Things To Do

Broken Bow, McCurtain County, OK

Broken Bow is located at the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains, and welcomes visitors from near and far to enjoy the natural resources that make this area thrive! Our average summer temperature is 80 degrees and we receive over 50 inches of rainfall a year. This area is known for its green forests and abundance of clear water, providing a fun-filled environment for many popular outdoor activites such as canoeing, boating, hiking, bird watching, golfing, scuba diving, hunting, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, four-wheeling, and all types of fishing.

Broken Bow Lake has 180 miles of shoreline, and is one Oklahoma's most scenic lakes. Whether you're fishing for trout in streams that are stocked year round or canoeing the rapids of the Lower Mountain Fork, there is an outdoor activity suited for all ages and seasons. Red Slough Wildlife Management Area is a 5,800-acre maze of reservoirs, moist-soil management units (think swampy!) and forest. Red Slough is cooperatively managed by the Ouachita National Forest, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the Nartural Resource Conservation Service. It is one of the largest wetland projects of its kind.

Museums of Culture & History Culture and history are plentiful in Broken Bow with three museums each with its own unique subject to offer a rewarding learning experience, The Gardner Mansion and Museum is well-known for their collection of pre-historic and historic Indian and pioneer artifacts. The museum was originally a mansion built in 1884 for Jefferson Gardner who later went on to be the chief of the Choctaws Indians for serveral years, Also located outside the museum are the remains of a 2,000 year-old Cypress tree.

Beavers Bend Wildlife Museum is not only a museum that features wildlife exhibits but also encourages environmental education, making it a true learning experience for all ages.

The Forest Heritage Center Museum has a series of 14 large dioramas, painted by famous Smokey Bear artist Harry Rossoll. Visitors learn the important role forestry plays in their lives. It is also home to another Harry Rossoll creation, Three Bear, who was developed to encourage tree planting and spread the message "Good Things Come From Trees!" One of the museum's newest exhibits, "The People of the Forest," includes over 150 historic photographs illustrating early day logging in and around Broken Bow and the surrounding communities.

Peter Toth Totem Pole is one in a 50 state series of "Trail of Tears" sculptures by Hungarian artist, Peter Toth. Mr. Peter Wolf Toth came to Okalahoma to sculpt Oklahoma's Indian Monuments. His goal in life was to complete at least one sculpture in each of the fifty states an to date, has completed 67 monuments. All of his monuments are his own concept of the North American Indian and bear many similarities, except for certain characteristics, which pertain to the Indians of that region, such as feathers, headbands, or other decorations.

Other things to do

1. Swim at Beavers Bend Swimming Beach.
2. Learn about the history of logging in McCurtain Country at the Forest Heritage Center Museum.
3. Go birdwatching at the Red Slough.
4. Take a scenic drive to look for wildlife in the Ouachita National Forest.
5. View Indian Artifacts at the Indian Memorial Museum.
6. Visit Wheelock Church. Oklahoma's oldest standing church.
7. Feed goats at the Honey Bear Ranch.
8. Wade in the crystal clear waters of the Mountain Fork River.
9. Watch canoes as they cascade over the Presbyterian Falls.
10. Hike through some of the many trails, such as the David Boren Trail, at Beavers Bend.
11. See a dinosaur at the Museum of the Red River.
12. Feed the squirrels at the Beavers Bend Restaurant (They like fries!) or pet a hawk at the Beavers Bend Nature Center.
13. Taste locally made wine at Girls Gone Wine.
14. Go on a romantic stroll on the moonlit Pathways.
15. Picnic under the cypress trees along the Mountain Fork River.
16. Watch a chainsaw sculpting demonstration at the Hochatown Junction Station.
17. Visit the historic Wheelock Indian Academy and Museum.
18. Take a tour of the majestic Barners-Stevenson House.
19. View the county's seventeen state historic markers.
20. See remnants of the Choctaw & Chickasaw Trail of Tears.
21. Make unique crafts at the Beavers Bend Nature Center.
22. Relax on the deck of a peaceful cabin.
23. Tour Waterfall Creek Pecan Farm in Idabel.
24. Sample delicious fudge at the Whip-Poor-Will Sweet Shoppe.
25. Listen to exciting campfire stories at the Beavers Bend Amphitheater.