Cookson Bend

Location

446977 EAST 980 ROAD
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Policies

Check-in

6:00 PM

Check-out

3:00 PM

Max stay

14 nights

Pets

Allowed (per listing)

About

Cookson Bend Campground sits along the clear waters of Tenkiller Ferry Lake beneath 200-foot limestone bluffs that rise directly from the shoreline, offering a dramatic lakeside backdrop framed by Oak-Hickory forest and the rolling Cookson Hills of the Ozark foothills. The campground contains 131 campsites in total 128 sites that accommodate both RVs and tents and 3 tent-only sites with a mix of electric hookup sites and non-electric spots to fit different camping styles. Practical amenities are clustered close by: waterborne restrooms with hot showers, drinking water, a dump station, a swim beach, playground, multiple boat ramps, and a marina with concessions adjacent to the campground. Group picnic shelters with electricity are available and can be reserved in advance; individual campsite fees, reservation windows and seasonal openings are set by the Corps of Engineers, the State of Oklahoma, and local concessionaires, so check their websites or the project office before you go. The campground is reachable from Tahlequah by roughly a 17.5-mile drive southeast on Highway 82 and then along a paved access road off the highway. The lake is the main attraction here for anglers, boaters and divers: Tenkiller's 12,500 acres of water, fed by the Illinois River and Baron Fork, support ten marinas, more than 20 launching ramps around the lake, and rental options for boats and personal watercraft; several marinas operate floating restaurants. Fishing targets include black bass, white bass, striped bass, crappie and catfish, and the trout stream below the dam is one of only two year-round trout fisheries in Oklahoma. On land, three nature trails (ranging from about 1.25 to over 2 miles) thread through rocky outcrops and ridgelines where deer, turkey and a host of migratory birds including bald eagles, loons and white pelicans are commonly seen. Hunting is allowed on most project lands outside of parks and dam control areas under state regulations; maps of public hunting areas are available from the project office and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Nearby points of interest include Tenkiller State Park's nature center and scuba park, the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, the historic city of Tahlequah, and the Illinois River corridor for paddling and trout fishing.