Spend a Day on the Lake or on the Links
lake carl blackwell, lake mcmurtry, lakes, oklahoma state university, recreation, stillwater,
If your image of Oklahoma is tied to John Steinbeck and the legendary dust bowl, think again. Here, still waters run deep and wide.
Lake McMurtry, a city-owned site, is 1,300 acres of water surrounded by 2,100 acres of land. Lake Carl Blackwell is 3,350 acres. Boomer Lake is three miles around.
“A large part of the state is heavily forested, with lots of lakes,” says John McClenny, director of parks and recreation for the city of Stillwater. “Three of ours are quite nice.”
The three are McMurtry, Blackwell and Boomer.
Lake McMurtry, he says, is the crown jewel – shining where sun and water meet and offering fishing, boating, skiing and other water sports geared toward the family. Some 27 miles of trails provide ample opportunity for hiking and biking. Camping is available at tent sites or in RV areas equipped with access to electricity and water.
The lake attracts people from throughout the region and brings in $80,000 in fees annually to the city, McClenny says.
“People come mainly on the weekends,” says Roger Bastion, lake supervisor. “Fishing is good in the spring.”
The Stillwater Rifle and Gun Club holds events here, and some cycling events are scheduled annually.
“We work with the local bike groups,” Bastion says, noting that McMurtry attracts cyclists, while Lake Carl Blackwell has a big equestrian component.
Lake Carl Blackwell, owned by Oklahoma State University, attracts people interested in swimming, fishing, boating, skiing and sailing. The surrounding 800 acres of land is ideal for horseback riding, camping, hiking and hunting.
Boomer, located in town, is also very popular, thanks to a major renovation in the 1990s when the city drained and deepened the lake, rebuilt the dam and added breakwater jetties to deal with heavy winds.
“We used to joke it was too thick to drink and too thin to plow,” McClenny says. “That’s not the case now. Boomer Lake is definitely premier. We put a lot of effort into it.”
The lake water is used to cool the city’s power plant as well as for recreation. Residents of Stillwater enjoy the Boomer Blast!, held July 4, and an annual boat race. The city also promotes biking and walking at the lake.
For those who prefer links to lakes, Karsten Creek Golf Club is a gem. Designed by the famed Tom Fazio, the club is named for Karsten Solheim of Ping Golf fame. Karsten Creek is used by the college golf teams and also hosts golf events, such as the NCAA championships and the Ping Invitational.
Karsten Creek regularly appears on lists of the best courses in the country. Opened in 1994, Golf Digest named it the Best New Course.
“It’s unique for this area,” says Scott Davies, general manager, golf pro and director of instruction. “This course is one of the top-ranked courses in the country. People come to this part of the state and they want to play here.”
For instance, when the PGA Championship was at Southern Hills in Tulsa last year, some attendees drove 75 miles to play the Karsten Creek course.
Public play is allowed, but just a total of 10,000 rounds a year are played at Karsten Creek. That’s just fine, Davies says.
“We’re quietly tucked away,” he says. “We try and keep it a little exclusive.”
Other area courses include Lakeside Golf Club – 15 minutes from downtown – and White Barn Estates.
Story by Paul Hughes
Photo by Jeff Adkins
