GORE – For many people during this uncertain time, traveling can seem like a cumbersome and difficult experience. Traveling out of the country is off the table for most and going out of state is tricky. But if you live here in Oklahoma, there are plenty of terrific places to spend a weekend – or longer.
One of those appealing “staycation” getaways is here in the eastern Oklahoma town of Gore, located at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas rivers in western Sequoyah County, approximately 2.5 hours east of Oklahoma City.
Marval Family Camping Resort is located just a couple of miles northeast of Gore, in a sylvan site along the cold waters of the Illinois River, a popular fishing river that is known for its amazing trout fishing opportunities. In fact, Gore is known as the Trout Capital of Oklahoma.
But before you think that rainbow and brown trout are the only fish available to catch, there are also bass, walleye, stripers and catfish.
Once inside the environs of Marval, you come to the main gate and the general store. It is here that you can stock up on everything from water, fishing lures and firewood. With concerns about coronavirus, social distancing is a must in the main store, and masks are required.
But once on the 30-plus- year-old property, guests can stretch, using their feet, bicycles or the numerous golf carts the resort has for rent.
Nebraska native and Marval Office Manager Beverly Hines worked for Walmart for 14 years in Colorado before she and her husband David took to the road in their RV, taking on jobs as work-campers. They looked at settling down at various RV resorts before taking on the job at the award-winning resort in March 2019. Her husband, meanwhile, works in the resort’s housekeeping department.
“When we first came here we found a lot of what we liked was the atmosphere,” Hines said. “It seemed very nice and family friendly.”
And busy. There is no shortage of things to do at Marval. Even with the gaga pit, arcade and kid-oriented camp train closed due to COVID-19, the fishing opportunities are ample along the treelined riverside, there are two swimming pools, an outdoor movie theater, Frisbee golf course, splash pad, a nine-hole mini golf course, playground, and half-court basketball court. And, this time of year, Halloween trick-or-treating activities to keep the little ones up to their eyebrows in candy.
In fact, during the last weekend in September, not only were little ones trick- or-treating to cabins and parked RVs on the resort property, but older kids and adults got a good scare on the Haunted Trail.
Hines said that the resort recently changed ownership, and the new owners – Horizon Hospitality – are looking to add new activities in the future, including canoeing and kayaking on the Lower Illinois River. The idea is to ferry the boaters north five miles to just below the Lake Tenkiller Dam. It’s the cold water from the lake bottom, released by the dam, that gives the Lower Illinois its chilly quality. Once on the river for a float trip, the waters return the boaters back to Marval. But the plans are still in the making, Hines said.
Despite COVID-19, Hines assured this reporter that there was still plenty to do throughout the resort. Piedmont resident Feather Jones and her family are “seasonals,” meaning they have a permanent RV spot at Marval that they maintain over the course of the year. They have been coming back again and again for approximately eight years.
“I love it,” Jones said. “I love the river. My son, who is 14, does fishing tournaments. Plus, it’s very close to Lake Tenkiller.”
Jones noted the many tip-top restaurants in nearby Gore, from Gambino’s Pizza to Jimbo’s and Emily’s Tea Room.
“But my favorite place is Gore Bait & Tackle,” she said. “They are awesome.”
Jones noted that “spending quality time with your family” was a top reason for returning to Marval.
“We’re very grateful we have that place. It was a blessing,” Jones said, noting that as a teacher, she felt fortunate that she and her family were able to go to Marval to get away from the COVID-ravaged city.
And for Bethany-based mom and photographer Christine Burk, the years of going to Marval for family getaways and reunions with her husband Thad and two children has been wonderful and uplifting.
“We’ve been there six or seven times,” Burk said. “I like the security of the place and it’s very clean. It’s a family place where the kids can have a lot of freedom.”
“When I did that family reunion she was my saving grace,” Burk said of Beverly Hines’ assistance in setting things up.