Ultimate List of Family Fun in Broken Bow, Oklahoma

What is it with Broken Bow Oklahoma? I don’t know but someone there has thought about just about everything! Broken Bow and Hochatown, Oklahoma has become a really great family destination in the four-state area. It is easy to drive to this part of the heart of the USA, and totally worth all the family fun on the horizon.

This summer, I’ve given advice to 4 friends (this week and last!) about planning summer trips to Broken Bow, so I thought these thoughts deserved a spot on my blog. If you use these tips to plan a visit, let me know. I’d love to know what you enjoyed and if I should make any adjustments to my Ultimate List of Family Fun in Broken Bow, Oklahoma.

The Ultimate list of restaurants and travel tips for Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Follow along for a local's guide and recommendations for Hochatown and beyond in one of the top drivable destinations in the heart of the US.

What is the difference between Broken Bow and Hochatown??

My easy answer is an area of the city. People who live in Broken Bow, do not really live in the Hochatown area. It’s kind of like Branson. There are places you visit in Branson and then there is the part of Branson where people live. Broken Bow, Oklahoma has exploded and much of that is due to the tourism in and around Beavers Bend State Park.

This is truly an experience of the mantra, “if you build it they will come.” The tourism professionals and business owners realized they were on to something and leaned into the building and development of a great place for people to come and visit. When we lived close, I was thankful to have easy access to this great family destination in the heart of the United States. We could drive an hour eat great food, make memories with my kid, and drive home and sleep in our own beds.

Hochatown is north of the downtown Broken Bow area and is the development and establishment containing cabins, attractions, restaurants, and experiences in and around Beavers Bend State Park. Most people offering advice and planning tips either use one town name or the other and use them synonymously with each other. So, make sure you look for both cities when researching your travel planning.

Why is Broken Bow/Hochatown a great destination??

Family-friendly
Easy to drive
It has a little of everything
Easy to unplug
The lodging and cabins are incredible
It has water fun, easy hiking, boutique shopping, great coffee, and an Oklahoma State Park
It’s near a National Forest
It’s easy to make a long weekend or a full week of summer fun

One quick thing worth mentioning as you are planning your vacation – it is busy, it can be dangerous crossing traffic and the road infrastructure was not set up to grow and expand as fast as it did. So, tell dad to be a big boy and show his patience. It is slow-moving in the busy season. It’s a standard two-lane Oklahoma backwoods, highway road (which is the same as TX, MO, LA, or AR). So it’s standstill traffic coming and going sometimes. It just is what it is.

But, that should not keep you from visiting Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Beavers Bend State Park. It’s fun and can be a great experience. I often tell people it’s like the towns near the Rocky Mountains or Yellowstone, without the moose or elk (they sometimes I have bears, so I’ll leave those in the mix!).

Things to do in Broken Bow | General:

Float or Kayak – we know the Tree Frog folks, but there are lots of decent spots. Just pay attention to where you are dropped off and picked up and if anything else is included (lunch, parking, pick up drop off ). Oh and bring your sunscreen, this is not a shady spot.
Beavers Bend State Park, OK
- Horseback riding
- Hiking
- Playing in water
- Swimming hole
- Train depot** (see details in the kid’s section)
- Playground by train
Gutter Chaos – great for rainy days or hot days when you need to make memories not outside
Corn Maze
Axe Throwing – it’s one of those things that are in lots of tourism towns now – stations set up with a bullseye on the wall. Great for adults and teens, probably take the kids to putt-putt or bowling!
Putt-Putt Golf – multiple options
Great place to get a guided fishing experience
PaddlesUp – Paddleboarding
Rent a boat and get on the lake
ATV trails and monster truck experience
Antiquing
I love to go into downtown Broken Bow and hit all the shops. There are lots of little vacation spots, but downtown Broken Bow and Idabel have great shopping opportunities

Things to do in Broken Bow With Kids:

I wrote a post last year about some of the fun things to do with littles in Broken Bow. Ideas we like to enjoy with our kiddo and friend when we are there.

