Scenic spots near Tulsa - PLEASE HELP FOREIGNER

[Marina]

Hi! My name is Marina and I'm very new here, both in Oklahoma and USA. I am Russian. Could you advise me please scenic spots near Tulsa less than 30 miles away to watch great Oklahoma nature? I would prefer combination of water, hills and trees with possibility to meet wild animals.. Swimming facilities would be great, but not obligatory. I gonna spend 1 day there, without overnight stay.

I have searched for Skiatook lake, Keystone lake, Sohoma lake and Mohawk park and found almost zero information, so I'm not sure I can just go there without camping.. Can I? Where exactly to go? How to find the place?

I will really appreciate your help, because I can't find good pictures of places nearby, so I don't sure it really worth visiting... Initially I picked the Tallchief Cove at Skiatook lake, but then came across to 3 of 3 very negative reviews about rude management there, so I deleted it from my list..

Thanks in advance. It will be day of our wedding anniversary, so I need really special place...

[carltonplace]

Many of Oklahoma's State Parks have Cabins that you can rent: www.touroklahoma.com

Cabins: http://www.travelok.com/listings/sid.1/tag.Cabins/seed.158156/

You can also stay at Post Oak Lodge http://www.facebook.com/pages/Post-Oak-Lodge/70071084883 which is just a few minutes out side of downtown Tulsa and is next to our new Botanical Gardens http://www.ocbg.org/

[rdj]

Lake swimming in Oklahoma is not going to be that great without a boat or a private lake.

[Conan71]

I'd recommend Post Oak Lodge as well.  A friend of mine was married there last year and I've been to other events, this sounds about like what you are looking for.

Plenty of hiking, rolling hills, and there is a pool on site.

Direct link to their site: http://www.postoaklodge.com/

Camp Loughridge out near Oaks Country Club in west Tulsa is similar, but I'm not sure what kind of public access there is to it for individuals.  I've been to a corporate picnic there before and they have really nice facilities

http://www.camploughridge.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

I wouldn't pay too close attention to three bad reviews on Tall Chief.  Keep in mind, most on-line reviews are a chance for people to vent when they've had a bad experience.  Unfortunately, not near enough people will think to tell everyone else about a good experience.

Welcome to our forum and city Marina!

[SXSW]

Is the McGills at Cross Timbers still open?  If so that would be a fun place to go on Lake Skiatook.

Grand Lake has several restaurants overlooking the water.  There are also several state parks that are decent there.  The best beach is at Bernice but like all beaches on Grand it is rocky.  Eufaula and Keystone have the best sand beaches in the area but the water quality is not very good (muddy).  Tenkiller is probably the nicest lake in the state, about a 2 hour drive from Tulsa.  The nicest lake in the region is Lake Ouachita IMO, very clear and surrounded by mountains.  It's about a 3.5 hour drive though in Arkansas. 

There are a number of scenic rivers nearby that have rafting/kayaking.  I would recommend the Buffalo in Arkansas, about a 3 hour drive.  It's a National Scenic River.  The Illinois River closer to Tulsa is scenic but is also full of drunk idiots on the weekends..

You might also check out Natural Falls State Park, about 1.5 hours east of Tulsa.  It's been awhile since I've been there but remember it was a beautiful place.

[Conan71]

Is the McGills at Cross Timbers still open?  If so that would be a fun place to go on Lake Skiatook.

Grand Lake has several restaurants overlooking the water.  There are also several state parks that are decent there.  The best beach is at Bernice but like all beaches on Grand it is rocky.  Eufaula and Keystone have the best sand beaches in the area but the water quality is not very good (muddy).  Tenkiller is probably the nicest lake in the state, about a 2 hour drive from Tulsa.  The nicest lake in the region is Lake Ouachita IMO, very clear and surrounded by mountains.  It's about a 3.5 hour drive though in Arkansas. 

There are a number of scenic rivers nearby that have rafting/kayaking.  I would recommend the Buffalo in Arkansas, about a 3 hour drive.  It's a National Scenic River.  The Illinois River closer to Tulsa is scenic but is also full of drunk idiots on the weekends..

You might also check out Natural Falls State Park, about 1.5 hours east of Tulsa.  It's been awhile since I've been there but remember it was a beautiful place.

It's re-opening, but not as a McGills.  I might be able to get more info for you after lunch.

[rdj]

I was there yesterday looking a lot in the Crosstimbers development.  Talk about a neighborhood that was hurt by the economic downturn.  Nearly every house is for sale and a ton of lots are for sale.  However, a really cool modern with art deco features is under construction.  It actually looks like the streamline house on Utica between 31st & 41st.

I didn't see that a restaurant was open yesterday.  It was called Lakeside Grill and said open seasonally.  I believe they said it is open weekends only.

[SXSW]

I was there yesterday looking a lot in the Crosstimbers development.  Talk about a neighborhood that was hurt by the economic downturn.  Nearly every house is for sale and a ton of lots are for sale.  However, a really cool modern with art deco features is under construction.  It actually looks like the streamline house on Utica between 31st & 41st.

I didn't see that a restaurant was open yesterday.  It was called Lakeside Grill and said open seasonally.  I believe they said it is open weekends only.

I figured if it was open it would just be weekends, and in the summer.  But wanted to be sure.  Skiatook is beautiful and very close, I could see more people eventually living there permanently and commuting to jobs downtown just so they can live by the lake. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

It sounds like you want two different things.  Water activities and wildlife/scenic activities.  You can do both but it is a little more difficult.

