Best Glamping near Wright Patman Lake

Atlanta State Park is nestled pretty far off the beaten path (nearest highway) deep in the pineywoods. It sits on the edge of Wright Patman Lake near the Texarkana region on the Texas side. Has plentiful campgrounds that are nearly maintained, two different boat ramps (both in good condition) for fishing, along with multiple swimming areas (with beaches) for folks. The major plus to this lake is that you can easily bring a boat with you when you're camping, because of the plentiful spaces at campsites and boat ramp access.

Wright Patman Lake is a decent lake, but does have a fair amount of stumps along the edges- watch for the bouyees. Fishing is good, water can get very warm in the summer which is nice for swimming.

Overall it's a beautiful park and the best park along Wright Patman Lake in my opinion. I've also been here at least two dozen times and enjoyed each experience.

On the very last day of 2018 we found ourselves camped out at Atlanta State Park on Wright Patman lake deep in the East Texas piney woods. Just a short drive north and west of the Texas Town of Atlanta set way back in the tall pine trees Atlanta State Park is truly a beautuful place to visit with your RV. Atlanta State Park is not well suited for the mobility challenged. I was unable to get down to the waters edge in most of the public use areas and there was little else for me to do in this Texas State Park. Our visit coincided with several days of cold winter rain and that further dampened our spirits and motivated us to cut short our visit by one full day. Dont get me wrong we really enjoyed our short visit to Atlanta State Park and look forward to a return visit when the sun is shinning but on this visit is was wet and gloomy. 

Come along with us as we pay a visit to Atlanta State Park!

https://youtu.be/b-JHeYgjWx8

We, unfortunately, only got to spend one night here on our way through the area but enjoyed some great stargazing due to the park being quite dark.

We appreciated electric and water being at the campsite, especially for only $14 per night.

The only thing negative we noticed during our very short stay was that while the bathrooms were clean, they seemed old and small. Men and women each had just one shower stall and it was behind only a shower curtain in the main restroom area. (We were in the Wilkins Creek Loop.)

Staff was friendly and welcoming. We'd like to come back and explore the area more when we have time.

This park is easily in our Top 3 in the Texas State Parks system. It's a small park, but a little slice of heaven. Towering pine trees grow right up to the waters' edge. So peaceful. Donna, my wife, will often sit and gaze over the water. 

The park is neat and tidy, and the bathrooms have always been clean. There are several picnic tables by the lake, a swim out platform, kayaks, paddleboats, a fishing pier, and a few swings on the playground. We typically visit during the week, so it's always been pretty quiet. And if you need supplies, there's a Brookshire's grocery nearby(only a few miles away). One trip, we decided to fish and grabbed bait from the Ace Hardware in town. 

We love laying in our hammocks, watching the pines sway, and listening to the birds sing. In the warmer months, we swim and splash around the floating platform. And with a fire pit at every site, s'mores are a given each night(so long as there's no burn ban). 

There's a short trail that circles the lake(about 2.5 miles). We do it EVERY trip. It's a beautiful and easy hike. Take a picnic and make your way to the CCC picnic area on the lake's other side. There will be a spot where you can enjoy your lunch, looking back across the water.(But don't let your dog grab your PB&J when you're not looking or you'll be hungry on the way back.)

PROS 

Saved $42 With TX STATE PARK PASS 

No fee to reserve online. 

No sales tax. U

pon arriving at Site 23, we had no power at the pedestal. Called Park Headquarters and 2 park personnel were at our site in 10 minutes and resolved problem 

Site 23 level asphalt 

Site 23 partial shade 

Aluminum picnic table, 2 hook lantern pole and metal fire pit with cooking grate 

Donation firewood available 

Soap and hand dryer in toilet/shower facility 

3 bars TMOBILE when not storming 

CONS 

No overnight security gate closure 

Site 23 was 1/3 covered with poison oak and remaining living area covered with tall weeds. 

Some highway noises. 

