Top Camping Tips - Oklahoma Camping Gems - Oklahoma Tips Weather Oklahoma winds can kick up in a hurry, so unless you want to take home a bunch of red dirt, it's best to leave your windows closed while you are gone. Summertime highs average in the mid-eighties; winter lows are in the mid to low thirties. Oklahoma City Oklahoma City freeways can be a little confusing, so be sure to study your maps before you head out.

Top 10 Camping Places to Eat in Oklahoma Camping Gems - Places to Eat in Oklahoma Grove Juan Montez Mexican Restaurant and Cantina Oklahoma City The Coach House Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante and Bar Jimmy's Egg Ted's Cafe Escondido Stillwater Eskimo Joe's Restaurant Tulsa Warren Duck Club Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Fleming's Steakhouse Charleston's   Top 10 Camping Hidden Gems in Oklahoma Camping Gems - Oklahoma Fort Cobb Reservoir This 4,000-acre lake near the Cobb Creek with Washita River is a great place to fish for Here you'll find bass, crappie, and catfish.  Don't miss the chance to swim and boat around this gorgeous blue lake. The Cowboy Trade Day, Will Rogers Stampede Arena If you can plan your visit to fall on the third Saturday of May or September, you can look forward to spending a day at "The Cowboy Trade Day", Will Rogers Stampede Arena. Billed as the biggest, all cowboy, "western stuff" swap meet in the nation, a visit here will give you a chance to wander through 100+ booths selling everything from antique spurs to Navajo jewelry. Tulsa While you're in this historic city, you'll find the Tulsa Zoo, the Greenwood Historical District, the wonderful Gilcrease Museum, and the Philbrook Museum of Art.  Be sure not to miss the Rebecca & Gershon Fenster Museum of Jewish Art and Mac's Antique Car Museum. Lendonwood Gardens, Grove Wandering through this 3-acre garden will give you a chance to enjoy the bonsai in the enclosed Zen Garden, towering oak trees, and the 1,500 plants that serve as their neighbors. (1308 W 13th St, 918-786-2938) Fort Smith National Historic Site At Fort Smith National Historic Site you can walk where soldiers drilled, pause along the Trail of Tears, and stand where justice was served. The park includes the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas.  Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the "hanging judge," presided over the court for 21 years. Oklahoma City Zoo Park, Oklahoma City Rated among the top ten zoos in the United States, this zoo has the Great EscApe Pavilion, the only one of its kind in the world, where you'll meet Western Lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. As you wander this ten-acre park, you'll see more than 2,000 exotic animals and the Aquatics Pavilion with aquariums, a dolphin, sea lion show, and marine animals. (2101 NE 50th, 405-424-3344) American Indian Village, Choctaw Here you will learn about how several Native American tribes lived between the 1600s and 1900s as you tour the five distinct villages. Stop at the Plains Indian tepees, an Osage bark lodge, Pawnee earth lodge, and Great Lakes tribes reed lodge to see Native Americans demonstrating various tribal activities while they explain and describe Native life. Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Cheyenne The site protects and interprets the setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. The attack was an important event in the tragic clash of cultures of the Indian Wars era. Frontier City, Oklahoma City Take the kids to enjoy a world of fun at Frontier City, a 40-acre western theme park with more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions. Washington Irving Trail Museum, Stillwater It was on this site on the night of October 20, 1832, that Washington Irving, Captain Jesse Bean, and his US Rangers camped for the night. Washington Irving, the famous author of the stories Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, had come along on this tour of what was to become Central Oklahoma to put his thoughts and impressions on paper. Touring the museum named after him, will give you a chance to learn more about his history and that of the other colorful lawmen and outlaws that once called this area home. (3918 South Mehan Rd, 405-624-9130, closed Monday & Tuesday)   Top 10 Camping Places to Go in Oklahoma Camping Gems - Places to Go in Oklahoma Indian City USA, Anadarko The seven different Native American villages build here were planned by and constructed under the supervision of the University of Oklahoma's Department of Anthropology. On your guided 45 minute tour, you will learn about the various tribes that would lived in these villages, see artifacts relating to villagers' lives, and, depending on the schedule, see a performance of the Indian City Dancers. Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge The 59,020 acre Refuge hosts a rare piece of the past -- a remnant mixed grass prairie, an island where the natural grasslands escaped destruction because the rocks underfoot defeated the plow. You can look for buffalos, longhorn cattle, deer, and elk, and enjoy great fishing, swimming, and picnicking spots. Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail Come on a journey to remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people who were forced from their homelands in the Southeastern United States in the 1830s. The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail passes through the present-day states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Will Rogers Memorial and Museum Here you'll find the museum of Claremore's favorite son, Will Rogers. Touring this museum will give you a chance to see murals, sculptures, dioramas, vintage photos, show bills, and visit a theater that shows some of his early work. At the nearby Dog Iron Ranch, you'll see how Will Rogers grew up at this 1879 farm house and out buildings, and learn more about his Cherokee background. (1720 W Will Rogers Blvd, 918-341-0719) Santa Fe National Historic Trail Take a journey between western Missouri and Santa Fe on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. You'll find adventure and evidence of past travelers who made this remarkable trip before you! The Santa Fe National Historic Trail crosses the five states of Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Grand Lake O'the Cherokees Set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range in northeastern Oklahoma, this 46,500-acre gem of a lake is a fabulous place to enjoy boating, skiing, fishing, swimming and sailing. Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, Oklahoma City While you're in this fabulous city, be sure not to miss the Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. The gardens cover seventeen beautifully landscaped acres and include a sunken lake. After you finish strolling the grounds, you are in for a treat at the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Here you'll see bird's nest anthurium and silver wattle, as you take your time on the Adventure Walk which winds through a display of palm trees, flowers and exotic plants from around the world. Guthrie, Oklahoma Visiting the first capitol of Oklahoma will give you a chance to visit the Oklahoma Territorial Museum, the State Capital Publishing Museum, the Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, and the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum. Or you can head to the Owen Fine Art Museum, the International Model Railroad Museum, the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum, and the Oklahoma Sports Museum. Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Sulphur The “Peaceful Valley of Rippling Waters” appropriately describes Chickasaw National Recreation Area, known for its many mineral springs, cool water, flora, fauna, and wildlife. Here one’s mind may wander back in time to when the early American Indian came to this area to rest, relax at the water’s edge, and hunt for their food from the abundant wildlife. Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, Tulsa This phenomenal preserve features art and artifacts from across the Southwest. Located on 3,600 acres of woodlands and plains, 40 miles due north of Tulsa, it serves as a preserve for wildlife, including American buffalo, elk, deer, and other wild animals. (918-336-0307)   Top 10 Camping Activities in Oklahoma Camping Gems - Things to Do in Oklahoma Fish for bass, crappie, and catfish at the Fort Cobb Reservoir. Explore the Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail. Watch for elk and buffalo (or go fishing) at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. See seven different Native American villages at Indian City USA. Get to know Oklahoma's favorite son at the Will Rogers Memorial and Museum. Go boating on the Grand Lake O'the Cherokees. Hike a mile of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. Enjoy the cool forests and rippling waters of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Take in the Old West fun at the Will Rogers Stampede Arena Cowboy Trade Day. Zoom down the rides at Frontier City Amusement Park.