Lake Murray State Park & Resort

Took a couple days out here from a Groupon offer and this park was quiet and interesting to discover. My and my bf love fishing but this lake isn’t really a fisherman’s lake or maybe we just lost out fishing mojo. But we explored other parts and found lots of birds, buzzards and even a wild turkey! We also heard coyotes while grilling outside one night. We stayed at a cabin that was nice and cozy. It came with a kitchen (fridge, stove, oven, toaster, and sink.), little bathroom w/​shower, flat screen wall mounted T.V. and glorious A.C. Cabins also had housekeeping service so they provided clean towels and linen. All in all, we Texas natives loved the cabins, park and the courteous people of Oklahoma. Must explore Tucker tower at the Nature Center! It’s a high climb and will definitely test your fear of heights but it was well worth it.

The winter time hiking is great. We only saw one other human on the trails, but a variety of beautiful birds. The wild geese were beautiful on the lake.
We stayed in a little cabin with a fireplace and roasted marshmallows indoors since is was 27 degrees outside.
The cabin was pet friendly and clean. The kitchen had appliances, but as advertised, pans and dinnerware is not provided. I came prepared with my electric griddle! The towels were much nicer than expected.
We had a great time hiking and relaxing.

Great place to camp. Always quiet. Water is calm and clear. We come here multiple times a year. And have a blast.
I just wish I lived closer.

The good: Clean, private, secure, gas grills, good off-​season rates, and nice to park your boat at your door. When the owner used to run the place, he was very friendly and visited often. In the off-​season, he would often give us even better rates and let us park our boat in a covered slip. Convenient wagons to transport your luggage, food, and ‘stuff’ to your villa. Water quality is excellent. Some of the best scuba and snorkel water in the state. Fishing around select areas of the lake are excellent if your have a boat.
The bad: GEESE hollering ALL NIGHT LONG!!! Couldn’t sleep at all. Fishing isn’t all that great except for a couple of giant carp. Storms are a nightmare. These things rock and bang like crazy in very windy or stormy conditions. Almost all the convenience stores and cafes around the lake are closed, so you’ll have to go either to the marina or to Ardmore for supplies.

As others have said, the lake itself is absolutely gorgeous and offers a wealth of outdoor activities, including hiking, swimming, and boating, as well as bike trails and scuba spots.
The lodge has its pros and cons. On one hand, the staff is impossibly friendly and accommodating, the restaurant is quite good and reasonably priced, and the location is perfect.
On the other hand, the rooms are outdated and not very clean. They’re in desperate need of renovation. Lots and lots of bugs. We wore bug spray to bed! No screen door. Dirty carpets, dilapidated furniture, loud AC and footsteps overhead, no wi-​fi in the rooms (lobby only). We stayed in a two-​bedroom lakefront suite with fridge, microwave, and coffee pot for $ 150, but had we seen the room first, we wouldn’t have paid more than $ 100.
Overall, this is good for families doing a lot of outdoor activities if you pay $ 75/​night or less. Don’t expect luxury. Do expect a warm, inviting staff and a great location.
Overall

Lodge is old but the staff made up for it with their service! Ladies retreat for weekend! Best location and food!

Stayed in a 1 bedroom cabin that was nicely updated. The living area had a pullout sofa bed. The full kitchen was enticing. However our 3-​day stay didn’t warrant us buying/​bringing our own dishes and cooking utensils. At least the linens were provided. The shower could have been cleaned better, but we just wore flip flops and enjoyed the fact that we had hot running water. There was a stench of dead animal wafting from the woods at the back of our cabin, but we were out and about most of the time. The price was a little lower than cabins in the Davis area.
Unfortunately the lake levels were down, so we didn’t get to do everything we had hoped. And the rental place inside the park was way overpriced for their water vessel rentals. Not to mention, the kayak permitted area is so tiny it’s almost laughable; the saving grace was the tree trunks and rocks emerging from beneath the water which provided an obstacle for the boys to maneuver.
Nature hikes and Tucker tower afforded beautiful views of the surrounding flora & fauna. Overall, I think everyone enjoyed the trip. But we’ll probably check into lake level before our next trip here.

Food is average but only game in area
Fried green beans were good and the chicken salad was very good. The rest is average.

Second time to Elephant Rock. Some of the best rv sites in N TX or S OK. Great facilities, well maintained. Good bike/​hike trails. Wish Mother Nature would refill the lake.

Spent the day hanging out on the lake with friends and family! The weather was beautiful, the lake was gorgeous. Unfortunately only stayed one day but would go back in a sec!

