Covering 20 square miles with a 35-mile length, Tenkiller Ferry Lake offers plenty of recreational opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming. Accordingly, the lake features another 1,400 acres for hiking, hunting, exploring, and camping. Reserve a vacation rental at Tenkiller Lake, and enjoy nature with your family and loved ones. Here are a few locations to consider when planning your trip.
1. Park Hill
Park Hill offers spectacular views over the water at Turkey Bluff, while other sections take you down to the lake for easy water access. Stay in town, and enjoy easy access to one of the lake’s inlets, Dogwood Creek. Keep your boat at the Burn Cabin Marina, conveniently located in the Burnt Cabin Ridge State Park, and go hiking after spending a day on the water.
2. Paradise Hill
Paradise Hill lies just southwest of Park Hill and is another small community on the banks of the Lake. If you can’t find a rental on the water, stay inland and keep your boat at the Strayhorn Marina. The Strayhorn Landing public use area gives you a place to take the kids for an afternoon swimming and sunbathing, and it has restrooms for convenience.
3. Notchietown
Notchietown lies out the southwestern most side of the lake and covers a wide, rambling area, providing vacation rentals that are surrounded by trees and nature or water and nature. Either way, you have the privacy and seclusion to reconnect with your family and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
4. Blackgum
Blackgum is a larger town with water access, so spend days fishing and boating at your rental house dock before heading into town for a hot meal. Introduce your kids to the outdoors by heading to Tenkiller State Park for some nature walks and birdwatching.
5. Cookson
Cookson runs along the central and northeastern side of the lake and offers plenty of coastline and lake house rentals. Not only are there many inlets and creeks to explore with the little ones, but there is also a multitude of parks in the area, including Chicken Creek, Cookson Bend, and Carlisle Cove.
6. Dry Creek
Despite its name, the community of Dry Creek – nestled against the lake and a creek – is anything but dry. Whether you choose to stay in a rental inland surrounded by trees and privacy or down by the water, you have plenty of lake access at Standing Rock Landing and Elk Creek Landing. Take your kids kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding along the multitude of coves and inlets.
7. Wildcat Point
Wildcat Point is perched on the northwest side along the bend of the lake at the junction of the lakes and the creeks feeding it. Opt for a secluded place on the water for a pure family time. Stay inland and still have lake access and a green place for you kids to play when you visit Cherokee Landing State Park.
8. Tenkiller
Tenkiller, at the northernmost point of the lake, lies on the promontory dividing the creeks from the lake, giving you water access in any direction for boating and kayaking. Explore nature by taking a scenic drive with the family along Tenkiller, Rocky Mountain, and Welling country roads.
9. Evening Shade
Evening Shade has the benefit of not only being close to the lake for water fun, but it is also a short drive of Cookson Hills State Game Refuge, making this an ideal spot for the hunters in your life. The Cherokee State Game Refuge is also just a short drive from Evening Shade.
10. Pettit
Enjoy a week away in a rural environment by visiting Pettit, a little community boasting large, open spaces. Stay on the lake to fish and swim, and embrace the solitude as you enjoy family time. The Pettit Bay and Joliff Inlet Public Use areas offer you more nature-based fun and relaxation. Take your boat out, or stroll along the beach with your family.