**Beavers Bend Train Depot – by far, my kid’s very favorite thing to do there. It’s hokey and the conductor has all the cheesy jokes, but it’s fun and it’s dreamy for kids. You will often see wildlife, like deer along the drive. When it’s over check out the gift shop and other experiences like pony rides. They also offer horseback riding
We usually combine a trip to the train depot with playing on the playground across the street and a picnic. Just be prepared if you are there in the summer. IT’S SO DANG HOT
Wildlife Safari is a total vacation spend, but it’s worth it, especially with kids. It’s a taxidermist who has been invited all over the world to hunt big and wild game. It gives us exposure to animals we don’t see in a lot of our areas of the country. I always think it’s fun to give children an option to see in person, and up close, experiences that they read about in books or watch movies.
Gutter Chaos – bowling and arcade
Mining place and Pirate Ship
Petting zoo – this is a rehab petting zoo. If you’ve never experienced something like that, be prepared. It’s nice because you can get all in the mix and interact with all kinds of animals. But, many of them have been hurt and this place is taking care of them to rehab them. Sometimes I call it the mangy animal petting zoo, but it’s a right of passage to go sometime while you are visiting if you have kids of any age with you. I believe they also have pony rides and a snow-cone shop in the parking lot!
Beavers Bend Visitor Centers, the one by the main road has some taxidermied wild animals on display and then the main one in the park has history and exhibits to look at and a totem pole
Easy trails in Beavers Bend State Park – when it is cooler, there are a couple of trails, but they are hard with younger kids. But, easy to wear or backpack your kid if they are that little.
Go-karts – older kids
Multiple putt- putt spots
Escape Room?? Check and see if it’s open
Museum of the Red River | Idabel
Sit around the cabin, throw rocks and play in the wood
Campfire
unplug

Places to Eat in Broken Bow:

This is definitely the kind of place to make breakfast in your cabin and pack lunches, then eat out dinner or eat a late lunch and easy/snack dinner – this is a great time for a dollar tree charcuterie at the cabin
Grateful Head Pizza – it is everything that people make it out to be
Rock Bottom Boys BBQ – they have a good kind of potato salad, made with sour cream like a loaded baked potato!
Abednigos – it’s so good – one of our date spots, but really great food, and in the summers they have outdoor music in the back
Foggy Bottoms Kitchen – it’s inside Beavers Bend. It’s vacation lodge food. But it’s good and a well-known partnership for OK State Parks
Coffee – I usually go for Adam and Eve’s but Hochatown Coffee is great and Okie Girls
Ice Cream – next to Shuck me and lots of the little shops have ice cream dips, there is also a new rolled ice cream spot
Fair truck – if you see a food fair truck parked near the go-karts, pull over and get you a McKinney corndog!!!
Shuck Me – heard great things, we’ve just never been
Rolling Fork – we’ve never eaten here, but know some of the owners and alas hear great things about the food.
For my Texan friends, there is a new Chicken Express in Broken Bow on your way into town. Good stop to get a couple of gallons of sweet tea before you head to your cabin.
Buffalo Grill – it’s alright. It’s vacation food. I’d go if your cabin is close, but it’s not really worth it to me to drive across town. But, it’s a great option and not just burgers so some healthy food options as well. It’s also low-key and kid-friendly.
Mountain Fork Brewery and The Saloon – I’ve not eaten at either of these places, but I’ve heard good things from others. It’s one of those vacation watering holes – not just a bar, but they do have red dirt music – check their website for events, and times
Taco truck near EZ Mart and the ice station (west side of the road) – it’s good. It’s worth the wait, and you will wait, but it’s good authentic Mexican street food.

Nearby Places to eat, not in Hochatown:

Whether you are taking an excursion a little further away from Hochatown, or want to catch food while you are out shopping or on your way to town, some of our favorite spots nearby include:

Roma’s Italian – think hometown Italian food by real Europeans! we love the food and the family who own this place
Catfish King – it’s the real family who owns spots all over East Texas
Jake’s – downtown Idabel
Red B’s – my husband ate lunch here a lot with work folks
Smith’s family restaurant and the coffee/ice cream place next door – country cooking and great service
The Oaks – is there the locals eat lunch in Broken Bow, good salads, daily specials, country cooking – oh and pie, they have great pie!

Extra info:

It is popular, which just means, it is busy. So be prepared in high tourist times – summer, fall break, springs break
Pay attention and set yourself up to make right turns – it’s dangerous across traffic in the busy season.
Check on music venues and concerts – this is a great stop for local talent and red dirt country music
There is a spa and several relaxation experiences – don’t forget about taking care of yourself!
Wineries – again a couple of experiences if this is your thing.
On the South end of town (as you come in from TX) there is a meat market – a great stop for steaks or grilling meats
Groceries – there are not really grocery spots other than some convenience stores in Hochatown. I would recommend doing a grocery pick up in Idabel if you are coming from the South or West or Harps is a hometown grocery store headquartered in Broken Bow and they do have an app that you can do for curbside pick up. Broken Bow dows have a Walmart, but not pick up and it’s an old store. If you are coming from North, stop in Fort Smith or bring your own groceries in a cooler.
There is a fruit stand in town and its a family from Gillham, original homesteading Arkansas orchard

I hope this helps. I tried to go back through messages and emails I’ve sent with tips and ideas for friends headed to Broken Bow, Oklahoma. If you have other questions or want me to clarify more, leave a comment or reach out to me @bigpittstop on social media and we can chat!

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