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The Beautiful and Thrilling Mt. Fork River at Broken Bow, OK  

Prepare to get wet, when you take a kayak or canoe down the 4 miles of rock gardens, rapids and small waterfalls that make up this year round available class II water rollercoaster in Southeastern Oklahoma!

Buffalo River Trip Report

Illinois River Trip Report

Spring River Trip

  Canoe and Kayak Gear for Paddlers

Releases from the Broken Bow Reservoir into the Lower Mountain Fork River (LMF) provide ideal paddling conditions almost all year round. The water quality is cold, clear and clean with a difficulty rating of Class II (acceptable even for the novice). During the summer, there are loads of canoe and kayak outfitters that will put you on Oklahoma's most exciting kayaking spot.  Head to Broken Bow, Oklahoma soon and paddle this Oklahoma jewel!

LMF River Kayaking

I was getting turned over in my kayak several times per trip on this river until I bought the spray skirt for my Perception.  I haven't flipped the boat on this river since.  It is quite easy to get 'a little bit sideways' in the shallow waters on the Lower Mountain Fork River and a sprayskirt keeps the boat from taking on water.  A quick hip-snap will often set you right up without even getting wet!
Find a Spray Skirt for Your Kayak.

Oklahoma Float Trip Tip: Remember to call ahead and reserve your canoes and kayaks at least one day in advance. Summer afternoon float trips on the Mt. Fork, for example, often book up.    

Kayaking Over Presbyterian Falls
 

Our Favorite Oklahoma Paddling River!

Trip Report  - 10/13/07 Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow, OK

October's unusually warm weather this year has extended the paddling season for fair weather kayakers like Dianne and I. In fact, we took a trip this weekend to Broken Bow, Oklahoma to kayak my favorite Oklahoma river…the LMF!

The Lower Mountain Fork River (LMF)

The LMF River offers an exciting four mile downriver trip that begins at the re-regulation dam, proceeds through a shallow rock garden, then some narrow rapids and a finally a couple small ledges with the take-out being the Highway 70 Bridge. The fun is highly concentrated on this river. Each bend in the river seems to offer another rocky obstacle or amazingly lovely scene. The water is crystal clear and cold all year long. Best of all, the electrical needs of the community and the water needs of the trout mean this river almost always has excellent water levels for kayaking.

Our Trip to Broken Bow

Those who know me well, know that I would love to greet the sunrise every weekend on the banks of this fantastic river. This is why we usually spend the night in Broken Bow, even though it is only a couple hours from home. Sadly, this trip did not allow me to greet the dawn on the river bank due to some unpleasantness on the drive from Okmulgee to Broken Bow.

Although the bow of my boat has never been broken on this river, the front-end of our pickup truck suffered mightily this time. Dianne and I were driving to our hotel, the Hochatown Country Lodge, when a deer leaped out in front of us on Highway 3 just outside of Rattan, Oklahoma. We were moving at highway speed and simply could not avoid hitting the deer. The damage to the truck included breaking our transmission cooler and leaving us stuck on the side of the road right by the Little River Park. The damage to the deer was even more severe.

The really nice folks at Steel's towing carried our wounded Chevy the last 30 miles or so into Broken Bow and even delivered both of us and our kayaks to the Hochatown Country Lodge. In the morning Jesse, our tow truck driver, planned to try to repair the truck enough for us to limp back home to Okmulgee. Like everyone in this friendly little town, Jesse delivered for us above and beyond the call of duty.

Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers Save the Day 

On any other trip, the events detailed above would have canceled any dream I had of paddling my favorite river...but this trip was different. We recently started participating in a new Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers Yahoo! Group that Al Want launched. In fact, we had arranged to meet them at the hotel on Friday night. Although Dianne and I have met other Oklahoma kayakers through our paddling blog, this was the first time we planned a trip through Al's new group. Al and his wife Donna were on the spot as soon as we reached the hotel. They insisted that canceling our kayaking trip would do nothing to repair our truck. Even though we were unable to do our part in boat shuttling, Al and Donna went FAR out of their way to make sure we could still run the river. They even carried us to Jesse's shop after our adventure to pickup our truck!

