We did another week of living life in the rv while Nick went to work! This time at Lake Oolagah!
I thought we would be staying in a lakeside spot like last time but the site map for booking ended up being a bit off and we were just on the otherside of the road.
It ended up being a blessing because I was not sure if I wanted to worry about kids near the cliff all week anyway.
I had lots of plans to visit the surrounding area while we were rving starting with day one!
Then I realized I had left my purse in my husbands vehicle…
It ended up being a perfect low key day though!
We hiked at the Skull Trail and took the longest loop which follows near the lake mostly.
It’s about 1 mile long for the longest loopThese guys and pill bugs were all over the trees!We went swimming later at the swimming area near our campgroundIt rained a lot for the whole week but we were able to go to Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch still.The kids liked all the animalsI wanted to hike the next day but it was going to storm so we quickly checked out the Teaching Garden in Claremore and then headed to the Will Rogers MuseumAll the rain meant the dam near us was overflowing and had lots of birds.This little guy blocked our trail on our way back from the swimming beach to our campground one day!!!!!! My youngest son almost stepped on it!We checked out the Summerfest at Collinsville and it was a beautiful way to end the day.They have it on the second Thursday of the month through the summer and show a movie in the park also when it gets dark.Such a beautiful campground!
Had a great time and I am already planning when we can go again!
Even with the hardships and struggles that come with travel and camping I find myself disappointed that it is over.
30mins into leaving my parents house on our way to Kentucky our brake caliper locked up and needed replaced.
Not going to miss the leaky air mattress though…kind of reminded me of my parents old waterbed but without the fun water.
Koomer Ridge Campground
Red River Gorge in Kentucky won me over with the first hike.
Hidden Arch Trail at our campsite
The woods felt earthy, deep, and wonderful. And I knew I would miss them.
Mountain Laurel abounded as well as magnolias, giving the place a rainforest and magical feel.
Thunderstorms came which lead to a lot of “keep away from the sides of the tent!” But also falling asleep to the sounds of rain (and let’s be honest kids complaining of rain leaking in).
Sheltowee Trace Suspension Bridge
Tearing down and setting up the camp is stressful and not my favorite but the endless possibilities to explore make it worth it.
I missed our RV but enjoyed being closer to the forest. I did not enjoy being closer to loud neighbors that liked to stay up until 2am though…
Rock Bridge TrailCreation FallsAngel Window’s Trail
Cumberland falls took me back in time and I reread “Moonbow Inn” by Laura Frantz while we stayed there. Seeing the places described in the book made it come alive.
Cumberland Falls State Park Campground was a letdown after the beauty and peace of the Koomer Ridge campground. The spaces were smaller, tons of light flooded our tent all night, and the heat and bugs were pretty oppressive but I loved the falls.
Cumberland Falls State Park
Next time I would just stop for the day. But I am glad we got the chance to hike out to Dog Slaughter Falls ( my kids were concerned about taking our dog to such a tragically named place though). Hardly anyone was on the trail and the hike and falls were breathtaking.
Dog Slaughter Falls
I feel like we went at a great time of the year, bugs were not too bad, the weather was pretty good although it got a bit hot once or twice, and the crowds were non existent.
Just over two miles, this trail has easy parts and difficult parts.
This was one of the more difficult sections.
It is a fun hike though, right on the lake!
2. Ranger Trail ~Keystone State Park
A nice easy loop trail, it is just over a mile long but Keystone State Park is part of the Park pass system so there is a fee.
3. Keystone Mountain Bike Trail
You can do the large loop for over 4 miles or the smaller loop for 2 miles (that is what we did), there are other trails also that can cut it shorter I believe.
I have gotten lost here in the past but this time used the AllTrails app and it worked great! I love hiking here, a nice beautiful hike that still has enough challenges it feels like a hike 😉
This is right across from the Keystone State Park but is not part of the fee area so no charge to park there.
4. Falls Trail ~Keystone Ancient Forest
A difficult trail it is 3.5 miles long but takes around 1.5 miles to get to it from the parking lot.
My youngest had trouble finishing this hike but thankfully her brothers kept her distracted.
I would image that the waterfalls are only really there after some rain, there were not really any falls when we went this time.
Bonus ~ Wilson Hike at Keystone Ancient Forest
It is only 1 mile long but you have to hike on the Frank trail to get to it. The Frank Trail is a moderate hike though and less than a mile to reach the Wilson Trail, the Wilson Trail is difficult but beautiful. They also have other trails there but check to make sure they are open before going. They are usually only open on the weekends.
5. Washington Irving Trail
This is a very easy out and back trail that is just over a mile.
They have signs throughout the trail giving information about the area but some of them are too messed up to read.
We did all of these trails last week while we stayed in our trailer nearby and really enjoyed them!
I would love to live closer to this area to take advantage of all the great hiking every day!
