Hi there!

 

Today, I want to feature a State Park that is beautifully situated in Northeast Oklahoma called Twin Bridges State Park. This Oklahoma State Park is surrounded by two rivers we will mention in detail today, the Neosho and Spring Rivers.

Recently, I paid a visit to partake in some kayaking fun. I had made several trips up to this area before, but never stayed at this particular park. I’m so glad I did!

 

Without further ado, Let’s go hit some rivers!

 

 

For more information on Twin Bridges State Park, please check them out at https://www.grand-lake.org

 

 

 

 

 

The Neosho River

 

 

I will go ahead and say it again, this summer has been historically hot in Oklahoma. So hot, it’s kept many kayakers alike from going out and enjoying their favorite pastime. So with that being said, it was time to find a place that was going to be within a day’s drive and allow me to get on the water again.

This kayaking park in Fairland, Oklahoma accomplished that mission for me. This was a very enjoyable trip to say the least.

Leaving downtown Oklahoma City from Work on a Friday always presents its own set of challenges. However, I was able to break away a couple of hours early and make the 3 hour voyage to Ottawa County before the sun finally made its way down.

Typically, I like some variety in my trips, meaning, I like to spend some time on the water and on the trail. Knowing that I was going to have a wind-free weekend that was looming, I ditched the hiking idea and went kayaking on two spectacular rivers. The Neosho and the Spring Rivers were going to be the Main Dish for the weekend.

The Neosho River, wide and blue as day, was a wonderful river to kayak in.

Not only was this the perfect kayaking river, the fishing isn’t too shabby either. As a matter of fact, many anglers come out underneath the State Highway 60 Bridge and seek out crappie opportunities.

I enjoyed spending my Saturday afternoon tooling around on the Neosho listening to my favorite music and taking breaks in the shaded highway 60 bridge. For the next several hours I kept strolling by the Rocky bluffs and taking in some much-needed vitamin D.

 

Twin Bridges State Park

 

 

Now it’s time to give the campground a great review. First and foremost, the park rangers here are friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Deanna and Carl, two rangers that are well versed in this area, gave me the proper insight needed for this to be a great weekend of sight seeing and kayaking.

Not all campgrounds are created equal, I’ve stayed at some great ones, and some not so great ones. I like having clean and updated facilities which they had here, and I like the fact that everything was convenient and walkable from where I was camping.

But for me, people make the difference here. The Rangers were nice enough to keep an eye on my kayak and my belongings while I ran into town to get ice and some refills on the basics. I loved the quiet and clean atmosphere that this park provided, but the nice southern hospitality always trumps the environment.

 

The Spring River

 

 

My 2nd day consisted of getting to experience another cool river. The Spring River, an 130 mile waterway that makes its way through Missouri, Kansas, and the Sooner State was going to keep me busy.

What I enjoyed most about the Spring River was at the break of dawn. I was greeted by some breathtaking sunrises on both days making me appreciate my campground just a little bit more. The Spring River was hard to beat on both scenery and kayaking.

There isn’t many wind-free days in Oklahoma where you can enjoy a perfect day on the water, so I made sure to take advantage of what mother nature was throwing at me. I had everything ready to go when I woke up so I could hit the water.

 

 

 

The Tri-State Monument

 

 

 

To break up my trip, I made sure to squeeze in some extra time to go see some cool things in the area. One of those places was called the Tri-State Monument.

Hey, if you can’t make it to the Four Corners ( the only place where four states meet), this is nearly as good, and it’s free, and it’s open 24/7.

As far as history goes, It took over an 800 member expedition to map it. This would be a fun trip for the kiddos, just make sure you bring your favorite color of sharpie with you to sign the cairn that was built in 1938 by the National Youth Association.

All in all, this was cool to see.

 

 

Thoughts & Takeaways

And that wraps things up for today. Twin Bridges State Park is an excellent getaway for anyone who wants to break away and kayak some scenic rivers. The Park Rangers were friendly and knowledgeable which is always a plus. With the quiet and country atmosphere this park provides, I’m kind of curious why more and more people aren’t raving about this park. I hope you get a chance to come and pay a visit out to Fairland, Oklahoma someday and enjoy this beautiful park. If you have been here before, please share your experiences in the comment section below.

 

 

 

-CT