Two PARK HOSTS occupy sites in Woodpecker Hollow. That reduces full hook up sites to 6. One of those sites were used as a temporary dump station due to out-of-service park dump station 

Woodpecker Hollow toilet/shower facility needs some deep cleaning 

11 windows in Woodpecker Hollow women’s toilet/shower and only 4 were open. Camp host said rest of windows were painted shut.  Floors were continuously wet and slippery. What a mess! This place needs a fan or two.

Most pets we saw were NOT on leash 

No privacy from surrounding campsites 

No ranger drive thru Woodpecker Hollow 

No park WIFI

I recently spent 4 days at Beavers Bend State Park ("BBSP") on a camping trip with my brother. We had initially planned to go camping at Lake Ouachita in Arkansas; however, unfortunately we were unable to go due to the COVID crisis and Arkansas only allowing in-state residents to begin camping again on May 1st. As a result, we had to make a fall back plan so we landed on BBSP. Since we didn't make a reservation until the last minute, the only camping area with sites available for the full length of our trip was in the "Hochatown Area."

Per a sign I noticed on the side of a local business during our trip, "Hochatown" is pronounced as follows: (1) "HO" - like Santa Claus, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" (2) "CH" - like CHicken, not a "K" (3) "A" - like "UH" (4) "TOWN" - Well, you know, like "TOWN"

First of all, BBSP is HUGE and very spread out. If you're looking for a park where you can pretty much walk or ride a bike everywhere during your trip, this is probably not your place. It's possible, but it wouldn't be enjoyable in my opinion. Broadly, the park is generally located on the western side of the Broken Bow Reservoir and runs south to north across approximately 12-15 miles. The hub of activity containing the typical state park-esque things is in the southern section of the park.

There are basically two general sections of the park, both of which have several camping areas within them. One is on the north side of the park and the other on the south. The northern half is the Hochatown area (or “Lake Area”), while the southern half is the Beavers Bend area (or “River Area”). Where you camp will largely depend on what you plan to do.

As indicated above, the Hochatown area is close to the Lake. There are several different campgrounds in this area and it’s all very spread out. Basically, if you have a camper/rv, your options are Armadillo, Quail or Turkey. We stayed in Armadillo because that was the only area available. Of the three, I think Quail is probably the best area, but at the end of the day, I think they are probably all comparable. The sites in Armadillo were well shaded with level/paved pads. Picnic table, lantern hook, and fire pit. There was also a big pavilion right behind our site. If our kids were with us, it would’ve been nice in the event of rain. Some sites in Armadillo have sewer and others don’t. We were in site #4, no sewer. I was skeptical at first, but I really liked it. The bathhouse wasn’t open but it looked ok. Armadillo is about 300 yards away from the Lakeview Lodge. Leave Armadillo area, cross the street and make your way to the Lodge. There is a boat ramp and lots of area to enjoy the lake shore. The Lodge looked a little sketchy but generally probably decent. As for the other, non rv areas, those include: Blue Jay, Eagle, Coyote, Deer Drive, Turkey, Grasshopper, Firefly and Hawk. These are walk-in tent sites really close to the water. If you’re a tent person, these are very cool sites. All areas have bathhouses. In addition to water activities, there is a nice golf course a few miles north that runs along the lake (Cedar Creek Golf Course). We played a round during our trip and really enjoyed it. Reasonably priced ($40 for 18 with cart; $27 or so for 18 with cart at twilight, or after 4pm during daylight savings).  It was a solid little course with some great views along the back 9.  In addition to those things, there are several moderate hikes that are all around 3 miles in the Hochatown area. You can also combine them all and go on a mega 16 miler that takes you up and along the crest of the mountain overlooking the lake. Views are fantastic but would caution anyone who is not in shape or not accustomed to hiking. In short, if you’re planning to do a lot of boating and fishing, the Hochatown area will be your jam as there are multiple boat ramps and the marina is generally about the same distance from all the camping areas in the northern section of the park.

