Oklahoma lakes (nearer to Tulsa)

[HoneySuckle]

Besides Grand Lake, and Tenkiller, which would you recommend for a weekend?

[Hoss]

Besides Grand Lake, and Tenkiller, which would you recommend for a weekend?

Skiatook isn't bad.  Nor is Eufaula or even Keystone.

[Conan71]

Are you looking for one with over-night accomodations near the water (i.e. a lodge) or camping?

Gibson is close in.  As I recall you mentioned you'd been to Canebrake sometime back.  They've got some nice guest cottages open now if you are looking for nice accomodations. There's also Western Hills on Gibson.

Oologah and Keystone are good lakes but camping-oriented.

[inteller]

Lake Bixoma is cool...cant camp there or anything.

[TeeDub]

Greenleaf lake is beautiful...  about an hour drive and you can rent cabins.

Lake Eucha is also a beautiful scenic lake, like Greenleaf (and Dripping springs) I don't think skiing is allowed on them so they tend to be a little calmer than Ft. Gibson, Skiatook, Keystone, etc.

[HoneySuckle]

We're looking for a place with cabins, and preferably somewhere that isn't too busy.  We used to go to Tenkiller quite often, but after my dad died I stayed away.  Too many memories  

I vaguely remember someone saying they liked Greenleaf.  Scenic and less water activities sound good.  We just want to hang out, relax a bit, BBQ, that kind of stuff.

[SXSW]

A bit further from Tulsa but Broken Bow Lake has cabins and is a really beautiful area, about a 3 hour drive from Tulsa in far SE Oklahoma.  Beaver Lake just east of Rogers, Arkansas is nice and has cabins too, plus you're near Eureka Springs and it's only about a 2.5 hour drive.  Same for Table Rock Lake, a 3-3.5 hour drive through beautiful high country just north of Beaver Lake in Missouri.  Big Cedar is a pretty well-known resort there.

Both Grand and Skiatook are, IMO, the nicest lakes with the most activities closest to Tulsa with Skiatook only 20-30 min. away from most of the city and Grand about an hour to the south end and an hour and a half to the north from Tulsa.  Grand is definitely the most popular and has the most boats and houses, and several options for renting cabins and condos.  Both lakes could support more places though.  If Million Dollar Elm was ever going to expand it would be cool to see them move about 10 miles north to Lake Skiatook with a hotel on the water.  I would actually go to a lakefront casino with a beach and marina, especially one so close to Tulsa on a really nice lake.  Something like Big Cedar on the south end of Grand Lake would be a big hit too.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Do you want fishing to go with the cabins? 

There are a LOT of lakes around here - you could spend a long time going to each and try them all out.  That in itself would be a lot of fun.

Don't bother with the OKC area lakes.  All mud.  Even worse than Keystone.

Lakes!!!  Yaaayyyyy!!!

[SXSW]

Do you want fishing to go with the cabins? 

There are a LOT of lakes around here - you could spend a long time going to each and try them all out.  That in itself would be a lot of fun.

Don't bother with the OKC area lakes.  All mud.  Even worse than Keystone.

Lakes!!!  Yaaayyyyy!!!

Agree, unless you want your bathing suit stained red.  Although nearby Keystone and Eufaula have the same problem, but they do have nice sandy beaches.  The best beaches of any area lake are down at Texoma.  The Grand River lakes - Grand, Hudson, Fort Gibson - are much clearer with their rock bottoms and watershed in more of a highland area.  Tenkiller, Beaver, and Table Rock in the Ozarks/Boston Mtns. are the prettiest of the nearby lakes, and the most clear.  Skiatook is the closest and also very scenic with tall hills surrounding its eastern shores but is smaller.

[HoneySuckle]

Are there cabins at the the Skiatook lake?

No, I was not thinking about fishing, though that could be fun.

We are more ocean people, so lakes as far as swimming goes, are not terribly tempting.  It's mainly the idea of being away, near water, and having friends to hang out with.  Tenkiller had some nice walking trails as well.

[Gaspar]

Eufaula, rent a houseboat. 

[SXSW]

Are there cabins at the the Skiatook lake?

No, I was not thinking about fishing, though that could be fun.

We are more ocean people, so lakes as far as swimming goes, are not terribly tempting.  It's mainly the idea of being away, near water, and having friends to hang out with.  Tenkiller had some nice walking trails as well.

Crystal Bay Marina has cabins, though they are more 'rustic' from the looks of it:

http://www.crystalbaymarina.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=3

A nice lakeside hotel would be a great addition to Skiatook. 

[Gaspar]

Crystal Bay Marina has cabins, though they are more 'rustic' from the looks of it:

http://www.crystalbaymarina.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=3

A nice lakeside hotel would be a great addition to Skiatook. 

Skiatook lake is beautiful, but it still scares the crap out of me.  I almost flipped a bass boat when I hit one of the many trees just under the surface doing about 50.  That'll give you the brown-pants.

[Hoss]

Skiatook lake is beautiful, but it still scares the crap out of me.  I almost flipped a bass boat when I hit one of the many trees just under the surface doing about 50.  That'll give you the brown-pants.

that begs the question why would you need to be doing 50 on a bass boat in Skiatook?  It's not very large comparatively speaking.  Grand Lake is a different story, though.  Several years back I ran a KinseyCraft with a Johnson 150 up from Disney in Grand Lake to the Twin Bridges and Elk River.  Top speed was about 47.  Got there in about 40 minutes.  I thought some of the passengers were going to puke.

[Breadburner]

Chimney Rock...Lake Hudson.....