Beavers Bend State Park

Beavers Bend State Park, nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of southeast Oklahoma along the crystal-clear Mountain Fork River, is one of Oklahoma’s most beloved outdoor destinations — a 3,522-acre park of dense mixed forest, dramatic river canyon, trout-stocked clear water and scenic mountain terrain, all anchored by Broken Bow Lake just downstream. It is among the most beautiful and popular parks in the southern Great Plains.

The park offers an extraordinary range of outdoor recreation: fly fishing and trout fishing in the cold, clear Mountain Fork, canoeing and kayaking the river, hiking on miles of mountain forest trails, wildlife watching, camping, glamping and comfortable resort-style cabins, a nature center, and spectacular fall foliage — the best in Oklahoma. The combination of mountains, clear water, dense forest and four-season outdoor recreation makes Beavers Bend a treasured icon of Oklahoma.

Beavers Bend offers fishing (the Mountain Fork is one of the premier trout streams in the southern plains, stocked with rainbow and brown trout), canoeing and kayaking the river, hiking on trails through the Ouachita Mountain forest (including the David Boren Hiking Trail), mountain biking, wildlife watching, camping (from tent sites to glamping and resort cabins), a nature center, train rides, mini golf, and some of the finest fall foliage in Oklahoma. Trout fishing, paddling the clear mountain river, hiking the forest trails and enjoying the fall color are the signature draws. Beavers Bend is exceptional for the southern plains.

Fall (October through November) is spectacular, when the Ouachita Mountain forest blazes with red, orange and gold — some of the best fall color in Oklahoma — while spring and summer offer lush green forest, warm water recreation and full services, and the trout fishing is excellent year-round (the Mountain Fork is cold and stocked). Winter is mild by Great Plains standards and quiet. Fall for foliage and summer for recreation are the highlights — come in October for the fall color (the park is packed — reserve well ahead), or the warmer months for the full river and trail experience.

The Mountain Fork River valley and the Ouachita Mountains of southeast Oklahoma are part of the homeland of the Choctaw Nation, whose territory this was. The area was settled and timbered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the park was developed in the 1930s with Civilian Conservation Corps labor, creating many of the cabins and facilities still in use. Broken Bow Dam downstream created Broken Bow Lake. Beavers Bend State Park preserves this beloved Ouachita Mountain river park and the CCC heritage, a treasured icon of Oklahoma.

Beavers Bend sits in the Ouachita Mountains, a folded-and-faulted mountain range formed by ancient tectonic collisions that pushed and folded layers of ocean sediment into mountains some 300 million years ago; the range is now eroded to its rocky, forested ridges and river valleys. The Mountain Fork River cuts through the mountain terrain, with its clear, cold water and gravel bars a product of the rocky mountain watershed above and the cold spring-fed tributaries. The ancient folded Ouachita Mountains, the clear mountain river and the rocky terrain created this forested mountain-park landscape.

Beavers Bend’s Ouachita Mountain forest is rich in wildlife — white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, wild turkeys, beavers, river otters, and a diverse birdlife of forest songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors and riparian species (including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker in the surrounding national forest), while the Mountain Fork holds stocked and native trout and native warm-water fish. The mountain forest, the river and the adjacent national forest support outstanding wildlife diversity. Beavers Bend offers excellent wildlife watching, birding and fishing.

Beavers Bend protects a remnant of the Ouachita Mountain mixed-pine-hardwood forest — shortleaf pine, oak, hickory and maple — a forest ecosystem of high biodiversity in the southern mountains, with the clear Mountain Fork River and its cold, gravel-bottom fish habitat sustained by the rocky mountain watershed. The park is surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. Fire management and protecting the river’s water quality and fish habitat are priorities. Protecting the forest, the river and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the beautiful mountain forest of Beavers Bend.

Beavers Bend State Park holds a treasured place among the icons of Oklahoma — the state’s most beloved mountain park, where Ouachita Mountain forest, clear trout streams, fall color and resort-style cabins come together on the homeland of the Choctaw Nation in the state’s gorgeous southeast corner. For generations of Oklahomans, Beavers Bend is ‘the mountains’ — the quintessential Oklahoma outdoor escape. Beavers Bend is a cherished natural icon of Oklahoma.

Beavers Bend State Park is in the Ouachita Mountains of southeast Oklahoma, near the town of Broken Bow in McCurtain County, off U.S. Highway 259 (about 15 miles north of Broken Bow). It is one of Oklahoma’s largest and most popular state parks, with resort cabins, camping, a nature center, trout hatchery, canoe launches, trails and full facilities; an entry fee applies, and cabins/camping reservations are essential (the park books up far in advance, especially in fall). The town of Broken Bow has full services. Check Oklahoma State Parks for rates, reservations and conditions well in advance.

Oklahoma State Parks manages Beavers Bend and the Mountain Fork River. Visitors help by protecting the river’s water quality (no pollutants, no litter in or near the water), following the fishing regulations (the Mountain Fork is a trophy-trout fishery with special rules), staying on designated trails to protect the forest, respecting wildlife (especially bears — store food properly), packing out everything, and following all park rules. The trout fishery, the forest and the river ecosystem are sensitive. Protecting the river, the forest and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the beautiful character of Beavers Bend.

The Mountain Fork River can rise rapidly after heavy rain and cold temperatures make the water cold even in summer — wear a life jacket when paddling, watch children near the river, and check conditions before paddling. The mountain forest has black bears — store food properly, never feed bears, and make noise on trails. Ticks are common in the woods; check thoroughly after hiking. Summer crowds are intense; the park gets very full. Respect the river conditions, the bears, the ticks, and the summer crowds (and make reservations far ahead).

An entry fee applies. Fishing the Mountain Fork requires a valid Oklahoma fishing license and adherence to the special trophy-trout regulations (check Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation for current rules — catch-and-release, bait and lure restrictions apply in designated sections). Wear a life jacket when paddling. Store food properly to protect bears. Camping and cabins require advance reservations (especially in fall). Stay on designated trails. Pets must be leashed. Drones are restricted. Pack out all trash. Check Oklahoma State Parks for reservations, fees and current regulations before visiting.

Broken Bow Lake (one of the clearest lakes in Oklahoma, just below the park, with boating and swimming), the town of Broken Bow, the Ouachita National Forest surrounding the park, the Hochatown area (a booming cabin-rental community near the park), and the scenic southeast Oklahoma mountains lie near Beavers Bend. The Ouachita Mountains and Broken Bow Lake define the region. Beavers Bend and Broken Bow anchor the outdoor experience of southeast Oklahoma, centerpieces of an Oklahoma mountain adventure, easily combined with the lake, the national forest and the Hochatown area.

Reserve your cabin or campsite at Beavers Bend far in advance — the park fills fast, especially for October fall foliage (one of Oklahoma’s best). Fly-fish or spin-fish the Mountain Fork for stocked rainbow and brown trout (one of the best trout fisheries in the southern plains — follow the special regulations), canoe the crystal-clear mountain river, hike the forest trails for fall color and wildlife, and explore nearby Broken Bow Lake for boating and swimming. Bring insect repellent, store food properly (bears are present), and take the forest-drive and waterfall trails to fully experience this Ouachita Mountain gem.