Swimming at Blue Hole

May 15, 2023

Missy David, DONA Trained Birth Doula,

It seems inevitable that when I decide to team up with another mom and pile our children in one vehicle for an adventure, we will get lost, and yesterday’s expedition to Blue Hole was no exception.

I heard about Blue Hole last Summer and had wanted to visit then, but somehow it just fell off the Summer Wish List. My kids have been out of town for the last couple of weeks, and I have been up to my ears in housekeeping for my small business and attending births for my clients, so when Jeannie mentioned it, I was eager to join her on the adventure!

Jeannie, my sister-in-law, was able to find the listing for the swimming hole on SwimmingHoles.org/ok, and we looked up the directions with latitude and longitude. All I can say is thank goodness for smart phones and GPS! We did make it into the general vicinity of the park, but still couldn’t find it. Once we passed a sign in the woods that said, “When flooded turn around, don’t drown,” we thought it was time to stop at a gas station and ask for help!

When Jeannie asked the gas station attendant if he knew where Blue Hole was, he simply replied, “8 miles east!” She asked him to clarify which street she should turn on, and he indicated Kenwood. Kenwood street was in our directions, and we had been driving around for the last 45 minutes looking for it. It turns out the street sign for Kenwood is very small, and the large sign attached to the stoplight at that intersection says the street is Ferry! Glad we asked for directions!

He also said we should look for an old, rusted, blue and white sign that said Blue Hole, so it was a small victory when we saw this!

And this.

The name of the park is Wanda’s Blue Hole Park, LLC, and admission is $15 per vehicle. Camping is available, as well as swimming. Contact information and clear directions from Tulsa are at the bottom of this post.

As soon as we drove in and found a parking spot, we were thrilled and knew it was worth the drive and getting lost!

Due to the unforeseen long drive, we were all pretty hungry, so picnic lunch was first on the list!

It wasn’t long before the kids were throwing their lunches aside and begging to get in the water! The swimming hole is spring-fed and so clear. You can see my nephew, James, swimming underwater and the rocks at the bottom!

Speaking of the rocks at the bottom, I highly recommend sport sandals or some kind of swim shoes. After a few minutes my 5 year old was crying and telling me, “Mom, why couldn’t we go to the pool instead? This is PAINFUL!”

Also, the water is COLD. Very cold. Take-your-breath-away cold. But it’s very refreshing, and yes, you get used to it. Make sure you go on a hot day, as there are plenty of those in the summer in Oklahoma!

We only had one raft (“draft” as my 5 year old calls it), and next time we’ll bring more. There are a couple of areas where there are some little waterfalls and rapids where you can float down on top of an inner tube or raft. Plus, I would have loved to have just floated in the sun to watch the kids play!