By:
Submission
Birch Cove is located at Birch Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma.
Cradled in valleys surrounded by rolling, forested hills, the lake is a perfect setting for nature lovers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
The lake is small yet scenic and offers several excellent outdoor recreational opportunities for year-round enjoyment, such as fishing, boating, swimming, horseback riding and picnicking.
Birch Lake is popular for fishing and hunting, as well as family fun and relaxation.
Fish species available for the angler include largemouth bass, walleye, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, hybrid striped bass, black and white crappie, channel and flathead catfish and sunfish.
Principal game species for hunting enthusiasts include bobwhite quail, mourning dove, fox squirrel, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit and whitetail deer.
With a boat ramp, fishing dock and playground, as well as a swim beach, Birch Cove has something for everyone. All 85 campsites are on the waterfront or within a short walk from the lake. There are also two group camping shelters that can be reserved; one shelter accommodates 6 rv/trailers, 100 people and 21 vehicles, and the other accommodates 4 rv/trailers, 60 people and 11 vehicles.
Birch Cove Campground is forested, and most sites have a mix of sun and shade. The 1,137-acre lake is part of Birch Creek, a tributary of Bird Creek.
The shoreline ranges from gentle to steep slopes with numerous rock outcrops. The hilltops and upper slopes are generously forested with small hardwood trees, primarily post oak, blackjack, other oaks, hickory, hackberry and elm.
Numerous species of grasses and wildflowers bloom in spring and fall. Forests, tallgrass prairie and shrub ecosystems surround the lake area.
From Tulsa, take Highway 75 north to Hwy 20 west. First light in Skiatook turn right (north) on Hwy 11 to Barnsdall for 19 miles. Take a left on West Chestnut Avenue, then left on South Eighth Street at T. Travel 3 miles and Birch Cove entrance will be on the right.
This is a nice place. Our spot was on a slope, wish our would have been flat.
Showed up in 102 temperature and power was not working. Gate attendant was very timely and helpful. Although the park was full he found a place. It was clean shaded a great place for kids to run around. We are looking forward to are next trip.
Birch Cove was a quiet campground with clean bathroom facilities. We stayed in our travel trailer and our friends had a tent. We were at site 21, there was no view of the water. We were ok without a water view as many sites with a water view seemed much more crowded than ours. Site 21 had woods in the back and one side, which means we were not sandwiched other campers - private feel. We did not use the mounted stand up charcoal grill at the site but it was in great shape with a Shepard hook attached for hanging your lantern. The picnic table was made of concrete which made for a sore behind after a few rounds of cards but otherwise, it was nice to have a sturdy table for the 4 of us. The counter height bar was a great addition as our friend used it for his camp stove which gave us more room on the picnic table and he didn't have to bend over when he was cooking. Loved the counter height bar! The fire pit was huge and wasn't rusted out like we find at other camp grounds. We used three different bathroom facilities and all were clean. Always a big plus! Keep in mind that some of the water spigots at some sites seemed a bit further away while other sites seemed as if they were not intended to have water and people just shared water with their neighbor. We used just 1 25 foot hose to reach the water, however, we did see a one camper with 3 hoses white hoses attached we can only assume it was 3 25 foot hoses. If you are unsure, just call the camp hosts were friendly and I am sure could help you out on this. The beach area was clean but full sun. We did spend about 2 hours here on our visits and there were maybe a dozen other people on the beach. I believe no alcohol is allowed at the beach. Besides the town of Barnsdall which does not offer much, there were 3 decent size towns within 30 minutes drive. Our favorite was Skiatook because of Mac's BBQ, Mac's BBQ what a find! The other towns Pawhuska (town of the Pioneer Woman) and a bit further was Bartlesville. We recommend the Birch Cove campground and we would return if it wasn't 6 hours from our home. The drive for us is the only reason we would not return.
