Beaver’s Bend is Booming
Scenic spots galore for fishing and hiking — great restaurants and wineries too
Choctaw Landing Casino & Resort
Oklahoma is like Wonderland: You won’t find it on a map. What you’ll find is an amorphous area encompassing the southeast corner of Oklahoma with Broken Bow Lake and Beavers Bend State Park as the catalysts for the region’s boom in popularity. Attractions are strung up and down U.S. 259 from Idabel to Hochatown.
The weekends are busiest and accommodations fill up well in advance. A new resort, Choctaw Landing Casino & Resort, is centrally situated and a great home base for a visit.
Day One
Morning – Have breakfast at the Tuklo Grill at the resort, then head to Beavers Bend State Park. A tree-lined drive — U.S. 59, just north of the resort — will take you over Broken Bow Dam and past a swimming beach to the Forest Heritage Center where you can pick up park information. Take time to tour the museum to learn history of the logging industry and see an impressive display of wood art.
A short hike on the Tree Trail will take you along the floodplain of Beaver Creek and back to your starting place near the Forest Heritage Center.
Mountain Fork River at Beavers Bend State Park
The Mountain Fork River below the dam is noted for its year-round fly fishing. If you’re a serious angler or want to learn, the Beavers Bend Fly Shop in the park provides great information and services.
Other park options include trail rides and a two-and-a-half mile train ride on a one-third size replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington train. Visit the Nature Center or try for an eagle on the park’s Cedar Creek Golf Course.
Afternoon – If you’re ready for lunch, Mountain Fork Brewery has great appetizers, salads, sandwiches and wood-fired pizza. Louisianians might want to try the boudin eggrolls. They’ll also offer you a taste of their beers — or order a flight.
Lucky Dog River Floats
To do your own wine tour, stop next door at Knotted Rope Winery, then head south to Girls Gone Wine, the area’s oldest winery. While you’re there, check out their shopping areas full of unique gifts you didn’t know you needed. Fish Tales Winery & Bistro, farther south, specializes in wines made from local muscadine grapes.
Evening – Grateful Head has a hippy vibe and great pizzas with hand-tossed crusts coated with house-made garlic butter. The brother-owners also have 20 beers on tap — soft drinks and sweet tea for the abstainers. Travelers with dogs enjoy the outdoor patio.
End the day in the Choctaw Landing Casino. This non-smoking facility offers 600 slots, several table games and a full bar.
Hand-tossed pizza at Grateful Head
Day Two
Morning – For breakfast, the fourth-generation, family-owned Stevens Gap Restaurant in Hochatown is a long-time favorite with locals. Fried catfish or chicken- fried steak are big favorites for lunch and dinner.
Thirty minutes south in Idabel, you’ll find one of Oklahoma’s best museums, the Museum of the Red River (opens at 10, closed Mondays). The collections include art and archaeology from around the world with an emphasis on indigenous cultures.
Afternoon – Papa Poblano’s in Broken Bow is noted for their great guacamole and more.
Get ready for some wet fun with a tubing trip with Lucky Dog River Floats. A serene one-and-a-half mile float will cool you off and relax you. A drier option would be an hour tour on Broken Bow Lake with The Broken Tiki. Enjoy the water and a little history on a pontoon party boat.
Area attractions include everything from mini golf, axe throwing, an escape room, a zip line and more — you won’t be bored.
Evening – Abendigo’s is the perfect spot for a final dinner. Noted for their steaks, it’s the area’s most upscale eatery.
Back at the resort, check to see what’s happening on the Cypress Lawn — could be sports or movies on a big screen or live music on the weekend. Another weekend possibility — Hester’s Theatre of Magic.
Whatever your interest, whatever the weather, there’s always something to do in Beavers Bend.
To learn more, visitbeaversbendcabincountry.com.
