Today, I ventured out to the South Canadian River that runs through south central Oklahoma. I discovered a quaint place only an hour away from Oklahoma City and something special for future day trips. I’ll explain the area and what the best way to get to the sandbar is.
The Location
The area is located near Byars Oklahoma. The main is situated around an old one-lane bridge located at 34.919804, -97.049617. This bridge is the central feature for the area and where most of the people congregate for swimming. The bridge is obviously narrow and you should keep an eye out for traffic going both ways. The rest of the road on either bank doesn’t have any shoulders and parking is very sparse.
I ended up parking on a little shoulder that was on the northwest side of the bridge and allows for about 3 vehicles to park. You then walk to the east and follow the trails to the river sandbar. It was very muddy and very loud on this Memorial Day Weekend. Once you’re out into the sandbar it was wonderful and the water was only a few feet deep in the middle of the channel. A lot of people actually walked across to the other shore and walked back. Be careful while you’re walking around because there was lots of traffic and plenty of fast driving across the sand.
Additional Tips
The area gets packed by early afternoon and parking is a premium along the road. So if you’re doing a day trip and want to be close then getting there early is essential. If you can’t park by the bridge or have a side-by-side and want to park, then the Soggy Bottom Trails and Pub will allow entry to their area about a mile to the east of the bridge for $10 per person. The entrance for the Soggy Bottom parking is located at 4.924038, -97.036551. You can also find more information on their Facebook page on the pub’s status, music, and menu offerings. You can even camp and relax there if you have a camper.
The area is awesome and well worth a day trip if you have the time. The South Canadian River is gently flowing and warm. It’s about an hour from Oklahoma City and easy to get to. I will return for sure!