Kayaker Networks Mean Safer Paddling Trips

Everyone knows that paddling with companions is MUCH safer than being on the water alone. Groups, like the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers, can help you build the relationships that will make your river adventures much more safe and enjoyable. One thing I learned this weekend is that the risk doesn't begin and end on the water. When taking road trips that are even just a few hours from home, a support network of friends can be the difference between major disasters and minor annoyances.

Our LMF River Trip Details

Since Labor Day has passed, many of the canoe liveries have shut down for the season. However, Ambush Adventures is still open for business. Al and Donna had to make two trips from the lodge to get all five kayaks and all six paddlers to the outfitter. However, once we were all assembled the outfitter wasted no time in busing us to the put-in. Kayaking the LMF in the off-season means less crowding on the river, but fewer hilarious boat mishaps to photograph.

The LMF is barely tame enough to be called Flatwater Paddling, in fact Dianne and I break out the spray-skirts for this voyage. Al and Donna had their cockpits covered as well and they also supplied a Sit-On-Top tandem kayak for Heather and Reed to paddle. Everyone in our group made it down the river with dry hair, but several folks in canoes and uncovered kayaks were not so fortunate.

As usual, the river level was good enough to avoid the need to portage. We didn't hit the water until nearly noon, so we didn't see a great deal of fish or wildlife. However, even in the 'too-bright' light of the noonday sun, we managed to take some very nice kayak pictures. I think I may switch back to my plastic bladed paddle on my next trip. My new fiberglass bladed Carlisle paddle, though wonderfully light, did NOT sound too good bouncing off the rocks!

Lodging for the Lower Mountain Fork River Trip

Lodging at the Hochatown Country Lodge was great. Here’s an example: we told them we had hit a deer and would need an extra late check-in time and to stay an extra night. They set up all that AND gave us a discount on both nights purely out of pity. In a nutshell, the service was as excellent as the location.

We got a Jacuzzi room for the first night. The Lodge’s Jacuzzi room was easy to find, clean and well equipped for less than $100. Although we couldn’t find free WiFi at the hotel, there is an Internet cafe just a short walk from the Lodge. Also within easy walking distance of the lodge are: a liquor store, diner, chocolate shop, convenience store, chainsaw sculptor, go-kart racetrack and more. Hochatown, Oklahoma is small, but loaded with fun...just like the Lower Mountain Fork River itself.

The Company 

Dianne and I really enjoyed paddling with Al, Donna, Heather and Reed. Flatwater Kayaking is an excellent group activity. It offers opportunities to just paddle along slowly in groups and talk or to venture off alone to explore for a while. Thanks for the help Al & Company, we owe you guys some major shuttling!

I think a few others from the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers group are planning to head to Broken Bow this coming weekend. If you have never paddled the LMF, I cannot recommend this river highly enough. Get with the group and go…you have nothing to lose but..uh…your wallet, keys, cell phones, paddles, water bottles, beers, glasses, and anything else not dry bagged and strapped to the boat!

---

 

Trip Report  - 6/18/05 Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow, OK

The Mountain Fork River, a tributary of Oklahoma's Little River, is quickly becoming a destination of choice among Oklahoma paddlers and fishermen alike. Due to cool water releases through the dams of Broken Bow Lake and Lake Tenkiller, both rainbow and brown trout can be caught at this year-round trout fishing area. However, this time of year the trout fishermen try to set out early enough to avoid the rush of paddlers that descend on the Lower Mountain Fork River each summer. This weekend, Dianne and I joined the mad rush down this Class II river. I very much hate to disturb fishermen, but that river is one heck of a ride!

Broken Bow's section of the Mountain Fork River is the best Oklahoma river float trip that Dianne and I have ever paddled on...by far! 

Rental canoes and shuttle services are available in Beaver's Bend State Park and near the Highway 70 bridge. For boat rentals and camping drive five miles east of Broken Bow on US Hwy 70, then north on Mountain Fork Park Rd and follow the signs to WW Trading Post & Canoe Rentals. You will also find several other small outfitters along Hwy 70 just a few miles out of Broken Bow.

