTraveling said:

The answer is if you go to Oklahoma for any other reason other than to shit on OU's campus than you are part of the problem. Never go to Oklahoma. What the fuck is wrong with you. 

 

Typically, yes. Exceptions to that? Absolutely. Oddly, it’s the same exception I have for Chicago. 

[NorthLoop 14183]

Yeah Beaver's Bend is the exception to the rule for Oklahoma. 

[ocugolf 1214]

Beaver’s Bend is beautiful. Broken Bow Lake is gorgeous. They’ve built a bunch of really really nice cabins. Hochatown has exploded with restaurants, bars, and stuff to do. The golf course at the state park is good. Idabel Country Club  (like 30 minutes away) is really fun. Doesn’t feel like you’re in Oklahoma. Lots of trails for hiking. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

[PilotsError 2286]

I was raised in Broken Arrow. That's all I got.

[markstanco 12571]

13 hours ago, ocugolf said:

Beaver’s Bend is beautiful. Broken Bow Lake is gorgeous. They’ve built a bunch of really really nice cabins. Hochatown has exploded with restaurants, bars, and stuff to do. The golf course at the state park is good. Idabel Country Club  (like 30 minutes away) is really fun. Doesn’t feel like you’re in Oklahoma. Lots of trails for hiking. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

All true.  I had a boat slip at the marina up until about 3 years ago.  Watch out for Sometimes Island near the marina if you are boating.  It is right by the campground.  

[jimmyjazz 45888]

14 hours ago, ocugolf said:

Beaver’s Bend is beautiful. 

Your Mom's Beaver's Bend isn't.

[BrazilHorn 6586]

Been there as my BIL used to live in OK City so our family and his met for ~4 days in a cabin by the lake. The kids had a great time tromping around the woods and going fishing. There are a couple of ok restaurants in town (this was pre-CV19 so who knows) but as far as a place to stay, it was pretty and the kids enjoyed it.

Greatful Head Pizza & Tap Room was decent if I recall

Shady Oaks for coffee (kind of only game in town) and sandwiches

 

[jimmyjazz 45888]

3 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Been there as my BIL used to live in OK City so our family and his met for ~4 days in a cabin by the lake. The kids had a great time tromping around the woods and going fishing. There are a couple of ok restaurants in town (this was pre-CV19 so who knows) but as far as a place to stay, it was pretty and the kids enjoyed it.

Greatful Head Pizza & Tap Room was decent if I recall

Shady Oaks for coffee (kind of only game in town) and sandwiches

 

This place sounds fucking miserable.

[BrazilHorn 6586]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

This place sounds fucking miserable.

It is good if you want to do jack shit but sit in back yard, let kids run around and get lyme disease while you drink a lot of bourbon because you cannot believe you are wasting 4 days in OK.

(although to be fair pizza place wasn't too bad)

[tfoolry 8201]

People watching at Greatful Head on weekend I was there a couple years ago was more entertaining than the zoo.  

[Assman 1830]

Bumping this.

Me and 2 buddies are going this weekend with wives and kids in tow.  That’s 6 adults and 8 kids in one cabin.  We’re renting a boat 1 day but are looking for something to do the other day.  Anything to kids occupied for a few hours while the adults get hammered?  Any putt-putt, go cart type places?  Good breweries?

[TankedBevo 2482]

1 hour ago, Assman said:

Bumping this.

Me and 2 buddies are going this weekend with wives and kids in tow.  That’s 6 adults and 8 kids in one cabin.  We’re renting a boat 1 day but are looking for something to do the other day.  Anything to kids occupied for a few hours while the adults get hammered?  Any putt-putt, go cart type places?  Good breweries?

I went about a month ago with wife and 5 year old and here's my findings.

The bad: There's a putt-putt and go kart place just north of broken bow proper in Hochatown but it's only about an hours worth of entertainment total. The "petting zoo" literally smells so bad we couldn't breathe and left right after one of the coked up goats flew off of a picnic table and rammed me in the back of the knee. Beaver's Bend Brewery is a pretty nice setup as far as entertaining but all the beers were poor to very poor.

