Beavers Bend State Park

During Thanksgiving break we explored a bit north of Texas in Beavers Bend State Park, Oklahoma. The park is just outside Hochatown and Broken Bow, popular destinations for cabin rentals.

We stayed at the Lakeview Lodge, the official park lodge. Our room overlooked Broken Bow Lake. The lodge offered an included continental breakfast, trail maps and event info, and a small store. The lodge also has a great series of hiking trails connected to it.

We drove down Monday afternoon, checked into the lodge, and enjoyed dinner in downtown Broken Bow at Grateful Head Pizza Oven and Tap Room.

View of Broken Bow Lake from Lakeview Lodge

On day 2 we hiked the trails next to the Lakeview Lodge in the morning. There are 3 loops that join the Indian Nations Trail, all amounting to ~7 miles. We hiked the entire perimeter including the Indian Nationals Trail.

It was a beautiful, sunny, and peaceful morning as we barely saw anyone until we returned along the bank of Broken Bow lake with some great views of the water.

In the afternoon, we ventured down to the main part of the park in the Broken Bow area. The majority of the trails start from the Visitor Center, recognized as the Forest Heritage Center on most maps. The center offers what you would expect and has a great t-shirt collection.

We did the ~3 mile loop from the center starting with the Forest Heritage Trail, which connects to the Beaver Creek Trail and loops back on the Lookout Mountain Trail. The Lookout Mountain Trail had steep inclines through some pines which was a nice change of scenery overlooking Horseshoe Mountain. The last section traverses next to the highway and is a flat descent back to the center.

We spent our entire 3rd day at Beavers Bend in the Broken Bow area of the park.

In the morning, we did the ~2 mile Friends of Beavers Bend Trail. This is not listed on the official map online, but it is in the physical map that you can find at the lodge, heritage center, etc.

Fair warning, the Friends of Beavers Bend Trail has some very steep points and the trail markings can get a bit confusing at times. The highlight of the loop is the trail along the Spillway. There are some great waterfalls and colorful rock sheets. Just watch your step!

In the afternoon, we did the Deer Crossing Trail and the Cedar Bluff Nature Trail. This was about a ~5 mile loop in total.

The Deer Crossing Trailhead is just down the highway from the heritage center. There is a small lot across the highway at the Lookout Mountain Trail. Otherwise, you may have to park on the side of the road, or you could probably walk from the heritage center. The Deer Crossing Trail switchbacks up and down through the trees up to a peek with a view of the mountains.

Shortly after, the trail comes to a fork between the Skyline Trail and Cedar Bluff Nature Trail.

We turned right to hike the Cedar Bluff Nature Trail loop. On the way back to the Deer Crossing Trail, we were greeted with beautiful overlooks of the Mountain Fork River with plenty of benches and railings for the perfect photo opportunities.

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the trails that Beavers Bend had to offer. Great fall foliage, challenging inclines, and beautiful waterfalls and lakes. We were able to see and hike a lot in just 3 days. If we go back to Beavers Bend, we’ll plan to do the 7+ mile Skyline Trail.

All official park maps are now available in the OutdoorExplorer:TX app!

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