Grand Lake State Park, Bernice Area (Blog Hike #947)

Trails: (unnamed)
Hike Location: Grand Lake State Park, Bernice Area
Geographic Location: east of Bernice, OK (36.62679, -94.89905)
Length: 1 mile
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A short, flat loop along the shore of Grand Lake.
Park Information: https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/bernice-area-at-grand-lake-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935409
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Bernice, take SR 85A east 1 mile, crossing an arm of Grand Lake in the process, to the entrance for the Bernice Area of Grand Lake State Park.  Turn right to enter the park, drive through the campground, and follow signs for the Nature Center, where this hike begins.

The hike: Located in northeast Oklahoma, the Grand Lake o' the Cherokees, usually called Grand Lake for short, is one of the oldest reservoirs in Oklahoma.  Authorities were considering a dam project on the Grand River even before Oklahoma became a state in 1907.  In 1935, the state created the Grand River Dam Authority to manage the project.  The dam on the Grand River was completed in 1940, and at 5145 feet in length it is claimed to be the longest multiple arch dam in the world.

            Grand Lake's main purpose is hydroelectric power generation, and the lake was originally conceived as a power source for the Cherokee Nation.  The lake also helps with flood control on the Arkansas River and provides abundant aquatic recreation.  Unlike most reservoirs in Oklahoma, Grand Lake lies in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.  Therefore, Grand Lake is a deep rocky lake averaging more than 36 feet in depth.

            Several Oklahoma state parks were built on the shores of Grand Lake, and today they are managed as distinct areas of the combined Grand Lake State Park.  Many of these areas offer only a campground and lake access, but the Bernice Area featured here also offers a nature center and a short system of hiking trails.  While not a major hiking destination, this park offers a nearly flat lakeside hike partially on asphalt trail, so it makes a nice option during bad weather when other hiking trails are too muddy.

Trailhead at Nature Center

            Start by picking up the asphalt trail that heads east from the Nature Center.  A Heart Healthy Trail sign marks this trailhead, and while there is a maze of dirt trails in the wooded area east of the Nature Center, there is only 1 asphalt trail.  The asphalt trail winds its way east through a forest consisting of oak, hickory, and black walnut trees with a dense grassy understory.

Grand Lake

            In only a few hundred feet, you reach the first spur trail exiting right to Grand Lake.  The gently sloped rocky lakeshore is a good place to do some birdwatching, and I saw lots of common birds, ducks, and a woodpecker here.  Continuing east on the asphalt trail, you next pass 2 "treehouses," or wooden platforms and shelters built some 10 feet above the forest floor.  The first treehouse overlooks the lake, while the second treehouse stands in the drier woods.

"Treehouse" on Grand Lake

            At 0.5 miles, you reach the east end of the asphalt Heart Healthy Trail at a secondary parking lot near the intersection of East 270 Road and South 550 Road.  There are several ways to get back to the Nature Center from here.  Of course you could retrace your steps along the asphalt trail, but for a little variety turn left to leave the asphalt and start walking due west along a power line corridor.  This dirt/gravel trail is the old East 270 Road, and it offers good footing even if it has rained recently, as it had on my visit.

Hiking back on dirt/gravel trail

            The old arrow-straight county road actually goes past the Nature Center to the campground, but you can escape the power lines by turning left on a dirt trail just before you reach the park's maintenance area on the right.  This short trail takes you through a small prairie opening before returning you to the asphalt trail.  A right turn then takes you back to the Nature Center to complete the hike.