The southern area of the park is the Beavers Bend or River Area. From the outset, without question, this is preferable to Hochatown area in my view. This area of the park looks like something from a movie and there are several camping areas, including (from north to south): Hickory, Grapevine, Elm, Fern, Dogwood, Acorn and Cypress. Again, if you’re taking a camper/rv, you’ll be limited to Dogwood, Fern, Acorn or Cypress. Without a doubt, you will want to try for a spot in Acorn or Dogwood (in that order) first. Next is Fern, though it is right next to horse stables so unless you like the smell of horse poop, probably want to look at Cypress. Acorn and Dogwood areas have sites along the river that are amazing. The pads are great, and there is sewer. Specifically as to Fern, it is a small area that offers bigger sites and some seclusion while being on the river, but it’s generally people with trailers for horse related things due to proximity to stables.

Cypress is probably last or 3rd of these 4 areas for a few reasons. First, it sits across the road from Acorn and not on the water, but it is at least in close proximity to the river. Second, the pads are gravel/dirt and short. If you’ve got a rig that's anything longer than 17 ft, it could get tight in a hurry. Third, the trees make these sites really tight in addition to the length of each pad. Fourth, the sites are stacked on top of each other leaving hardly any room between sites.  If you were taking kids, I could see that being a source of stress trying to keep your kids from encroaching on your neighbors 24/7.  Basically, it’s just much less appealing overall than Acorn or Dogwood, but it is still probably better than the Hochatown area if you've got a smaller camper or a PUP like me. 

The “main” park area is by far the southern half of the park, or River Area. This is where the visitor center and heritage center are located, both of which are fantastic. There is also a park general store and other concessionaires on site. Obviously that's are big plus to have access to those things, even if you aren't planning on using them. There are several different swimming areas along the river with sandy beaches that are clearly marked, as well as hiking trails and flat, paved trails for leisurely bike riding or, in my case, a path for my boys to use their little scooters. Dispersed among the camping areas are many, many cabins that can be rented.  Some are nestled into the side of the hillside, while others look right out over the river.  I have not stayed in a cabin but they appear to be quite nice. I also have a friend who stayed in a cabin at the park with his family for a week every summer and he raves about his experiences.  In addition to trout fishing in the river, there are also numerous float trips you can take in this area of the park, most of which follow along the Mountain Fork River. In fact, there are even portions of the river south of the park (Lower Mountain Fork River) with Class III rapids for rafting.  In the same area, there is the Lower Mountain Fork River Trout Fishery, which is a phenomenal flyfishing location.  Overall, this area of the park looks like a movie.  There is so much to do you can’t hit it all in a single trip.

Lastly, a few comments about the area surrounding BBSP. Being from Oklahoma, I will say that in my humble opinion, much of the state is not pretty at all. However, this area of the state is absolutely stunning and doesn’t look like Oklahoma; rather, it looks like Arkansas. With that said, the towns of Hochatown and Broken Bow are pretty rough and frankly sort of sketchy in all respects. Closer to the park (along 259), it is very “touristy” on both sides of the road.  There are several restaurants, bars, gift shops, and activities like miniature golf and a go cart track. For my family, it’s a perfect spot for us, as my wife loves the tourist-type gift shops and my boys would love the mini-golf and go-carts.  To that end, if you’re looking for something all natural, I would say you should either stay in the park, or just don’t go to Beavers Bend.  Due to the geographical location of this park, it is situated in a spot that's nearly equidistant in all directions to Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana.  As a result, this is one of the most visited areas in Oklahoma.  During our trip, it seemed like there were more Texas and Arkansas plates than Oklahoma.  It's clearly a tourist-esque location, that's particularly true during the late spring and summer months.

Overall, even though I have visited several parks in Oklahoma, I haven't seen them all. Despite that, I feel confident in saying that Beavers Bend is probably the best the state has to offer in terms of state parks and camping. There is so many different things to do that it could appeal to anyone and the scenery is stunning.  Plainly, you just can’t go wrong here, even if you end up in a less preferable camping area. If you live within a reasonable distance from this park, it’s definitely somewhere you should visit.