 

The good: Beaver's Bend State Park is one of the most beautiful areas I've ever been. They have a trail that's good for the kiddos that's only about 1.5 miles and they have a forked off area that goes to a little over 3. If you can rent a boat I'd highly suggest a day out there on the lake. Girls Gone Wine is a nice place to drop all the wives off if they want to do something separate. Ate one night at the Blue Rooster which is about as good as the dining will get in the area. Depending on the kids ages there's a paintball place there too (Wild Hog). 

[Whatever 700]

We went Halloween weekend of ‘20. Stayed in Hochatown at a cabin called the Jolly Roger. There were around 20 of us in all and we had a blast. Did a guided fishing tour on Broken Bow Lake that was fun. That’s a beautiful lake. The kids loved the dinosaur and mining place. They all got to help the blacksmith work. Grateful Head was the only restaurant we tried. It was takeout and just fine. All other meals were cooked at the cabin. Watched Joseph Ossai sack Spencer Sanders to seal the game in OT while I was there, so it made the stay better since I had to share the cabin with a bunch of Sooners.

[Skipper 6128]

So for those that have been, any specific areas I should look at cabins, etc. on Air BNB.   We would have a 2 and 4 year old.  Would like to be close to water or trails, etc. they could just run around and explore.  Not familiar with area at all but looking for outdoors break from Dallas area end of summer or early fall.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Skipper

[sidis 9823]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:01 PM, Landomatic said:

Can't believe this had it's own thread to begin with.  Let alone, gets bumped 2 years later.

only thing that needs to be said in this thread.

[orange dream 1246]

I've been a couple of times and the whole thing seems like a huge Ponzi scheme to me.

If all you are looking for is a place in the woods to hang out and do nothing but "get away" then by all means you have your pick of hundreds (if not thousands) of houses (actually pretty nice ones) that are grouped (defeating the purpose of "getting away") in the middle of nowhere.  The water is generally a bit of a distance away (car ride, not hike), very few restaurants worth eating at and little else to do.

I'm stunned at how many $250k-500k cabins/houses there are up there and how many more are being built. It's been going on for at least a decade and it doesn't show signs of slowing down.

I'm curious what the resale market for those places is like.

[Skipper 6128]

On 8/9/2021 at 4:21 PM, orange dream said:

I've been a couple of times and the whole thing seems like a huge Ponzi scheme to me.

If all you are looking for is a place in the woods to hang out and do nothing but "get away" then by all means you have your pick of hundreds (if not thousands) of houses (actually pretty nice ones) that are grouped (defeating the purpose of "getting away") in the middle of nowhere.  The water is generally a bit of a distance away (car ride, not hike), very few restaurants worth eating at and little else to do.

 

Any other thoughts on similar locations a relatively short drive from DFW?  That's what I'm tasked with from the wife - some sort of pretty nice cabin in nature where our city kids can run around and explore, etc.   Closer water would be ideal.   May check out Turner Falls area as well.

[orange dream 1246]

The "pretty nice cabin" part will be the rub in most places. There are some great lake houses for rent around Possum Kingdom and Cedar Creek probably also Texoma.  The nice ones on the water are probably $600-$1,000 per night. Turner Falls is probably worth checking out but I don't know much about rentals around there.

Despite everything I said, renting one of those houses in Broken Bow for a long weekend will probably be exactly what you are looking for if the goal is just kicking around in the woods and letting the kids throw rocks at each other while having the possibility of getting poison ivy. 😳

The first time went our kids were younger and that's about all we did (mess around in the woods, find poison ivy and have smores, etc.) and it was OK.  We did do a canoe float trip that seems like it was alright now that I think about it.

Our more recent trip was the one that was kind of a dud as the now older kids wanted to "do something" and there really wasn't much to offer.