Here's the only Oklahoma road trip to make America's Top 100

Kim Archer, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
Updated ·3 min read
2
Road trip
Road trip

Only one Oklahoma road trip made America's Top 100 list, and it begins in Green Country, according to a survey of 3,000 regular road-trippers by Gunther Motor Company.

The survey lists the trip from Tulsa south to Broken Bow via U.S. Highway 69 as one of the most scenic drives in the country. This route ranks 83rd on the list and takes travelers across Choctaw Nation through rolling hills, forests, lakes and all the beauty eastern Oklahoma has to offer.

It is the only road trip in Oklahoma to make the top 100 list.

Once you're in Tulsa, head out on a 50-mile jaunt along State Highway 351 to Muskogee, where you will pick up U.S. Highway 69 traveling south. Be ready to explore the singular charm of Checotah, Eufaula, McAlester and Atoka all along the way to Broken Bow.

Innovation districts could help smaller cities, such as Tulsa, succeed and grow economically.
Innovation districts could help smaller cities, such as Tulsa, succeed and grow economically.

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In Checotah, home of country music superstar Carrie Underwood, enjoy Lake Eufaula State Park with its plethora of outdoor recreational activities or head over to Honey Springs Battlefield where the largest of 107 hostile encounters took place in Indian Territory during the Civil War.

In Eufaula, you may want to visit antique shops while strolling along Eufaula's 20-block downtown area, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and take a meal at The Stuffed Olive overlooking Lake Eufaula, where TravelOK lists as one of the most spectacular places to view an Oklahoma sunset.

A fisherman shows off his catch at Lake Eufaula.
A fisherman shows off his catch at Lake Eufaula.

Shimmy south to McAlester, one of Oklahoma's oldest communities, where you can find the Tannehill Gun and Prison Museum and its collection of prison lore and contraband, including the retired electric chair "Old Sparky" − quite fitting as the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, or "Big Mac" as it is known, is located in McAlester.

If you're looking for a meal around that time, particularly if you like Italian food, travel to the southeast edge of McAlester where you will find the small town of Krebs. Known as "Oklahoma's Little Italy" because of the many Italian immigrants who settled there in the late 1880s to work in area coal mines, there are several Italian restaurants that have served Oklahomans for generations.

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The final small town before taking State Highway 3 to Broken Bow is Atoka, where you will find the Atoka Museum and Civil War Cemetery. Also on the National Register of Historic Places, the cemetery is where Confederate soldiers kept an outpost camp to guard the route to Boggy Depot around 15 miles southwest of there. The museum features a full dinosaur skeleton and tells the stories of the 1830s Choctaw removal as well as a shootout between local lawmen and the infamous outlaw Clyde Barrow.

Once you head east on State Highway 351 and reach Broken Bow, you will find yourself immersed in the stunning beauty of Beavers Bend State Park, which TravelOK calls "a nature lover's dream." Fishing, boating, horseback riding and hiking opportunities are abundant in the area, particularly around Broken Bow Lake and Mountain Fork River.

Six miles of the Lower Mountain Fork between the Broken Bow Lake dam and the State Highway 70 bridge east of Broken Bow make up the authorized trout habitat. Beavers Bend State Park is included in this stretch of the river.
Six miles of the Lower Mountain Fork between the Broken Bow Lake dam and the State Highway 70 bridge east of Broken Bow make up the authorized trout habitat. Beavers Bend State Park is included in this stretch of the river.

Pan for treasure at Beavers Bend Mining Company, take a wacky pontoon boat tour of the lake with The Broken Tiki or ride the train through Beavers Bend's game reserve. Then eat at one of the many popular restaurants in town, such as The Grateful Head Pizza Oven or take a 10-minute drive over to Hochatown Saloon.

Broken Bow also is home to the Gardner Mansion and Museum. Built in 1884, the mansion was the historic home of the “Chief of the Choctaws” Jefferson Gardner, who stood for the rights of both the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes.

“America is a treasure trove of interesting and diverse weekend road trips. From the towering mountains and vast plains, to vibrant cities and charming small towns, each journey paints a unique portrait of our nation's rich tapestry," said Joseph Gunther IV of Gunther Motor Company. "Every route has its own story to tell, fostering an exploration that unveils the heart and soul of America."

Beavers Bend State Park is located in the mountainous region of southeast Oklahoma along the shores of Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River. Kim Baker/Oklahoma Tourism
Beavers Bend State Park is located in the mountainous region of southeast Oklahoma along the shores of Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River. Kim Baker/Oklahoma Tourism

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Oklahoma's only road trip to make America's Top 100