Birch Cove

The northern most part of the campground is closed for the winter months but the southern end close to the boat ramp is open with just a few sites.  There is a park host onsite.  I rode through and did not see a bathhouse or bathroom.  The  camp is a bit further south than is depicted on the maps.  It is south of the dam and well marked.

We had a spectacular spot with nothing in our view except hardwood forest. The road in front of our spot was a little busy as it was the main road to the fishing dock and it was a nice hill for kids to ride scooters and skateboards on. But all in all it was quiet and relaxing.

hammock and tent camping. few skeeters and flys and a friendly coon. great weekend.

This is a nice, newer feeling recreation area with a large lake for boating, fishing and water sports. The campground is large with several loops and sites on and off the lake. Most of the sites on the lake were taken by RV'ers, with most tent campers choosing sites up the hill away from the lake (and lake noise). I was in site 44 which backs up to the woods (making it easier to gather downed wood for my fire and cooking). I thought I was going to have the back end of the loop all to myself, but lucky me, someone with a camper decided to be my next-door neighbor. Sigh. It was a fairly nice site with a paved parking pad, picnic table, grill, and fire ring, with plenty of level space for my tent and trees for my hammock. The trees provided a nice wind break from the relentless Oklahoma winds. The shower house on my loop (there was one on each loop and it seemed like a few spare mixed in) was clean and maintained daily. The actual shower portion had two stalls, one handicap accessible, and both with a few resident spiders. Speaking of wildlife, there were plenty of deer in the field in the evening and several turtles and snakes hanging out in the late afternoon. All sites had electric and there was a shared water pump for every two sites. The Recreation Area had a manned gate house and the campground host manning it was very nice and helpful. There weren't any hiking trails in the campground, but then again, its main claim to fame is the lake. If you are looking for things to do in the area, Pawhuska is home to Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman from the cooking channel. Her store and restaurant are in Pawhuska and its a pretty good place to get breakfast or lunch.