Although not as commercialized as the Illinois River, the Mountain Fork River has several outfitters offering float trips. Since most of them are family businesses, finding their websites can be difficult... when they exist at all. At the end of this page I'll leave you some handy links and phone numbers to get you started planning your Mountain Fork River float trip.

Mountain Fork River Float Trip Tip: To fish and see nature... float in the morning, to see hot chicks...float in the afternoon.    

The run we took twice this weekend was four miles from the dam to an outfitters place called Ambush Adventures. No rafts on this river, just tubes, canoes and kayaks. We chose two Old Town Sit Inside kayaks (SINK's) from A.K.A. Canoe Rentals, they were excellent, straight tracking and very responsive recreational kayaks.

However, the listed weight capacity was 225 lbs. That left Yours Truly seriously pushing the weight limit, as usual! This may have been one factor in me sinking the kayak no less than 3 times per trip. Another factor would have to be my complete lack of knowledge and training in the fine art of kayaking.

Time to regroup and dump the water out!

Immediately when you leave the reregulation dam canoe launch on the Mt. Fork River, you hit a fairly long rock garden that you have to pick your way though like a maze. A 'Rock Garden' refers to a complex maze of rocks in the middle of the river...basically it is a jungle-gym for kayakers.

 On our first attempt to cross the Rock Garden, Dianne got her kayak lodged between two big stones in the river.  Next, canoes that were following her kayak began bumping into the back of her lodged craft, as the river traffic backed up.  Thankfully, she managed to escape without too much insult or injury. I can't say the same for lots of other folks that were floating the same day.  Dianne  didn't even sink her kayak once the first day!

After the rock garden, you go reach the Main Event - a couple of small waterfalls!  Being novice kayakers, we had a ball sliding down the waterfalls, shooting the rapids and dodging the Cypress trees. Lean back as you go over the falls to avoid 'penciling in' and getting too much water in the boat. Also, know that you will be moving pretty fast when you come off the waterfall, sideswipe a rock at that point and you just might swamp the kayak...as I did a few times.

Presbyterian Falls on the Mt Fork River
Floaters trying to keep their bows pointed downstream.

 

Of the four miles, two to three of them were tricky, for novices like us, but not particularly dangerous whitewater. Normally, such a short trip wouldn't even give Dianne and I a good work-out, but we returned exhausted from this one. Here's a tip, don't try to walk up the rocks of the waterfall to take another trip down.  The rocks are slippery and I darn near...I mean 'someone' could easily break their leg on those slippery stones.

After just a couple hours on the water, I was worn out from dumping massive amounts of water out of my kayak and Dianne was exhausted from feverishly paddling upstream to retrieve the various cargo items that floated free from my frequent wrecks. Although the Sit-On-Top Kayaks (SOT's) that we have rented in the past may have been easier to avoid sinking, I found the Sit Inside Kayaks to be more fun for me.

We camped at a public put-in point at the Reregulation Dam. Our camping spot was only  minutes from a McDonalds and a 24-hour Wal-Mart. It was like they made the camp just for us.

Overall, floating the Mountain Fork River was an incredible experience I would recommend to anyone in the Oklahoma, Arkansas or Texas area.  -- Tom & Di  |  More Float Trip Reports

Broken Bow area rental canoes and shuttle services are available in the park (Beavers Bend) and near the Highway 70 bridge. Here is a list of the outfitters and canoe livery operators that I know of on the Lower Mountain Fork River.  I try to update it whenever I make a trip down there, which is not nearly often enough!

I usually prefer to pick a kayak shuttle service that is close to the put-in (for an early launch) or close to the take-out (no waiting at the landing for a ride).  In the interest of openness, I will confess that one of the liveries provided Dianne and I with free shuttling once.  See if you can guess which one!

...Complete Oklahoma Float Trip Outfitters List.

  Find a Spray Skirt for Your Kayak.

THE GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT!

(GABC) is held each year on the fourth Saturday of June. This one-night event encourages families, youth and individuals to camp out in their backyards or local parks and to discover the fun of being in the great outdoors. Learn more about GABC and Great Outdoors Month.

Visit www.backyardcampout.org for details!

See Some Popular Recreational Kayaks

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