Oklahoma - Here and There

2020 – Sightseeing Turner Falls, OK

November 3, 2020 grscott

Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas is a busy highway with non-stop traffic 24 hours a day. One interesting feature along the way is the short pull up and down the Arbuckle Mountains. It is at the top of that stretch of highway that Turner Falls is located. In the summertime this is a prime swimming location. There are deeper pools plus lots of neat wading areas. People swim right up to the falls. For us, on an early November day, it was all about the scenery. Turner Falls is a beautiful place. The touch of fall colors made the view even better.

We arrived on a Monday afternoon and, while there were others there, the place was nicely uncrowded. We took our time, taking lots of photos and enjoying the scenery. Turner Falls is easily accessible from I35; literally just a few minutes off the busy interstate. The cost of admission was reasonably low for senior adults paying the “winter rate.” During the summer the cost would be considerably higher for a family. The property has several campgrounds. I think we could get the motorhome into some of the spots okay although the hill up to the campground was fairly steep. There is no RV parking for people just wanting to do a day visit.

A couple of tips. First, we were there on a beautiful fall afternoon. With the sun lower in the western sky we found ourselves looking right into the sun to look at the falls and some of the other scenic spots. I was challenged to get good photos because all the ones I wanted to take were into the sun. It is still well worth the visit but I’m thinking the view would have been really good with the sun over my shoulder rather than into my face. Second, if you want a nice overview of the falls without paying the price of admission, check out the zip line place on Highway 77. The view from there is really good.

Turner Falls is a well known Oklahoma landmark and well worth a visit.

2019 – Belle Starr CoE – Lake Eufaula, OK

October 13, 2019 grscott

Belle Starr CoE is another great Corps of Engineers campground. It is located on Lake Eufaula in beautiful eastern Oklahoma, about 10 miles south of I40, just off of Highway 69. This campground has a lot going for it. Most of the campsites offer a lake view, in fact, a many of the sites are along the lake. We were in a section of good pull throughs that are long enough for any rig, and right along the lake. These sites are quite popular, so it might be a challenge to just arrive and snag one of them. There are also several spots that would be ideal for smaller rigs, each right on the water.

The soil is sandy here, so there are plenty of sandy beach areas. The sand, though, is also a negative for the campground due to considerable erosion caused by flooding over the past few years.

None of the campsites have a sewer connection. Many are water and electric, although not all have water. The section we were in had 50 amp electric service. While most of the sites seemed reasonably level, I noticed that a few were obviously sloping toward the lake. I had to do some leveling back to front, but, in general, our site was quite good. In fact, I’d say that this may have been our prettiest campsite of the year.

Our Verizon signal was good and, since aiming at the satellite was out over the lake, there was no problem seeing the satellites.

This is an outstanding campground for those traveling north and south on Highway 69 or east and west on I 40.

2018 – Shortstop – Warrior RV Park – Tulsa, OK

May 5, 2018January 26, 2024 grscott

We don’t do many one night stops. Our lifestyle as fulltimers is shorter moves and longer stays. When we were vacationers we did the opposite: longer moves and shorter stays. However, there are always exceptions so once in a while we do a “shortstop” of just a night or two. In this case we’re taking our Hitchhiker to its birthplace in Chanute, KS for some long overdue repairs and just needed a spot to land for the night. One plus for us is that we have some long time friends in Tulsa and we enjoyed some time with them.

All of that to say we did a one night stop in Tulsa at Warrior RV park. Really, it’s a nice place for a short stay; located right on I44 and near Hwy 75. This is an older park, mostly pull-throughs. Our site was barely long enough for pickup and hooked up camper. All the connections are at the back of the site so I had to get out an extra water hose and add a sewer hose connection. The water connect is underground. I had to get down on my knees to connect the water hose.

The owners are friendly and accomodating. I asked about parking and they directed me to some nearby sites that they didn’t expect to use and told me that any of them are fine. They also offered to help me hook up the water if I was having trouble getting to the spigot. Yes, you can hear the traffic, but when you pick an RV park beside an interstate you can’t expect much else. The restrooms are older. When we were there they needed cleaning, but it looked like the need was the result of recent activity. Our Verizon signal was good, campground WiFi worked fine, and I had no problem getting a satellite TV signal.

If you are visiting Tulsa and need a spot or traveling across Oklahoma and just want a stop for a night or two, this is a good place to land.

See individual photos with notes here.

2017 – Shortstop: Roadrunner RV Park, Oklahoma City, OK

September 20, 2017 grscott

Roadrunner RV Park in Oklahoma City, OK gets good reviews and we agree. While this is no tranquil, picturesque campground it is a clean, efficient, well-planned urban RV Park. The roads are good and the campsites, while not spacious, are big enough. Most sites are pull through spots that, again, are just long enough. There’s nice grass between sites and excellent utility hookups. The park has a new office and meeting space. The restrooms are as nice as you’ll find. We didn’t hook up to the cable TV but the WiFi performed well except for an overnight issue that was resolved the next morning. The campground even has new underground tornado shelters.

The campground has recently expanded and with that expansion a new entrance was added. Access is now right off of the I35 north feeder road. Just watch for the big campground sign. This is, of course, Oklahoma City so there is both traffic and the noise it brings. There is also the convenience of being close to most everything. The price reflects the location, but, really we’ve paid more. If you need a spot in OKC, this is it.

See individual photos with captions here.

2017 – Coon Creek Cove Campground – Kaw City, OK

September 18, 2017 grscott

Coon Creek Cove Campground is a Corps of Engineers campground located on Kaw Lake, just east of Ponca City, OK. The campground is situated on a finger of land, affording water views to nearly every campsite. Several have water access. The campground roads are paved and the sites are gravel. Each site has a covered picnic table and fire pit. They are reasonably level, mostly with shade, and 30 amp electric and water. There are no full hookup spots. We arrived on a weekend and the place was nearly full with lots of people fishing, boating, and jet skiing. Several children were playing in the water. By Sunday night most everyone had left and there were lots of prime sites available to travelers. Generally speaking, the sites looking out over the lake itself are on a bluff. Those on the cove are closer to water level. We were mildly disappointed that the weeds between us and the lake on our bluff side spot were tall enough to obstruct what would have been great lake views.

I had no problem getting satellite TV and my Verizon 4G was weak but usable.

Probably the biggest negative to this campground is getting to it. It is about 30 miles from I35 and the roads get increasingly rough, narrow, and hilly as you travel. Whether or not traveling these roads is worthwhile for you depends on how long you plan to stay and how much you enjoy a lakeside campground.

See individual photos with captions here.