Beaver’s Bend
Oklahoma may not have the Rocky Mountains, the Gulf Coast, or the sunny weather of California. But, we do have a lot of great places to camp and hike if you search for them. My husband and I are definitely the “outdoorsy” type. So, when 2 of our friends’ birthdays rolled around in April, we convinced them to take a trip down to Beaver’s Bend for the weekend. Our crew all threw in on a REALLY nice cabin; complete with it’s own pond, fishing dock, and backyard hot tub!
The Park itself is a short drive from OKC. And, no one can deny the absolute beauty of Beaver’s Bend. All of the people that live and work in the area were cordial to a group of tattooed hikers. Which, doesn’t usually happen in smaller towns. Pristine trails, a winding waterway, and camping spots galore are just a few of the perks of Beaver’s Bend.
Who chose this trail?
Beaver’s Bend has several hiking and nature trails. Many of the trails are less than a mile long and are rated fairly easy. Being the adventurous badasses that we are, we chose to hike the 9 mile advanced “Ridgeline Trail” which crosses over 15 mountain ridges. Nobody wanted to look weak or be the first to complain. But, we made it 5 hours into our hike before someone finally said “WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?!?!” It took us a total of 7 hours to complete the trail, and that includes a pretty fast pace. At one point I started to seriously wonder if we were going to make it back to camp before dark. As the sun was setting, we emerged from the canopy and made the last stretch to our car. My knees wouldn’t work properly for 2 days!
Photo Tip: Take pictures at the beginning of your hike!
Don’t be fooled by the smiles in the photos, these were all taken within the first couple of hours ;)