Lake activities would let you see water, swim, boat, ski, and fish.  Not much wildlife and fewer scenic views.

Wildlife/scenic activities would let you see animals, landscape, points of interest.  But no water.

I posted a long note to dbacks here;
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=17544.15

It talks about a scenic drive through the country that would see a large area and would let you look at many different things.  I think the long version is too much for what you want for one day.

If you are looking for wildlife, here is a short version of what I wrote to dbacks that would let you see bison, small town points of interest, and a world class museum that covers a great deal of the history of Oklahoma.  The main destinations are the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska.  It is a scenic 45 minute to 1 hour drive from Tulsa, depending on stops on the way to look at things.  Then a couple of hours to drive through.  

One of my favorite times to visit is late in the day when there is a full moon.  You get to see the prairie, the bison, and the whole thing after dark with the stars out.  It is amazing!  If there is no full moon, then you get a nice view of the Milky Way galaxy (our home), so it is a win either way!  We are going to do the moonlight trip on the afternoon and evening of the 18th (just past full moon).  If you go and see an old green pickup truck, that's us.

Here is their web site;

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oklahoma/placesweprotect/tallgrass-prairie-preserve.xml

The next is Woolaroc Museum.  This has a western flavor and has items and information from over a thousand years ago, up to modern times.  Many Native American items and information.  VERY nice place.  And there is a 1930's style hunting lodge in addition.  They also have real live shrunken heads from South America.  That is one of my favorites.  Plan on several hours to see it all.  And it closes at 5:00 pm.

https://woolaroc.org/pages/hours-and-directions


Directions on how to do this;

Start early in the morning.  Drive north on highway 75 to 20 west to Skiatook.  Turn north (right) on highway 11 and drive to Barnsdall.  On the right, just as you into town, there is an OLD 1930's gas station with lot's of old signs and an old pickup truck to look at.  Faded but still interesting.

After the gas station, turn left on 11 (Main St) and go slowly for a few blocks.  Just before you turn right on 11 off of main street, look just ahead in the middle of the street is an oil well.  Sometimes it is working.

Continue on 11 until you reach highway 99.  Turn right and go to Pawhuska, then turn left on highway 60.  In the middle of town, look at the old buildings.  Some are very interesting.  Some not.

There are signs telling you to turn right as you arrive downtown to go to the Prairie.  Follow the signs for about 15 miles to see bison (a lot of babies this time of year!), prairie, birds, and wind!  The Preserve headquarters is the old ranch headquarters that was there in the 1920's.  Nice place.  They have a visitors book, so be sure to sign it!!  Free to go through this.

Return the way you came to Pawhuska.  Take 60 (east) back to 99 (south), go through Barnsdall, then take the turn onto highway 123 (east) and follow the signs about 5 or 6 miles to Woolaroc.  When you drive through the gate, you will be in an open wildlife area with more bison, plus a lot of other exotic animals.  Many from Africa.

Before you get to the main museum area, there is a Mountain Man camp where they have people "living" like they were in 1825.  In teepees and tents with the type of equipment that would have been used then.  They have old muzzle loading rifles they will let you shoot at targets, if you want - free.  (Woolaroc is a few dollars to get in, but the only thing that costs after that is food and souvenirs.)

After the visit, travel on 123 east to Bartlesville, then get back on hihgway 75 south back to Tulsa.

If you want, Woolaroc can be first, and prairie second if you want the afternoon/night time prairie visit.

[carltonplace]

It's re-opening, but not as a McGills.  I might be able to get more info for you after lunch.

Its called Lakeside Grill and I was there a week ago. Just my opinion but its a fail (and I do realize that it is a lakeside grill and my expectations were lowered accordingly). Friends order the ribeye but they received a KC strip, the dessert ala mode was delivered in melted pool form for example.

[Conan71]

Its called Lakeside Grill and I was there a week ago. Just my opinion but its a fail (and I do realize that it is a lakeside grill and my expectations were lowered accordingly). Friends order the ribeye but they received a KC strip, the dessert ala mode was delivered in melted pool form for example.

Nice.  I know who the chef is, so I'm not terribly surprised. 

[Townsend]

Its called Lakeside Grill and I was there a week ago. Just my opinion but its a fail (and I do realize that it is a lakeside grill and my expectations were lowered accordingly). Friends order the ribeye but they received a KC strip, the dessert ala mode was delivered in melted pool form for example.

I'm with Carlton on this one.  Good location and view but the food is a pass.

We noticed a number of people sitting away from the establishment with their own food and drinks but listening to a band at the place.  I guess they already knew what we found out.

[carltonplace]

"chef" confers higher praise than I would offer; Chef indicates a certain level of professionalism and pride in product that I did not experience.

Again, this is only my opinion as a cook and foodie so I might "over expect".

[Conan71]

"chef" confers higher praise than I would offer; Chef indicates a certain level of professionalism and pride in product that I did not experience.

Again, this is only my opinion as a cook and foodie so I might "over expect".

He's more like a sous cook, or sous dishwasher.

[rdj]

He's more like a sous cook, or sous dishwasher.

So if you're the second in command at the dishwashing station would that mean you'd be responsible for scraping plates into the trash before they go in or hauling them off once they've been cleaned?  I've done both so I need to add this to my resume.