Beavers Bend State Park is located along the Mountain Fork River. | Photo by sarowen via Flickr
Itching to get out of town, Fort Worth? Skip those pesky airport security lines and jump in your car for a cozy fall road trip to Broken Bow, OK instead.
From hiking near Broken Bow Lake to cocktails at Abendigo’s — we’re spilling all the details on how to have an unforgettable time in the area.
📍 Essential info
Drive time: ~3.5 hours Year city was established: 1911 Est. population: 4,223
🍂 Experience
Beavers Bend State Park
Outdoor aficionados will want to spend time at Beavers Bend State Park, located just north of Broken Bow in the Hochatown area. Pick up a $10 one-day parking pass and spend the day hiking, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, and enjoying fall foliage.
We recommend checking out the 2.2-mile Lookout Mountain loop for beautiful fall views. Experienced hikers may be interested in the 8.6-mile Skyline Trail.
Rugaru Adventures
Zipline through the forest on six different lines, ending with a view over Broken Bow Lake. Prefer to stay on the ground? Try a tour via swincar, a handheld wheel control off-road vehicle.
Fish Tales Winery & Bistro
Stop by this local winery for free tastings with no reservation needed. During the tasting, try six different wines of your choice. Bonus: Fish Tales also offers a bistro menu + outdoor seating.
🍔 Eat
Mountain Fork Brewery
Sip on a beer from this popular local brewery + taproom while dining on brick-oven pizza or burgers — including a vegan option.
Abendigo’s
Stop by this sports bar, coffee shop, music venue, and full service restaurant in north Broken Bow. We recommend sitting on the patio for a cocktail and fried catfish or tacos.
Lake Bums 259
A local hidden gem, Lake Bums 259 features an outdoor area that’ll make you feel like you’re at a neighbor’s house enjoying the fire pit — and the menu isn’t bad, either.
Park Yoga | Tuesday, Oct. 22 | 5:30-6:15 p.m. | Burnett Park | Free | Unwind from the work day with a stretch session in the sunshine.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
“Clue” | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | 2 p.m. | The Modern | Watch the comedic murder mystery film — featuring names like Tim Curry + Madeline Kahn — from 1985.
Jim Milan’s Bucket List Jazz Band | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | 7 p.m. | Tulips Fort Worth | $5 | Listen to big band jazz music by this group that was created thanks to one man’s bucket list.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Girl’s Night Out Sip & Shop | Thursday, Oct. 24 | 5 p.m. | Troy’s, Arlington | $10 | Sip on a glass of sangria from the bar while shopping with friends.
Friday, Oct. 25
Pumpkin Paint Night | Friday, Oct. 25 | 6 p.m. | Crowley Rec Center parking lot, Crowley | $5+ | Pick out the perfect pumpkin, then get to painting — costumes are welcome.
Tunnel of Terror | Friday, Oct. 25-Saturday, Oct. 26 | 7-10 p.m. | Tommy’s Express Car Wash, Burleson | $25 | Think a car wash can’t be scary? Think again as you drive through this unique haunted experience.
A $2 billion, 140-acre mixed-use development is currently planned near DFW Airport. If approved by City Council, the River Central project will feature a hotel, office and retail space, a 56,000-sqft concert venue, townhomes, apartments, and 50 acres of open space. (WFAA)
Arts
Texas Ballet Theatre will be renovating and expanding its studio in 2025. Upon completion, the 65,000-sqft space will feature additional studios + a dedicated dance lab, pilates studio, physical therapy suite, ballet boutique, company lounge, family waiting lounge, and expanded company dressing rooms. (Fort Worth Report)
Sports
The Dallas Wings have parted ways with head coach Latricia Trammell. The team is currently searching for a general manager who will oversee day-to-day operations and be tasked with hiring the new head coach. (NBC DFW)
Number
2.4 million. That’s how many people the State Fair of Texas welcomed through the gates this year. The busiest day of the season was on Saturday, Oct. 12 with 211,000 fairgoers. Read a numerical breakdown of the 2023 State Fair of Texas.
Edu
Texas A&M Law ranked No. 1 in Texas for bar exam pass rates — for the second year in a row. Texas A&M graduates taking the exam for the first time passed at a rate of 97.42%, marking the highest July exam pass rate in the school’s history.
Award
Fort Worth’s Transportation & Public Works Department recently received the Gold Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association. The department was awarded thanks to its planning efforts for the East Berry Corridor Plan.
Plan Ahead
Santa Claus is coming to town. Beginning Friday, Nov. 29, Santa will be available for photos at the Shops at Clearfork on select dates. Grab tickets to jump the line when you arrive.
Legacy
Former President of Walsh Holdings G. Malcolm Louden died last week at 79 years old. Louden spent much of his life in Fort Worth, graduating from TCU as SGA President and “Mr. TCU” + leading various local nonprofits and boards. A funeral service will take place at University Christian Church today at 4 p.m.
Seasonal
Have you been to this haunted hair salon in Grapevine? WFAA’s Sean Giggy has the scoop on all the hair-raising tales.
Listen
TCU took home a win over Utah, but it was a low scoring game — is their offense in a slump? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the TCU Horned Frogs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Plan Ahead
Your weekend assignment: Check out Fat Daddy’s in Mansfield. Music lovers can enjoy live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night featuring acts across genres and time periods — 70s, 80s, rock, alternative, country, dance, and more. Explore upcoming events.*
Travel
For a limited time, save up to 50% on a AAA Membership — and add an additional driver for free or at a discounted rate. Members access AAA Roadside Assistance 24/7/365, plus savings on flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more with AAA Travel. Join AAA before this deal ends.*
Finance
It’s time to take a break from your high-interest debt. For one of the longest no-interest periods on a balance transfer card experts have seen in a while,check this out.*
This 4-in-1 car charger. It plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet and includes retractable USB-C and Lightning cables as well as USB-C and USB-A ports so you can charge up to four devices at once.
I’m so curious to know what the car wash “Tunnel of Terror” is like over in Burleson. I can’t imagine the experience lasting very long... but perhaps that’s a good thing for Halloween lovers who can’t bear 45 minutes of terror while walking through haunted houses. At the very least, you’ll come out with a clean car.
