Autumn brings opportunities for enjoyable Oklahoma outdoor activities

BY KELI CLARK Comments 0
Published: October 4, 2009

Fall has arrived, bringing refreshing cooler, wetter weather. The combination of these ingredients soon will produce vivid hues and colorful landscapes, reminding us of the beauty that lies within our state.

Multimedia

Photoview all photos

More Info

Discover Oklahoma

For more information and ideas for fall enjoyment, call (800) 652-6552 or go online to TravelOK.com.

True foliage enthusiasts always know where to go to find the vibrant and rich colors. However, if you are a novice and haven’t taken the time to explore or do research on your own, the state Tourism and Recreation Department has printed "Oklahoma Fall Foliage Tours,” a helpful guide of the best locations throughout the state. This handy fold-out brochure will help you plan trips to all of 14 recommended foliage tours across the state. Seven state parks are listed.

From the far reaches of western Oklahoma to the tall pines of the southeastern region, the brochure provides maps with labeled highways, descriptions of the areas and nearby points of interest. It’s compact enough to fit into the glove compartment of a car or the saddle bag of a motorcycle.

Not a connoisseur of leaves and trees? There are plenty of other things to do in the great outdoors in coming weeks.

Festivals, powwows, music concerts and auto shows are abundant this time of the year. Mark your calendar for two of the most popular state park festivals: the Robbers Cave Fall Festival from Oct. 16-18 and the Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show from Nov. 13-15.

If you need a little excitement in your life, head to a Halloween event at a location near you. Ghosts, vampires and things that go bump in the night will surely elevate your fright level.

Trying to arrange a fall getaway around school functions, athletic events and everyday busy life can be a challenge. But there’s an easy solution to that problem. Plan a day trip. Choose a destination that doesn’t require too much travel time and is easy on passengers. A driving time of one to 1½ hours is a good goal.

Leave in the morning, spend the day away and come home to your own comfortable bed at night. It’s much easier than you think, and there are great places to go in Oklahoma. Pack a lunch. Bring a hearty sandwich and chips or a light snack. You can never go wrong with having your favorite delicacy nearby while you travel. Find a nearby city park or state park with picnic tables. Better yet, throw a blanket out under a shade tree, kick back and relax while enjoying your meal.

Need more ideas? How about hiking, biking and playing golf? Lace up your boots and hit the trails. The state parks offer some of the finest trails systems in the state. Whether it’s a not-so-difficult interpretive or nature trail or a challenging heart-pumping fitness trail, hikers have many options from which to choose.

You can set the degree of difficulty on the bicycle trails to suit your personal level of expertise. At Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman, hills and dips in the land and deep sand in some areas allow riders to set their own pace. Some areas are high in elevation, and there are some with a series of loops, making it difficult for the recreational rider. Roman Nose State Park near Watonga also has an outstanding mountain bike trail system.

Don’t have a bike? Hike! The trails are not only attractive to mountain bike enthusiasts but hikers, as well.

As avid golfers will confess, hitting a little white, dimpled ball as far as possible, then landing it on a manicured green with the intent of putting it softly into a small hole in the ground is quite enjoyable.

Or maybe it’s just the opportunity to be outside when the weather is perfect. Whatever the reason, golf courses at seven state parks welcome golfers of all skill levels, and the courses are very affordable. Make a mini-vacation of your golf outing and take advantage of the Stay & Play packages at Lake Murray, Sequoyah, Roman Nose and Beavers Bend state parks.

Keli Clark is marketing assistant for Oklahoma Parks, Resorts and Golf.