Explore!
Enhance your stay at Shangri-La by exploring the communities around Monkey Island.
Northeast Oklahoma is rich in its Native American culture and home to many tribes. Spend the day visiting the cultural centers at each tribe's headquarters or try your luck at the slots or table games found at more than 20 Native-owned casinos nearby.
If fishing is on your agenda, you're in luck! Grand Lake is nationally known by anglers, bringing hundreds of fishing tournaments to the area each year - including the Big Bass Bash, Bassmaster, Toyota Series Major League Fishing, College Bass Championship and the World Fishing Tour. Shangri-La Resort offers boat rental for fishing or cruising, jet ski rental, tube rental and chartered cruises. A vast number of rivers and streams throughout the area offers a playground for kayaking, tubing, canoeing or splashing around near the shorelines.
Rev up your engine at one of the most popular locations for off-road vehicles in the US. A short drive from Monkey Island, Disney is home to world-renowned rock climbing and off-road adventures like the RZR Invasion, Big Meat Run and Battle of the Jeeps.
Natural Falls State Park
Natural Falls State Park
19225 E 578 Rd, Colcord, OK 74338
918-422-5802
Located about an hour south in the scenic Ozark Highlands, Natural Falls State Park is the filming location for the 1974 family classic “Where the Red Fern Grows.” A hidden, serene valley with a railed platform allows hikers to make their way to a stunning 77-foot waterfall cascading through rock formations.
Har-Ber Village
Har-Ber Village
4404 W 20th St. Grove, OK 74344
918-786-6446
Har-Ber Village, a pioneer-era village and museum features nearly 100 exhibits spreading over 6 acres of nature trails, scenic views and reproductions that will take you back to the mid-1800s.
Pensacola Dam
Pensacola Dam
S Highway 82 & 28, Langley, OK 74350
918-782-4726
Pensacola Dam was the first hydroelectric facility constructed in Oklahoma. GRDA built the dam between December 30, 1938, and March 21, 1940, when depression-era labor was abundant. It is located between the communities of Langley and Disney, spanning a mile across the Grand River Valley and holding back the 43,500 acres of water that form Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. The six units at Pensacola Dam have a combined generation capacity of approximately 120 MW. The dam has 21 floodgates on the main spillway and 21 on the east spillways. Visit the GRDA Ecosystem located at the entrance of the Pensacola Dam or travel below the dam to Eagle Pass for some great viewing of the area's many bald eagles.
Lendonwood Gardens
Lendonwood Gardens
1308 W 13th St., Grove, OK 74344
918-786-2938
Lendonwood Gardens is an 8-acre botanical garden a short drive from Monkey Island. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Leonard Miller, a retired dentist, Lendonwood Gardens is home to 1,400 different types of plants, including one of the largest collections of Chamaecyparis in the United States. Meander through azaleas, dogwoods, peonies, hostas, evergreens and more along a 150-foot stream consisting of nine pools of water and a koi pond.
Bernice Nature Center
Bernice Nature Center
54101 East Hwy 85A
Bernice, OK
Explore hands-on exhibits, animal exhibits, and wildlife exhibits at the Bernice Nature Center including an indoor active beehive and fish for the children to see. The nature center is located on a 66-acre wildlife refuge just a few miles off the island in the Bernice State Park. The park is a popular spot for swimming, includes a half-mile nature trail, primitive trails, and observation towers.
Admission to the Bernice State Park Nature Center is free. The establishment is open from Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm.
Little Blue State Park
Little Blue at Grand Lake State Park
State Hwy 28 E
Disney, OK
Little Blue is a hidden gem located below the Pensacola Dam. Locals have enjoyed the always cold, clear stream amidst the giant boulders that have become very popular for off-road vehicle climbing in recent years. When the area isn't inundated with rock crawlers, it's a great place for exploring and climbing by foot.
Rock Climbing
Rev up your engine at one of the most popular locations for off-road vehicles in the US. A short drive from Monkey Island, Disney is home to world-renowned rock climbing and off-road adventures like the RZR Invasion, Big Meat Run and Battle of the Jeeps.