Spavinaw — Grand Lake State Park

We go here often. Great water. And a quite place. That bathrooms can be hot in the day. It's usually clean.

This was a spur of the moment trip we done it was a lot of fun we ended up having our tubes with us so we lucked outweigh floater down a few times over and over it was a short go for us but it was a lot of fun water was cold and clear nice and quite camp ground now the bathrooms that’s a different story they wasn’t the best the floors was covered in mayflies and the sinks too that’s no exaggeration at all! But everything else was great! Well worth the stay! And Mickey mantels home town is right next door!

We stayed at Spavinaw State Park for a little weekend getaway. It’s now one of our favorite places to stay! The River that runs along the campground is really nice. Cool clear water with lots of different fish species to be caught. My boys had a great time fishing. The campsite included 30 amp service and water for our camper. It also had a picnic table, grill and fire pit. The pad itself was almost perfectly level which is always a plus. We enjoyed a nice weekend of camping and spending time as a family.

The park was very busy but surprisingly quiet after dark. Fishing in the river by the spillway was very nice. When we were there the park was currently looking for a camp host (help wanted sign). With the camp host vacancy there was no one to police the rules and people parked all over the grass.

The only reason I gave this a 3 star is because there is really no amenities BUT we love it because is is right by a creek, quiet except for the water fall of the dam which I happen to like. There is a playground. People come to fish (catfish, crappy, large and smallmouth bass, sunfish, spotted bass, wallet, & white bass)and float in the river in the summer. It is shallow enough for kids to splash around in and have fun. For fall camping it’s a nice place to get away and relax. Park is for day use only 11/4/20-4/1/21

If you’re in to baseball there’s a statue of Mickie Mantel across from campground. Spavinaw is where Mickie Mantel was born.

Like BBQ head up the road a little to the town of Spavinaw and have the best most tender BBQ around. We drive up there just for the BBQ.

https://www.travelok.com

We stay at spavinaw every June.   I've been for 13 years and my husband has gone for 36.  It's beautiful.   A wonderful place for all ages.   There is swimming and fishing and beautiful scenery.   It fills up on the weekends over summer but still doesn't feel too crowded.   The "waterfall" is probably a favorite for the kids as long as the water is running.   You can't beat tradition.   We have a family reunion under the pavilion.   There's a corner store up the road.   The bathrooms are nice,  but there aren't any stalls.   Just one toilet and one shower.   There are electric and primitive sites. It's a nice flowing creek with fairly clear water and a "beach".  The rocks are so pretty here.   Especially by the water fall.

We went in early May and almost froze but the area is so pretty and the water in the river was pretty clear. The river was high when we went and the water coming over the spillway was beautiful. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere but that’s good if that’s what you like. The weekends can get busy with so many people coming to swim but the weekdays are quieter. I also saw many beautiful birds.

Negatives: There was only one bathroom each for women and men and the shower is in that bathroom, so you can wait a loooonnnggg time to use the restroom. A kayak was stolen while we were there and they said it was the 4th one is just a few weeks. This should have been told to us when we got there. Thankfully the weather was so cold that we never took ours off the vehicle. The camp host’s dog came at me and almost bit me when I was trying to dump my black tank. The host site was right next to it and her dogs barked a lot, kink of ruining the peaceful atmosphere at times, but the scenery itself is beautiful.

This is a great campground to fish, float, and relax. The sites are spread out down a river created by a dam of lake Spavinaw. You can fish on the lake or river or bring an inter-tube and float down the river! In the spring the river often floods the campground so if it's been raining heavy for a few days, check to see if the grounds are flooded. Several years ago a flood took out many of the trees but the state has done a good job maintaining this park. You have options of where to camp and plenty of room for both RV's and Tenters.

Beautiful campground!! Just stopping by as I was heading to Downstream to meet with friends. Just the brief visit I had tells me I want to come camping here. Putting it on the schedule for next year!! Electric,water and cement pad!!!

So, the most interesting part of this park was the sign, or lack thereof. As I pulled in, I noticed that it looked like someone had painted out “Spavinaw” with the intent of re-painting, but somehow forgot to finish the job. Oh well. The park itself is just a wide spot next to the river with some nice campsites for both RV’s and tents. The campsites all had the requisite picnic tables, grills, and fire rings, and there was no lack of nice flat grassy spaces for pitching tents. The sites along the back of the campground were noticeably bigger, but it put you off direct river access. And the river is the big draw here. I was here late in the season (apparently they close this park in the winter months) so the water was low, but there were plenty of people trying their luck with the fishing. I suspect in the summer there are lots of kids playing in the shallow river from early until late.  The river is really the overflow channel of Lake Spavinaw, and there is a nice short trail that takes you to the base of the dam. You can also go up top and fish and boat in Lake Spavinaw. The nearby town of Spavinaw is cute and rustic, and I happened to be there during the weekend they were celebrating Mickey Mantle Days with a fun car show and outdoor concert. Lots of fun!