[LeaveWI]

Hi all- As a newbie to Oklahoma, I do have yet another question for the long time residents. Back when I lived in WI- I would sometimes take a 3-4 day weekend trip up north to sight see and go bicycling etc. It would be about a 5-6 hour drive from home. MY question is- when I do that in OK, where are good places to visit within that 4-6 hour window. a place with decent priced motels B/B, some nice scenic areas for hiking/biking. any size town will do, the northern WI towns were quaint and scenic with a lot of history and charm. Just looking for a simliar place in OK THanks for your help!!

[Synopsis]

For hiking and/or biking I would go to Southeastern Oklahoma, about a three hour drive from Tulsa, into the Ouachita Mountains.





There are some Bed and Breakfasts in the area around Broken Bow. Broken Bow would be more like a 3 1/2 hour drive from Tulsa.

Lago Vista Bed and Breakfast - Broken Bow, Oklahoma - BBOnline.com / Introduction

The Turning Leaf Inn - Broken Bow, Oklahoma - BBOnline.com / Introduction

Southeast Oklahoma Cabin Rentals- Travel and Lodging Directory- Area Businesses, Fishing guides, Teachers, Arts and Crafts and Festivals

Guthrie is a quaint little city North of OkC that is full of historic charm.

Check out this website for some cool places to go in Green Country.

Green Country Oklahoma, Play Your Heart Out!

I would look into Bartlesville as well. But for hiking and such, you can't beat the Ouachita Mountains in SE Oklahoma, just watch out for Black Bears.

[Goodpasture]

A nice weekend, in this heat, is about 45 minutes east of Owasso on Highway 20. 7 miles east of Salina is a private swimming hole called "Blue Hole." Spring fed, it will freeze you.....turn you blue in 100 degree temps.

Check out the various Illinois River activities at Tahlequah.....canoes, kayaks, fly fishing....diving in Tenkiller is a regional sport......

North Central Arkansas offers the Buffalo River recreational area. You can also find a pretty good place to hike and canoe at War Eagle in Arkansas.

[flintysooner]

Greenleaf park is great - really nice cabins - (to me).

I have not yet gotten to hike Black Mesa and that would be my first choice.

There a lot of really nice places in Oklahoma to visit and hike.

[eddie gein]

In southeastern Oklahoma there are about 300 miles of hiking/biking trails and a number of forest service roads. The epicenter of all of that is around Cedar Lake and Hodgoen which is south of Heavener. Also, there is a great trail system at Broken Bow lake that is about 26-30 miles. The Boren trail is pretty wide and probably passable this time of year.

If it were me I would go biking and not hiking this time of year as the ticks and horseflies are awful.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

A nice weekend, in this heat, is about 45 minutes east of Owasso on Highway 20. 7 miles east of Salina is a private swimming hole called "Blue Hole." Spring fed, it will freeze you.....turn you blue in 100 degree temps.

Check out the various Illinois River activities at Tahlequah.....canoes, kayaks, fly fishing....diving in Tenkiller is a regional sport......

North Central Arkansas offers the Buffalo River recreational area. You can also find a pretty good place to hike and canoe at War Eagle in Arkansas.

Those are some good suggestions as well; and a relatively short drive from Tulsa. The Illinois River is fantastic and diving at Tenkiller draws people to its clear waters from all around. Northwestern Arkansas and North Central Arkansas are also beautiful areas.

[Jammie]

Not a local, as you already know. But I've got to suggest Grove. I think you would like Grand Lake.

[Jess5]

Welcome to Oklahoma LeaveWI.

[okpondlady]

Come down to Lake Eufaula...... it is about an hour and a half SE of Tulsa. There is lots here.

[kg5vw]

My wife and I just got back from a 5 day trip from Ponca City to Mena, AR, to Murfreesboro, AR (Crater of Diamonds), to Broken Bow, and back to Ponca City. We took the motorcycle with us and rode the Talamina Scenic Byway, and pictures can't begin to do it justice. Even this time of year when it is so hot, the elevation of the mountain top hi way was 10 to 15 degrees cooler and the breeze was always blowing. I might add that we avoided the interstates and took back roads the entire way.

Some places I'd never been to and was surprised as to the size of the towns were 1) Shawnee, OK 2) Ada, OK 3) Poteau, OK 4) McAlester, OK. I've visited Poteau and Broken Bow a long time ago and it has changed drastically in 20 or so years, especially Broken Bow. I don't know if the money people in Texas are driving it, but Broken Bow has really become up scale and seems kind of pricey to me.

Ada was the really big surprise as it seemed to be a small town bursting at the seams with activity and growth. Reminded me a lot of Stillwater, but maybe a little older or less expensive maybe?

My next hot spot to go see is the Lawton area and the Arbuckles, or if I go west from Ponca City, I want to go to Alabaster Caverns and on out to the Gloss Mountains and do a horseback ride, and maybe on out to Guymon. If your into motorcycles, they have a 5 state run on Mother's day weekend starting in Guymon. I would like to re-visit the Grand Lake area but I think it might be getting too "up-scale" for me, even worse than Broken Bow.

In my humble opinion, Branson, MO is ruined forever. The charm and quaintness is lost to the corporate world and it reminds me of Southern California. Not that there aren't nice places in California (when they aren't on fire or shaking!), Northern California is absolutely beautiful from San Francisco North to Eureka.

The older I get the more I like to slow down and get off the interstate and look around. If I'm in a hurry and want to get there and back, you bet I'll take the interstate highway or turnpike. But if I really want to take it all in it's the roads less traveled for me!

Scott