I’m always looking for new places in Oklahoma to explore and hike and a couple of my besties have been raving about the Blue River so I thought it was due time that me and the family took a day trip down south to check it out. So we loaded up with our picnic goodies and took a little road trip to the River!
Blue River is a winding river located in Southeast Oklahoma, just 8 miles northeast of the cute and charming town of Tishomingo. Tishomingo is a gem of a tiny town, cute shops, restaurants and boutiques line the main road and it is a great place for a day trip or to stop and visit while you’re exploring Blue River.
Blue River is nestled amongst thousands of acres of Blackjack and Postoak trees. It’s one of the only streams in Oklahoma that is still fed by natural sources and not manmade structures controlling the flow.
While fishing is the most popular activity, there are a variety of other activities to enjoy such as rafting, kayaking, hunting and camping.
As far as hiking goes theres not many options but there is a lot of area all around the river to explore on your own. The only hiking trail that is marked in this area is the North Blue River Trail. The trail head is located right off HWY 7 and there is a small parking lot with restrooms.
This hike is an out and back and is just about 4 miles from start to finish if you decide to go the whole way. It is a very easy trail, suitable for all ages. We had our 5 year old and almost 2 year old with us and had no problems (other than with attitudes haha), but in reality super easy for kids, our 2 year old was just a cranky wanky wonky tonky donkey this day so dad had to carry him on his shoulders most of the time.
The trail is like an old Jeep road with dirt gravel and sand tracks that you follow along. There really is no elevation so again, suitable for all levels. The path is wide and lots of room to roam freely. It had rained a lot the night before we came so the trail was pretty muddy in places and lots of puddles to step around and some were unavoidable so we had wet shoes from the get go but it was totally fine, I mean you’re at the river so expect to get a little wet right?!
Once you get headed down the trail you will soon hear the roaring of the water and there are multiple side trails along the entire trail that take you down to the river for some awesome viewpoints.
You can explore all of these trails as I suggest you do for each has a unique vantage point of the flowing river. Then you can hop back on the trail and keep exploring!
There are so many beautiful wildflowers along the trail, the blossoms smell of Oklahoma summers as their fresh fragrance wafts through the air. Butterflies fluttered all around us and the flowers as we strolled along. Wildlife is abundant here as you will see lots of tracks in the dirt and may even spot some wildlife along your journey.
One of my favorite things along the trail were the massive rock boulders covered in moss and flowers. We found a great spot atop a huge boulder formation to stop and have a picnic and the moss gave us a good cushion to sit down on.
The trails ends at a crossroads with the river and then you turn around. The only thing I wished were different was that you could follow the trail all along the river bank to enjoy the views of the water the entire time but it was nice to get peeks of the river as you go. Oh and you have to keep an eye out for dog droppings, they were everywhere along the track which was sort of a nuisance as you had to be on the lookout while stepping.
We went during the middle of the week and were literally the only people on this trail. I’m sure it gets very busy with fishers and other hikers on the weekends and during the summer but it was lovely to have this beauty all to ourselves on a nice overcast spring day.
Overall this hike is a very relaxing chill hike that is fun for the entire family. Summertime would be an ideal time to go as you can jump in the water and wade around if jumping into rivers is your thing.
Would love to hear about your trip down to the Blue River so comment below and let me know how it goes!