I come here almost every day, swimming, hiking, fishing, boating, off roadin, etc., it’s no secret that southern Oklahoma has some of the best weather in the country like 300 days a year plus !!! of pure sunshine, and that makes for great lake weather!
Lake Texoma, the more popular lake is 45 mins away and most people frequent that lake it’s so much bigger but our little lake Murray is somewhat of a secret and what a great secret it is!
I been coming to this lake for the last 12 years, walking my great Danes down by the lake or on Buckhorn trail. I always see deer, fox, road runners, ducks, geese, etc., the trails are quite beautiful and recently have been better marked with new signage hurray for that!!! I got lost one day and I live near by & know the area lol
The marina area has a free swim beach, a café, kids playground and BBQ areas. A great area for a day trip. For overnighters, there is cabins, a lodge, RV hookups, tent camping and the new floating cabins are sweet!!! Prices are reasonable too :) In the fall, pecan grove is the best place to hang out as the sun shifts in the sky. Tips point is great with spectacular views of the lake it has BBQ’s, firepits & a very cool old stone outbuilding for large parties. Elephant rock is also a great place to camp & have a fire :)
There is also a castle on this lake called Tucker tower. It was build for the Govonor back in the day who never lived there. It has since been turned into a museum and recently a whole brand new building for the museum has opened.
There is hidden swim areas all around this lake that only the locals know about. Sunset beach on the other side of the lake is a fantastic spot for watching the sunsets, there is no better place :) Jason Aldean says it best about the «Oklahoma sunsets in your eyes like a water colored painted sky, you think heavens doors have opened» and it’s always just that stunning.
Swimming off the cliffs is kinda frowned upon but we do it anyway bc you can jump off them just dont go too close to the water tower. Cops will make you leave lol. Lake Murray is a limestone lake, so the water is so clear you can see the bottom most places… there is also a couple islands in the middle and a secret beach called
«bitch beach» but you might have to swim over there lol sometimes, depending on
the water levels, you can off road on the ATV trails, there is also a area to fly your
remote aircraft :)
Some of the best times of my life with my friends, my family, and with my hubby have
been spent on and around this lake, recently my 10^th anniversary and our Independence day, 4^th of July. It’s a part of me.
Quoting Aldean again…
«there’s still black marks on that county road where we drag raced our pick ups & weathered the summer rain, there’s still a rope burn on that branch that hangs over the lake, still got the scar, from swinging out a little too far. There ain’t a corner of this hollowed ground that we ain’t laughed and cried on. It’s where we loved, lived, & learned life’s stuff, it’s everything we are made of… I take a ride, look around & there’s no doubt. It sure left it’s mark on us, we sure left our mark on it. Let the world know we were here with everything we did, I’ve laid a lot of memories down, and we will always be hanging round!»
So come see what lake Murray is all about, you might just find that you want to hang around, love, live and lay some memories down too :)

Cozy and surprisingly updated cabins complete with separate rooms, a/​c, flat screen TV, a full kitchen. Amenities galore in the park from pool, ping pong, & putt-​putt to horseshoes. Spring fed sandy bottom lake is clear and blue green beautiful water.

i remember this place from my childhood because of the comfortable, well-​outfitted lakeside cabins. there’s tennis courts, miniature golf, boat docks, and a little country restaurant where you can get a coffee fix or a full lunch. the lake is beautiful, with a great old wooden pier. the lodge is vintage cool, with rows of wood paneled station wagons in the parking lot on the pre-​construction concept art framed inside. i think the cabins are around $ 50 dollars a night, sleeps 4 – 6 easily, and well worth it!

I chose Lake Murray Resort for a family reunion in May 2011 on the recommendation of a friend whose family has reunioned there for several years. It worked out great for all involved. It is a short 1 hour drive south of Oklahoma City which meant it was about half-​way for my Oklahoma and Texas family and a quick drive for those flying in to OKC from out of state. The resort is also just a few miles off I-​35 so it is easy to find and just a few miles from Ardmore in case you forgot to pack something or need to shop for groceries to do your own cooking. The lodging is great because there are lots of options and price points from rooms in the resort to cabins within walking distance of the resort, mini-​golf and water sports. The cabins have been updated with flat screen tvs, new carpet and bedding and have at least a micro and mini frig, but still retain their old cabin charm. It rained while we were there so it was great to commune in the resort lobby with a large fireplace, couches and chairs. The staff graciously offered to bring in some additional tables so that we’d have a place to play dominoes since we didn’t have a cabin big enough to accommodate everyone out of the rain. The resort offers a game room with plug and play pool tables, etc. and a rec room with activities for kids (e.g., crafts and face painting, etc.). We had lots of little ones attend and they had plenty to keep them busy in spite of the rain. There is lots for adults to do too (golf, ATVs, horse-​back riding, water sports, hiking, etc.). The Apple Bin restaurant onsite has a beautiful view of the lake (which is crystal clear and beautiful) and provides good food for the money. We loved it and decided to go back next year. I would definitely recommend you check it out and to do so early. I had to book our block of rooms 6 months in advance because we aren’t the only ones who have learned this is one of the best state parks in Oklahoma!