Beautiful Lake Wister State Park offers a host of recreational activities to create a memorable vacation for your family. Hiking is a popular pastime for vacationers here, as the well-equipped park offers trails for all ability levels. The landscape includes a combination of river bottoms and foothills.
This 0.75-mile basic hiking trail is accessible to hikers of all experience levels. About half an hour's walk will take you winding through the forest and up a rocky ridge. Begin your hike at the Wards Landing Camping Area, or combine this trail with the connected Lighthorseman Trail.
This is 6-mile moderate-level trail begins near the Lake Wister State Park cabins and nature center and winds around the northern shore of the lake. Spectacular views of the lake make for memorable photos. In winter, you might spot both golden and bald eagles wintering on the park grounds.
Oklahoma is putting forth great efforts to make recreation facilities, including state parks, accessible for people with disabilities. Lake Wister State Park is involved in this initiative, offering a lovely paved trail in the park that is wheelchair friendly. The Winding Stair Mountains serve as a beautiful backdrop to the lake, making your visit relaxing and memorable.
By staying in hotels by Lake Wister State Park, you'll have easy access to the area's fishing, swimming, and other water sports. Hunters will want to check out the nearby Wister Wildlife Management Area.
At the lake, a vital part of Lake Wister State Park, anglers will have no trouble catching bass, crappie, and catfish in the 7,000-acre reservoir. In fact, the 106-pound record catfish in Oklahoma was caught in Lake Wister. An annual fishing tournament, the Gar Rodeo, is held here each August.
If fishing's not your game, there are plenty of other activities vacationing families can take part in, including swimming, boating, jet skiing, and water skiing. The park features a children's splash play area and even a miniature golf course for family fun. Just outside the park grounds is a designated waterfowl area, which is well worth a visit for nature photography.
Just down the road in town, Bev's is the place to go for a country-style meal. Bev's Friday Special buffet offers frog legs, ribs, fish, pinto beans, and coleslaw. Top it off with a piece of Bev's famous cake.
