Oklahoma is full of surprises. The Sooner State has the most diverse terrain of any state in the Union, ranging from sweeping plains to rugged mountains. You’ll also find the headquarters of 39 Native American nations and the most drivable miles of legendary Route 66. Oklahoma’s menu of recreation activities is equally diverse, from fishing to gaming to off-roading. So pack your poles, bring you luck and stake your claim in the Sooner State.
Fishing
Oklahoma’s 200 artificial lakes put it ahead of any other state in the number of man-made bodies of water. And when it comes to fishing, Oklahoma boasts a world-class array of great angling opportunities. Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in the northeast corner of the state is the number one lake in Oklahoma for winning weight bass; it’s rated the second-best lake in the state for bass tournament fishing, with over 400 tourneys held here year round.
Head south along Highway 69 for 120 miles and you’ll reach Gore, the “Trout Capital of Oklahoma.” Here, year-round trout fishing is a way of life at this “sportsman’s paradise.” Lake Tenkiller and Greenleaf Lake give this area its designation as “Gateway to the Lakes.” Gore is also home to a year-round trout fishery along the Lower Illinois River, which attracts rainbow trout, white bass, stripers, walleyes, sauger, and paddlefish—some weighing 20 pounds or more—with the largest fish caught so far weighing in at over 46 pounds. Just remember to bring stiff rods, heavy-duty reels and strong line when trophy fishing for these big boys.
Brown Trout in Net
Do you prefer diving to casting? Lake Tenkiller is deep enough to support an underwater dive park. Here, divers can swim around buildings that were left behind when the waters of the dammed Illinois River inundated a small town. Lake Eufala is Oklahoma’s largest aquatic destination, while Grand Lake in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains is a dream for boating enthusiasts.
Gaming
Oklahoma serves up a wide choice of gaming destinations for visitors eager to try their luck. At Wyondotte in the northeast, RVers can visit Indigo Sky Casino, with 1,200 electric games, 12 table games, off-track betting, a poker room and live bingo.
Even more gaming awaits visitors at several casinos throughout the Chickasaw Nation near Oklahoma City. In Sulphur, the Artesian Casino features 270 electronic games along with table games that include blackjack and Texas hold ’em. Tishomingo Tobacco and Gaming is a neighborhood fixture in the Chickasaw capital, and it packs plenty of fun into a cozy spot. The Ada Gaming Center, meanwhile, boasts table games and electronic gaming.
The Black Gold Casino in Wilson offers more than 200 electronic games, including video poker, on 3,744 square feet of casino floor. In Ardmore, the Gold Mountain Casino is 8,620 square feet of great gaming and is located near the Ardmore Convention Center, Hardy Murphy Coliseum and many other attractions.
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Good luck only gets better at Remington Park in nearby Oklahoma City, where horse racing and an exciting casino with 750 gaming machines keep visitors busy every day of the year. Try your hand at more games of chance in the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville. As the self-proclaimed largest casino in the world, WinStar has more than 500,000 square feet dedicated to gaming, including 76 game tables, a bingo hall and a poker room.
Exploring
Fans of Route 66 will also love driving around the Sooner State. During the planning of the route, which originates in Chicago, Tulsa businessman Cyrus Avery campaigned hard for the “Mother Road” to dip south into Oklahoma before sprinting westward toward California. The Sooner State retains more drivable miles of Route 66 than any other state, rolling past roadside relics like Totem Pole Park and museums such as the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler.
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Take time to visit Shawnee, located southeast of Oklahoma City and offering an exciting blend of small town charm and big-city attractions. Great restaurants and family-fun attractions will make you want to stay for a while. Visit Oklahoma’s only Egyptian mummy at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art or join the fun at the Boo on Bell Fall Festival.
If you seek something more rustic, head to the rounded hills of Eastern Oklahoma, which boast elevations high enough to produce 77-foot Turner Falls in the Arbuckle Mountains. Big game is so abundant in the Ouachita Mountains that one of the towns is named Antlers. The highest elevations in Oklahoma are in the Panhandle atop Black Mesa State Park. Here, visitors will find flat, easy-to-climb black lava formations. The massive glaciers sliding off the Rocky Mountains during the last ice age sculpted the landscape of the region into fortuitous shapes. Such is the case with Beaver Dunes State Park, a sandy off-roading wonderland that promotes itself as the “Playground of the Panhandle.”
Celebrate the Sooner State
To see real-life cowboys and cowgirls, check out the Oklahoma City Stockyards’ twice-weekly auctions. Tour the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum to see traditional cowboy artists, photos of the American West and Oklahoma History. Oklahoma was the home of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s but has more artificial lakes than any state today. Oklahoma will keep surprising you.
For a traditional springtime celebration, drive in to Honor Heights Park in Muskogee in eastern Oklahoma during the first three weeks of April for the Azalea Festival, where 635 varieties of flowering shrubs draw visitors from around the world to the hilltop park. Horse-drawn open carriages are the conveyance of choice around the 132 acres of walking paths and lakes. The spring blooms are feted with a parade and cooking contests.
The state’s biggest good-bye to winter takes place in Oklahoma City, where the visual, culinary and performing arts are celebrated in the Festival of the Arts. More than 750,000 visitors are serenaded by continuous music as they sample the wares on International Food Row. But the best dish is the Strawberries Newport, layers of puff pastry, pudding and Oklahoma-grown strawberries smothered in fresh whipped cream.