For the active family craving an outdoor experience, you can’t go wrong with the natural beauty, luxury cabins, and family-friendly adventures beckoning from just around the Beavers Bend. From forest zip-lining to small-town festivals, hunting Bigfoot to riding horseback, fishing to kayaking and everything in between, McCurtain County is teeming with activity.
Here are ten ways to spend your family vacation in McCurtain County.
Fly through the forest
Rugaru Adventures in Broken Bow offers a breathtaking zip-line tour through the forest and over the lake. Hitting a peak speed of 35mph at heights of 60 feet, you’ll feel like a modern Tarzan as you fly across six different lines ranging from 300 to 1,100 feet in length.
Find a festival
McCurtain’s scenic countryside and its charming downtowns are the ideal hosting grounds for a variety of seasonal festivals, like the Idabel Fall Festival (which features a chili cookoff, live entertainment, arts and crafts) and the Dogwood Days Festival, celebrating the annual spring blooming of Idabel’s dogwood trees.
Ride horseback
Beavers Bend features thousands of acres of land available for horseback riding. From forested trails like the Beavers Bend Depot trail—an easy 2.5 miles, perfect for the kiddos—to lakeside rides along Broken Bow, the numerous ranches in McCurtain County offer plenty of options for family rides.
Hunt Bigfoot
Southeastern Oklahoma is Sasquatch Country, and Bigfoot enthusiasts converge in McCurtain and nearby counties year-round (most notably at the Honobia Bigfoot Festival every October) in search of the elusive cryptid of the Kiamichis. Tell your kids the legend of Bigfoot over a campfire and s’mores, then go on a fun hike through the woods in search of the furry fella.
Fish as a family
McCurtain County is an angler’s dream, and the place to bond as a family over bait, tackle, and a cool, clear stream. Fly fish for trout in the Mountain Fork River or cast for bass in the depths of Broken Bow Lake, or do both in the same day. With multiple bodies of water and a variety of fish populating them, there’s plenty of opportunity for fishing lessons—and life lessons about patience.
Play in town
Not all the fun you have in McCurtain County has to be outdoors or in nature. Idabel, Broken Bow and Hochatown offer fun family activities for those random days when inclement weather intrudes, or you just need an AC break. Roller skate, play bingo, or put your noggins together for a thrilling game of escape.
Count the Constellations
Stargazing is one of the best things about a McCurtain County getaway—if you’re from the city, you probably haven’t seen the glowing brilliance of a night sky like this in quite a while. Lounge outside of your cabin as a family and forego the campfire one night in favor of starlight. Quiz your kids about the constellations and marvel at how much more they know than you.
Pizza and Fudge
Two things everyone loves—especially kids. The Grateful Head in Broken Bow features mind-blowing artisan pizza, icy mugs of root beer (or local craft beer for mom and dad), a spacious outdoor deck and a fun, casual atmosphere perfect for family-friendly indulgence. After pizza, double down on the delicious and swing by Whipporwill Fudge Factory & Sweet Shoppe for a truly magical selection of fresh-made cream & butter fudge, or hit We Fudge a Little and Coffee a Lot for a killer combo of gourmet fudge and java.
Play in (or on) the water
With numerous bodies of water—lakes, rivers, creeks, streams, you name it—families who love the life aquatic will be in heaven. Boat, canoe, kayak, water ski, jet ski, or scuba dive—if you can think of a watersport, McCurtain County probably has it.
Unwind in the cabin
After so much adventure in the woods, at the lake, and in town, you might wanna take a lazy day as a fam and chill in front of Netflix or with a board game. The luxury cabins in McCurtain County make it easy to stay inside; these sprawling, fully furnished lodges are all rustic charm and woodgrain, and feature most creature comfort amenities you could hope for—including wi-fi, state-of-the-art kitchens, flatscreen televisions, entertainment rooms, and hot tubs.
Sold yet? A family vacation to McCurtain County is an adventure you and the kiddos won’t soon forget. Start planning your next McCurtain getaway below.
